Aces-Liberty first super-team matchup highlights monumental WNBA week

NEW YORK — It is time.

The first meeting of the super-teams will take place on Thursday night when the New York Liberty visit Michelob Ultra Arena to play the Las Vegas Aces (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video). It’s the first of four meetings between the teams pegged as preseason favorites for the WNBA Finals.

The much-anticipated matchup will close the toughest week of the season for New York, which defeated the fourth-place Washington Mystics in overtime on Sunday and will play at the second-place Connecticut Sun on Tuesday before flying across the country on a short turnaround. The Aces have two days off following their second game in three days after hosting the Indiana Fever on Monday night. They close their season series with the Sun at home on Sunday.

The Liberty (9-3) continue to be a work in progress as head coach Sandy Brondello melds a group of players who have had to be the No. 1 option at various times in their careers, but are now tasked with complementing each other. The win against the Mystics was a “great learning experience,” Brondello said. They’ve already had a few such opportunities since they’ve faced the Mystics (8-5) and Sun (12-3) twice each in the first quarter of the season. The Liberty are 2-1 in those matchups going into Tuesday’s game.

Las Vegas (12-1) is off to another hot start on the season as the Aces attempt to run back their championship, the first in Las Vegas professional sports history. The Aces have scored at least 90 points in 10 of 12 contests to average a league-best 93.2 points per game, six more than the Liberty in second place (and a whopping 18 more than the last-place Minnesota Lynx).

Their 114.7 offensive efficiency rating ranks first and their 95.1 defensive rating is second behind the Mystics. They’re responsible for five of the 10 highest single-game field-goal percentages this season. The average win margin of 18.667 points is currently second in league history behind the 2019 Mystics’ 19.462, per Across the Timeline.

The accolades go on and on, and Mystics head coach Eric Thibault even quipped at how smoothly things were going in Las Vegas with second-year head coach Becky Hammon.

“I think every coach in the league is probably feeling it — maybe not Becky, I don’t know — where it feels like you are, just could be a little crisper, a little sharper, [and] not have the last two minutes where you have three or four possessions where … they’re not sloppy, but just casual,” Thibault said.

But the Aces had only two games combined against the other three best teams in the standings and one was their lone loss, 94-77, to the Sun. They defeated the Sun by six, 90-84, two days prior on the road. Those best field-goal games were against the Phoenix Mercury (which has plenty of problems) and Indiana Fever, two of the league's worst defenses, as well as the middling Seattle Storm (twice) and Chicago Sky. The Storm, Sky and Mercury all allow the highest shooting percentages.

Five of their games were against the three teams struggling most: Minnesota (4-9), Seattle (4-9) and Phoenix (2-10). Five of their six largest margins of victory, all at least 20 points, are to those teams. By Thursday’s first meeting with New York, the Aces will have already wrapped up their three-game season series with the Fever, a team outperforming expectations, but certainly not in cream-of-the-crop contention. The old-school super-team formed through the draft has had the easier schedule early and will learn more about itself with New York in town.

Mercury in retrograde

Two things can be true at once.

No. 1: Vanessa Nygaard, who was fired Sunday as head coach in Phoenix, was dealt an incredibly difficult hand when she took over the Mercury. Her “Big 3” held two big personalities in Skylar Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi. And then shortly after being named head coach in early 2022, she learns her All-Star Brittney Griner is detained overseas. The U.S. government later determined she was wrongfully detained. That’s a blow to their chances on the court, and clearly took an understandable toll on players’ mental health and well-being.

No. 2: The Mercury’s struggles go beyond those issues, and Nygaard wasn’t leading the team in a winning direction. They were a WNBA Finals team in 2021 and are at the bottom of the pile a swift 18 months later. The front office was willing to see what she could do with at least her big back in the lineup, but with it still not working out, it’s time to move on.

There isn’t a lot of green on the Her Hoops Stats page for the Mercury. They have a top-five field-goal percentage (44.1%) and are third in points per scoring attempt (1.09), but rank third-to-last in points per game (77.2). Their offensive rating is 10th, net rating is dead last and their rebounding rates are at the bottom.

Defense has been the most glaring problem, allowing a league-worst 88.4 ppg and 107.5 defensive rating. Any coach or player will tell you it’s the side of the ball that’s most about will and want. It requires dedication and commitment. That the Mercury’s defense has been lacking is a remark on the players as well as the coach.

