The Las Vegas Aces suffered an 84-88 defeat in Game 2 of their best-of-five semifinal series against the New York Liberty. Although this setback left the defending champions in a tough spot with a 0-2 deficit, head coach Becky Hammon refused to panic. She instead likened the Liberty to the 2013/14 San Antonio Spurs and praised them for their focus.
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During her latest post-game conference, Hammon recounted how the Spurs were on the brink of winning the championship against the Miami Heat. However, their focus wavered in the final seconds of Game 6. This allowed the Heat to make a comeback and ultimately secure the title.
This humiliating setback led the Spurs to make a strong comeback the following year. The team looked unstoppable and eventually avenged their loss with a 4-1 win in the Finals against the Heat.
“The Spurs with the Miami Heat. They lose an absolute heartbreaker in Miami of a basic thing – offensive rebound, kick out three. We should have walked away with the title that year… The next year they came back with so much drive, so much discipline, so much focus that there was no way somebody could beat them in 2014.”
Hammon suggested that the Liberty might be on a similar path. They likely believed they could easily win the 2023 Finals against a depleted Aces roster. However, the reality was quite different. They faced a 1-3 defeat in the series. This setback possibly motivated the Liberty to prepare for a comeback reminiscent of the Spurs’ turnaround in 2014.
“Liberty took a huge loss last year and I liken it to that a little bit where they felt like they had it, and we walked away with it. I did think we were the better team but we were dealt with a really freaking tough hand last year in the finals losing Chelsea [Gray] and Kiah [Stokes]. So, I’m sure they felt like somewhat stolen a little bit.”
At the same time, Hammon praised the Liberty’s authority over their home court. She noted that the Aces had only managed to defeat the Brooklyn side once at the Barclays Center. Hammon acknowledged this focus.
“At the end of the day, in two years we have won here on time. Game 4 [of the 2023 Finals]. Other than that, they have kicked our a**.”
Here is the full answer from Becky Hammon, including the quote below and a reference to the Spurs/Heat 2013/2014 NBA Finals.
A pretty massive quote here from Becky. #WNBA https://t.co/Hbj9YImENX pic.twitter.com/c5c0ZudyQW
— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) October 2, 2024
Although Hammon’s praise for the Liberty is well-placed, she knows she must find ways to counter their dominance. After all, the Aces fans are on the verge of seeing their three-peat dreams slip away.
Can the Aces make history?
With back-to-back defeats in the semi-final series, the only way for the Aces is victory. If they can win the next three games, they will become the first team in WNBA history to secure a postseason series victory after being down 0-2.
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At the same time, winning three straight games will keep their dreams of becoming the WNBA second team to pull off a three-peat alive. Since the Houston Comets won the first four league titles from 1997 to 2000, no other team has managed to achieve that kind of success.
So, there is a lot on the line for them right now. Do you think they can turn things around? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
