The Aces did not let the Liberty s star backcourt get too comfortable in Game 1. Young played lockdown defense on shooting guard Sabrina Ionescu.
Ionescu averaged 17 points per game this season, but she averaged 19.4 in five games against the Aces. Young was on a mission to shut down Ionescu, who only got off seven shots and missed five of them. Ionescu shot 1-for-5 from 3-point range, and finished Game 1 with only seven points.
It’s my role every night to go out there and guard the best perimeter player on the other team, said Young. I take a lot of pride in that, just trying to get stops.
Young credited Wilson in the paint, who was able to provide help defense, which allowed her to play extra aggressive on the perimeter.
At the end of the day, I have A ja, the defensive player of the year, behind me, added Young. That gives me a lot of confidence to be able to get up and pressure the guards.
The Aces also harassed All-Star point guard Courtney Vandersloot. Vandersloot missed seven shots, including three 3-point attempts. The Aces also didn t want Betnijah Laney to catch fire. Laney had been red-hot from beyond the arc with a 43.8% success rate in the playoffs. Laney scored 11 points in Game 1, and missed all three of her 3-point attempts.
Breanna Stewart, the league s reigning MVP, scored a team-high 21 points and added nine rebounds for the Liberty in the loss.