Nygaard and players have taken issue with officiating in recent weeks, and that may be valid. But little has been done to improve the team’s league-worst turnover rate (19.9%, 17.6 per game), second-worst assists-to-turnover ratio (1.10) and third-worst steal rate (61.%, 5.7 per game).

To use another coaching cliché, control what you can control. Nygaard and the Mercury haven’t done that. Now assistant Nikki Blue will make her interim debut Tuesday night with the Dallas Wings in town. Phoenix is on a four-game skid of losing margins of at least 15 points. Only four teams have had longer skids, per Across the Timeline.

Reaction of the week … nay, month … year?

Watch this again. And again. And again.

The reactions to the video itself are also gold. We repeat, give Sydney Colson a reality series.

Chelsea Gray will make her fifth All-Star appearance next month when the Aces host the annual game. She’s joined as a starter by teammates A’ja Wilson, who will captain with Breanna Stewart, and Jackie Young.

Weekly status report

Brionna Jones will miss the rest of the 2023 season for the Sun after rupturing her Achilles in a non-contact play agains Seattle. The 6-foot-3 center underwent successful surgery on Friday. It’s a big blow to a team that is well experienced in losing one of its starters to injury. Head coach Stephanie White put guard Rebecca Allen into the starting lineup in Jones’ absence on Thursday night.

Mystics veteran guard Kristi Toliver is out at minimum another week after the team announced she would miss two weeks with a lingering foot injury. She is dealing with plantar fasciitis and traveled to meet the team in New York. Thibault said it has been nice to have her around the team as a sounding board for the guards and another voice. She was seen making a case to the referees for her teammates on Sunday at Barclays Center.

Liberty reserve center Stefanie Dolson will miss “weeks, not days,” Brondello said Sunday. Dolson, who sustained an ankle injury but without any tears, Brondello said, was moving around Barclays Center with a leg scooter and her ankle in a walking boot. New York signed Epiphanny Prince to a hardship contract.

Mystics second-year forward Shakira Austin took a nasty tumble in front of the Liberty sideline in the fourth quarter and had to be carried off to the locker room by a trainer and Natasha Cloud. Thibault said after the game it was a hip strain and the team will “evaluate her when we get back” to D.C.

Lynx lottery pick Diamond Miller returned to practice on Sunday after missing nine games with a sprained right ankle. Head coach Cheryl Miller said the rookie is “trending toward” playing on Tuesday night. She would need to be cleared by doctors.

WNBA standings

Top four host playoff series — Aces (12-1), Sun (12-3), Liberty (9-3), Mystics (8-5)

There could be some shake-up as the top four face off against each other this week. The Aces have yet to play the Liberty or Mystics until later this week. The top three are all on winning streaks of five, four and three games, respectively.

Making the playoffs — Sparks (7-7), Wings (6-8), Dream (5-7), Fever (5-8)

The Fever are in a postseason spot! As much as Indiana fans might want another lottery pick for the incoming draft class, it might not be the worst thing to slide into the playoffs and gain that experience. There is plenty of talent that could come out of the draft, and there’s no guarantee Caitlin Clark is coming out this season since she has an extra year of eligibility. The Sparks defeated the Wings twice this week to move up toward the top.

Lottery — Sky (5-9), Lynx (4-9), Storm (4-9), Mercury (2-10)

The Sky are on a six-game losing streak dating back to June 9. They include a combined four games against the top four teams in the standings.

What to watch this week

Tuesday — CBS Sports Network

The Liberty and Sun tip the night off on NBA TV (7 p.m. ET), followed by a doubleheader on CBS Sports Network. The Storm and Lynx play at 8 p.m. ET and the Mercury will attempt to win in Blue’s debut at 10 p.m. ET against the Wings.

Wednesday — NBA TV

It’s another camp day game with the Sparks traveling to the Sky (noon ET). Los Angeles scored at least 90 points for a fourth time this season when the Sparks played the Wings on Sunday. They’re 4-0 when scoring at least 90 and oddly enough 0-2 when scoring in the 80s.

The Dream and Mystics tip at 7 p.m. ET.

Thursday — Take an evening nap day

It’s time for the West Coast to potentially shine with all three games tipping at 10 p.m. ET, led by the first meeting of the super-teams on Prime Video. Fever-Mercury is on NBA TV and Lynx-Storm is on CBS Sports.

Friday — ION

It’s rematch day for the Mystics and Dream (7:30 p.m. ET) and Sparks and Sky (8 p.m. ET). The games will be regionally available.