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The Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm open their best-of-three first-round playoff collection Sunday night time at T-Cellular Enviornment, a matchup that pits the most popular crew within the league towards one of many grittiest.
Las Vegas earned the No. 2 seed with a 30-14 report, closing the season on a league-record 16-game win streak. The Aces are chasing their third WNBA championship in 4 years behind MVP frontrunner A’ja Wilson and a balanced roster that has discovered rhythm on the proper time.
Seattle secured the No. 7 seed with a 23-21 report, counting on protection and resilience to clinch a postseason berth on the ultimate day of the common season. The Storm lead the league in steals and blocks, and so they carry veteran expertise with Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams, and Ezi Magbegor. The franchise is looking for its first collection win since 2022.
Acquainted Rivals
The Aces and Storm have turn out to be playoff regulars towards each other. They’ve met in three of the final 5 postseasons, with Seattle sweeping Las Vegas within the 2020 Finals and the Aces eliminating the Storm within the 2022 semifinals en path to back-to-back titles.
This season, the groups cut up their 4 regular-season matchups, with Seattle holding Las Vegas beneath its season scoring common in three of these video games. Their most up-to-date assembly got here on Aug. 8, when the Aces earned a 90-86 win behind Wilson’s 26 factors and rookie Dominique Malonga’s 22 off the Storm bench.
Storm head coach Noelle Quinn mentioned the familiarity between Seattle and Las Vegas runs deeper than simply this season’s cut up regular-season collection. The 2 franchises have confronted one another in three of the previous 5 postseasons, buying and selling blows in high-stakes moments that also form how either side put together.
“There’s a little bit of — not nostalgia — however a familiarity,” Quinn mentioned. “The vibe and the texture of our groups feels a bit bit totally different for me, having a whole lot of new items, however (I’ve) familiarity within the opponent, understanding what they do within the playoffs, how they play, what the ambiance seems like, smells like and feels like.”
2022 Aces/Storm stays one of the iconic playoff collection of all time pic.twitter.com/p6WSJg9faf
— curt miller’s beard (@phxsunz25) September 21, 2024
Aces’ Surge Behind A’ja Wilson
Wilson closed the season with one other dominant marketing campaign, averaging 23.4 factors, 10.2 rebounds and a pair of.3 blocks per recreation. She mentioned the group’s progress throughout the second half of the season fueled their late surge. It was introduced by the WNBA Wilson was named a 2025 Peak Performer, together with Angel Reese and Alyssa Thomas.
“Our imaginative and prescient was at all times going to maintain the primary factor the primary factor, which was simply taking part in our basketball on the proper time,” Wilson mentioned. “Did it appear like the best way we thought it ought to appear like? No. However I really feel like that’s every little thing in life. Generally we now have these schedules and occasions and targets already set… however generally that’s not in our management. Generally we simply let God do his work.”
Aces head coach Becky Hammon mentioned she believes the crew’s transformation over the ultimate two months of the common season was the product of lastly discovering its collective identification. After hovering at .500 halfway by the 12 months and looking for consistency on each ends of the ground, Hammon pointed to the late-season surge as proof of improved chemistry and belief among the many roster.
“I actually felt like they have been this the entire time,” Hammon mentioned. “It simply took a bit longer than I’d prefer to develop chemistry-wise and trust-wise and ball motion clever. However they acquired there. They actually buckled in and began determining that they’re higher collectively.”
Jewell Loyd, who spent the primary decade of her profession in Seattle, will probably be a central storyline. Loyd averaged 11.2 factors and a pair of.3 made threes per recreation in her first season with Las Vegas, typically offering a set off the bench. The Storm have downplayed the feelings of going through their longtime star, however her capturing provides one other layer to the Aces’ assault.
The numbers don’t lie📈. This season, three stars led the best way in factors, rebounds and assists. Introducing your 2025 WNBA Peak Performers:
PPG: A’ja WilsonRPG: Angel ReeseAPG: Alyssa Thomas pic.twitter.com/HYrcSLmm7Q
— WNBA Communications (@WNBAComms) September 12, 2025
Storm Lean on Protection and Stability
Seattle survived a turbulent 12 months, ending final within the league in rebounding however among the many greatest in steals and blocks. They clinched their playoff spot on Erica Wheeler’s buzzer-beater towards Golden State, a second Wheeler referred to as symbolic of their team-first mindset.
“It’s by no means actually about me,” Wheeler mentioned. “We knew how necessary this recreation was to get into the postseason. So yeah, that shot gained the sport, however it was a crew effort. We did every little thing we wanted to do as a crew.”
Seattle endured extra nail-biters than some other crew within the league. The Storm performed 29 of their 44 video games in “clutch” conditions, outlined as contests inside 5 factors or fewer within the closing 5 minutes. No different crew got here shut — the Golden State Valkyries and Washington Mystics tied for second with 24 such video games.
Take a look at the trouble from the Seattle Storm protection.
Plum seeking to assault, Storm double. Williams and Ezi take passes away. Good job by Ezi to movement again to the block, nice effort from Gabby Williams to get again within the play and contest. pic.twitter.com/ZgHmre9jmq
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) August 2, 2025
The Storm Search First WNBA Title Since 2020
The Storm went 14-15 total in these tight moments, however their execution slipped after the All-Star break, ending simply 4-9 in 13 clutch video games. Even so, Nneka Ogwumike mentioned that fixed publicity to high-pressure conditions has sharpened the group for the postseason.
“We’ve been in a whole lot of tight video games to the top, and over time we’ve been capable of practice that muscle,” Ogwumike mentioned. “I can’t assist however imagine it’ll put together us for what we’re going to expertise within the postseason.”
Quinn credited Wheeler’s two-way play and emphasised how Seattle’s depth has emerged late within the season. Brittney Sykes has turn out to be a defensive disruptor on the perimeter following a midseason commerce with the Washington Mystics, whereas Malonga has solidified the bench rotation with rebounding and rim safety after being drafted No. 2 total.
“Erica’s having a profession 12 months this 12 months and it’s the threes, it’s the protection,” Quinn mentioned. “To grab the second, care for enterprise on residence court docket towards a crew who’s trending actually positively—reveals a whole lot of resiliency.”
Prediction: Aces Win the Sequence Shortly
Las Vegas has each benefit heading into the collection — momentum, depth, and the league’s greatest participant in Wilson. The Aces’ 16-game win streak has featured improved three-point capturing, stability throughout the roster, and a protection that has clamped down after a shaky begin to the season. With Wilson anchoring the paint and a resurgent supporting solid of Jackie Younger, Chelsea Grey, Jewell Loyd, and NaLyssa Smith, Las Vegas appears to be like just like the crew to beat.
Seattle’s path to an upset will rely upon turning the collection right into a grind. The Storm lead the league in steals and blocks, and their defensive depth can hold them in shut video games. If Ogwumike controls the paint, if Sykes and Williams can disrupt Las Vegas’ perimeter rhythm, and if Malonga offers constant minutes off the bench, Seattle can stretch the collection to a few video games.
However the Aces have confirmed too balanced, too skilled, and too assured to be derailed early. Anticipate Seattle to struggle exhausting, particularly at residence in Recreation 2, however Las Vegas is the clear favourite to advance.
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