The Aces beating the Storm by 11 points in Game 1 was not necessarily a surprise, but the way it transpired — with the Storm getting out to an early lead and the Aces locking down their opponents in the fourth quarter to complete a comeback, was.
Now facing elimination, the Storm will hope for improved health and shot-making, which they will need to keep up with one of the best offenses in the W that is not likely to struggle again like it did in the series opener.
Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm Prediction
While Game 1 ended up being a defensive slog, Game 2 may very well shape up to the opposite. With the Storm facing elimination and the Aces not wanting the series to move to the Pacific Northwest, scoring should be up across the board.
One player who figures to benefit is Storm star Jewell Loyd, who showed some rust in her first game back from a knee injury but figures to be more a part of the offensive scheme in this one.
Storm vs. Aces Pick: Jewell Loyd 2+ Made Threes (-190 on DraftKings)
Storm vs. Aces Odds
| Storm Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9 -110 | 160.5 -108o / -112u | +370 |
| Aces Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9 -110 | 160.5 -108o / -112u | -485 |
Seattle Storm: Learning From Game 1's Mistakes
For three quarters Sunday, the Storm looked like they were fully capable of pulling off the Game 1 upset. Then, a dreadful fourth quarter collapse altered that.
Heading into Game 2, the Storm will need to get past the opener's final 10 minutes, during which they scored just two points while failing to make a shot from the field.
A healthier Loyd would help. The star returned from a knee injury and played 26 minutes but made just 2-of-8 shots to score six points, a total well below her season average of 19.7.
With Loyd not at her best, the team's leading scorer in Game 1 was Skylar Diggins-Smith, who needed 15 shots to score 16 points. Gabby Williams added 13 and Nneka Ogwumike chipped in 13, with Jordan Horston contributing 10 off the bench.
It was an uncharacteristically rough offensive performance from a team that averaged 83.2 points per game during the regular season, albeit with an offensive rating that ranked seventh.
Better health would help. Unless Loyd is toughing it out through injury, which is certainly possible, the first game may prove to be one where she just needed to shake some rust off.
An improved performance from her would go a long way, as would the return of Ezi Magbegor, who averaged nearly 12 points per game during the season but was out on Sunday due to a concussion.
Las Vegas Aces: Depth Showing Up
They say it's not how you start but how you finish that matters. That couldn't have been more true for the Aces, who were outscored 18-9 in the first quarter and trailed heading into the fourth before holding the Storm to just two points over the final 10 minutes while scoring 14 of their own.
It was not the kind of offensive performance we've come to expect from the Aces, which includes the recently-named MVP A'ja Wilson. Her slow start, where she missed seven of her eight first quarter shots before going on to have a productive game with 21 points, eight rebounds and five blocks.
Those are solid numbers, but not the kind that can carry a team — especially in the playoffs. Vegas got a huge boost from Tiffany Hayes, who came off the bench to score 20 points with five steals and four rebounds. The veteran, who averaged less than 10 points per game during the regular season, made it back-to-back efforts with at least 20 points, as she scored 21 in the final game of the regular season.
The Aces also got 16 points and seven assists from Chelsea Gray, along with 12 points and seven rebounds from Jackie Young. That certainly helped because Kelsey Plum, who was the team's second-leading scorer during the regular season at 17.8 points per game, mustered just two in Game 1 against the Storm.
The 78 points Las Vegas won with on Sunday was about eight points less than its season average and belied their offensive talent, which led the team to post the second-best offensive rating in the W.
Storm vs. Aces: Relying on the Stars
Betting Pick & Prediction
Game 1 saw a clunky offensive performance from both teams and expecting a similar performance from each team in Game 2 would be misguided.
Both teams have enough scorers to keep the nets busy, and one of them — Loyd — is a good bet to bounce back. Not because she was particularly bad, but she had a relatively quiet game in her return from a knee injury. Probably not playing at full health, her efforts to take over could lead to more attempts from deep.
Aces vs. Storm Pick: Jewell Loyd 2+ Made Threes (-190 on DraftKings)
