Just when we thought the WNBA Finals were over…
Now battling unfortunate injury woes, the Las Vegas Aces need to gut out one more win to become the league’s first back-to-back champions since the Los Angeles Sparks over 20 years ago. To get that final win, Kelsey Plum needs to play a large part.
In Game 3, Plum was everything for the Aces. She played all 40 minutes, scoring 29 points and hitting five out of her 10 three-point attempts. If anyone was going to will the Aces to close out the series in straight sets, it was Plum. It wasn’t just her scoring output; it was the leadership, it was the energy. Her performance in Game 3 was the real-life version of the ‘I got that dog in me’ meme.
When Plum gets the ball on the perimeter, defenders must prepare for both an aggressive drive or a quick three-point shot. It doesn’t matter who is guarding her—she’s not scared to go to the hoop, even on the MVP.
No basket but this is the type of movement the Liberty have had all season. Drive, cut, drive, kick. On the other end, the drives from Kelsey Plum have been so important. pic.twitter.com/ke8hAWndls
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) October 15, 2023
Equally as dangerous is the three-point shooting. This isn’t anything new, Plum has consistently proven her efficiency from beyond the arc, a 39.6-percent three-point shooter on her career. Through these last three games against the Liberty, she is shooting 44 percent from three. She has also scored 78 of the Aces’ 276 total points during the finals.
She can create her own shot with the ball in her hands or serve as a catch-and-shoot threat off her teammates’ drives.
Plum catches and shoots in one singular movement, once she notices Betnijah Laney briefly look away to provide help as Chelsea Gray drives to the basket.
In Game 4, and potentially beyond, Plum won’t have the luxury of catching passes from Gray. Both Gray and starting big Kiah Stokes were officially ruled out for game 4 and questionable for a potential Game 5, as confirmed by head coach Becky Hammon.
“That’s our point guard. That’s the head of our snake. That’s our leader,” Aces star A’ja Wilson said of Gray’s injury. “So, that’s a challenge, obviously, out the gate. But we need to have the ‘man down, man up’ mentality. It’s been like that this whole season. We haven’t been whole in a minute, so this is something that we’re used to. This is something we’re just going to grind out like we’ve always been. And we’re used to being in the trenches; so, at this point, we’ve just got to climb our way out.”
With two significant missing pieces, Plum will need to rise to the occasion at least once more. Although one player can’t replace what Gray brings, Plum is an elite facilitator that will help keep Las Vegas’ offense moving. She had eight assists in Game 2, alongside her 23 points and five threes.
During the regular season, she averaged 4.5 assists per game (APG), which was the 11th best mark in the league. Mind you, this is alongside Gray’s 7.3 APG, which was the third-best number.
Without Gray, Plum is tasked with setting up the offense and making the right read. Setting up Wilson and Jackie Young for strong scoring opportunities is key to an Aces victory. In Game 3, both had an off night shooting. Las Vegas will need its stars still available to score efficiently and find one more win.
Providing easy buckets, mainly for Wilson in the paint, will be a primary focus for the Aces and Plum. In a semifinals win against the Dallas Wings, Plum sees Wilson find a mismatch heading toward the basket, which allows for an entry pass that only she can catch, and a clear path to the rim.
The Liberty won’t make it easy by any means. But, Plum and her teammates will do everything they can to find the right look, especially while shorthanded.
“I think we were stagnant, similar to the first couple of times we played [in New York]this season,” Plum said of her team’s scoring chances after the game 3 loss. “When they’re able to load up and swarm the ball, it’s really hard to get good looks. I felt like [we]didn’t do a great job of moving the ball, moving our player, and playing off of close-outs, which is what has given us success the first two games.”
The Aces are used to adversity. If any team isn’t going to let losing their star point guard and starting big limit them moving forward, it’s Las Vegas. The team knows that support in the wake of injuries will have to be by committee. There isn’t a single player, or even multiple players, that can step in and be Gray. But, having an elite player like Plum shift over to the primary guard spot will allow the Aces’ high-powered offense to keep flowing.
And, these injuries couldn’t possibly ruin this team’s vibes…
Chelsea Gray challenging Kiah Stokes to a 1-on-1 at practice. pic.twitter.com/3hDu5ldnO4
— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) October 17, 2023
Stats as of October 18, 2023 and, unless otherwise noted, courtesy of WNBA.com
