The WNBA semifinals featured two hard-fought games on Sunday, as both spots in the WNBA Finals were up for grabs entering the day.
To open the semifinal action, the New York Liberty defeated the Las Vegas Aces in a rematch of the 2023 Finals. The Liberty took down the Aces by the score of 76-62 in Game 4, winning the series 3-1 and punching their ticket to the title game for the second consecutive season.
In the next contest, the Connecticut Sun beat the Minnesota Lynx 92-82 after entering the matchup facing a 2-1 series deficit.
Here’s a look back at each game as they unfolded.
Liberty 76, Aces 62
New York was led by familiar faces, as Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart combined to score 41 points on 15-35 shooting. After Ionescu connected on 41.2 percent of her triples in the first three games of the series, she hit five of her eight attempts from behind the arc against Las Vegas.
She led an impressive all-around shooting performance, as the Liberty shot 42 percent from three as a team on Sunday. New York was also dominant on the glass, pulling down 48 rebounds compared to just 27 for Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, the Aces’ quest for a third straight championship came to an end. Three-time MVP A’ja Wilson did all she could to keep Las Vegas’ season alive, finishing with a double-double that included 19 points and 10 rebounds. Wilson shot 7-13 from the floor and was dominant on defense, blocking five shots.
Kelsey Plum’s inconsistency in the playoffs resurfaced once again. After scoring 20 points on 63.6 percent shooting in Game 3, she finished with 17 points with a disappointing 31.3 field-goal percentage in Game 4.
The Liberty led by just two points entering the fourth quarter, but they finished the contest with a 23-11 advantage over the final 10 minutes to win the series.
Sun 92, Lynx 82
The Sun were able to keep their season alive with their backs against the wall, defeating the Lynx with a strong second-half effort at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Connecticut didn’t get off to a hot start, trailing by seven after the first quarter. Minnesota maintained the same lead at halftime.
Napheesa Collier continued her incredible playoff run for the Lynx, nearly winning the series on the road. After entering the contest averaging 26.8 points per game this postseason, she finished the game with 29 points and 13 rebounds on 60.0/66.6/90.0 shooting splits.
The Sun still surged back to take a lead with just over two minutes left in the third quarter, and they wouldn’t relinquish it for the remainder of the contest. Connecticut outscored Minnesota 49-32 in the second half, cruising to a win late in the fourth quarter.
It was a balanced scoring effort from the Sun, as five players reached double-digit point totals. They were led by Tyasha Harris, who scored 20 points in 30 minutes after failing to record a point in her first three appearances in the 2024 playoffs.
Connecticut caught fire from behind the arc, connecting on eight of 15 three-point attempts as a team.
The series will now head back to Minnesota for a winner-take-all showdown in Game 5. Tip-off is on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.
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