The 2024 regular WNBA season was been one for the books. Records were broken on and off the court, setting the table for the most intense WNBA playoffs we have seen. All eyes are on the Las Vegas Aces and whether or not they can complete a three-peat. Another WNBA championship for the Aces would put them in legendary company with the Houston Comets team that won three in ’97, ’98 and ’99.
Unfortunately, their hopes of a three-peat hang are on life-support as they have fallen behind, 0-2, to the New York Liberty in the semifinals. The Aces were victorious against the Liberty in last year’s WNBA Finals; however, this year’s matchup, albeit a semifinal, is different. Sports broadcaster Ros Gold-Onwude joined Mike Golic Jr. and Mike Golic Sr. on Wednesday’s edition of GoJo and Golic to discuss the series.
Ros, who covers Liberty, shares with the guys that the matchup between the Aces and Liberty at Barclays was a heavyweight fight. It was a tough, but star-studded game, with celebrities like Robin Roberts, Gayle King and Jason Sudeikis were on hand to watch these two teams battle it out, adding to the hype and excitement around this series.
There has been much speculation about why the defending champs are down 0-2. Some would blame it on a post-Olympics break slump or a foot injury to the “point gawd”‘” Chelsea Gray. Senior asks Ros if it is more the Aces not being what they are or that the Liberty has become the best team in the WNBA. She explained that it is both, adding that the Liberty have drastically improved their roster and team chemistry.
At the same time, Ros mentions that the Aces have historically not been a team with much depth, which shrinks their margin for error. It has been difficult for the Aces to cover their gaps in performance because their core group of A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum has not been effective offensively. The Aces’ defense has also struggled, and as Ros mentions, the rest of the league got better.
As much as the Liberty’s depth has been a problem for the Aces, this semifinal series has been a superstar coming-out party for Sabrina Ionescu. Ionescu had 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists in Game 2 and her performance has this Liberty team playing confidently and with swagger to bring a title back to New York. Ros attributes Ionescu’s performance in the semifinal series to the experience she gained in defeat in 2023. Ionescu shared with Ros that last year was her first time playing such pressure basketball making her akin to a deer in headlights.
Ros ultimately believes that Ionescu is not afraid of the moment and even had that mentality dating back to her days as an Oregon Duck. Ros gave more context to how it seems Ionescu, with the combination of experience and confidence, is crossing over the superstar threshold as well as crossing the intersection of pop culture and lore, with New York superfan Spike Lee dapping Ionescu up, giving her that Big Apple stamp of approval.
It will be interesting to see if the Aces can come back from being down 0-2, a feat that has not happened in WNBA history. However, given their championship pedigree and the reigning MVP in Wilson, it would still be unreasonable to write the Aces off completely. The Aces are 2.5-point favorites in Game 3, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, and it is shaping up to be a must-see TV sporting event.
Watch or listen to the full show below and tune into GoJo and Golic weekday mornings from 8-10 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network! See more about how to watch DraftKings Network here.
SHOW BREAKDOWN
Hour 1: Davante Adams Requests Raiders Trade and NFL Superlatives + Ros Gold-Onwude on Aces, Liberty WNBA Playoff Series
Hour 2: Jason Fitz on the Chaotic Raiders, the Pathetic Jets & NFL Week 4 Reaction+Jalen Milroe & The Heisman
VIDEO
Watch GoJo and Golic every weekday on Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Xumo Play, Google TV and DraftKingsNetwork.com from 8 to 10 a.m. ET. The show is also available via audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Mike Golic Sr. on X at @golic and Mike Golic Jr. on X at @mikegolicjr.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information
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