WNBA playoffs: Reigning champs Las Vegas one game from elimination

Sabrina Ionescu scored 24 points and the New York Liberty beat the Las Vegas Aces 88-84 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five semi-final series. Game 3 is Friday night in Las Vegas, with the two-time defending champion Aces trying to avoid being knocked out by the team they beat in the WNBA finals last year. No team has rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win a best-of-five playoff series in WNBA postseason history. Only Phoenix were able to force a Game 5 in 2018 against Seattle. “I love being in the history books, so might as well try to start there,” Aces guard Chelsea Gray said. “That’s going to be our mentality.” The game was tied at 81-81 before Ionescu hit a jumper with 1:15 left to give New York a two-point lead. Both teams had chances before Ionescu fouled Tiffany Hayes with 16.9 seconds remaining off of a jump ball. Hayes hit the first of two free throws to make it a one-point game. New York secured the rebound and Ionescu was fouled with 11.6 seconds left and also only hit one free throw to make it 84-82. Las Vegas had a chance to tie the game, but the ball went out of bounds on the sideline with 10.5 to play and after New York challenged the call, the officials overturned the decision and gave the Liberty the ball.

Minnesota Lynx 77-70 Connecticut Sun Courtney Williams scored 17 points and Alanna Smith had 15 points to help Minnesota offset an off night for star Napheesa Collier and beat Connecticut to even their semi-final series at one game apiece. Collier, who scored 80 points in the two-game sweep of Phoenix in the first round, was held to nine points on 3-for-14 shooting. She led the Lynx with 12 rebounds and five assists, and was content to let her supporting cast lead the charge past a feisty opponent. “The first game they were chirping and chatting, so we had to give it back to them,” Williams said after the game. “Playoff basketball, man.” Alyssa Thomas had 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Sun, who shot just 5 for 20 from three-point range. DeWanna Bonner scored 17 points and Marina Mabrey added 15 points on 4-for-14 shooting after she went 7 for 19 for 20 points in the opener. Connecticut will host Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday. Game 5, if necessary, would be in Minnesota on 8 October.

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