The Las Vegas Aces are on the verge of getting swept by the New York Liberty, so South Carolina coach Dawn Staley shared some advice for her former player A'ja Wilson ahead of Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals.
"Go be great. I'm looking at her in Game 2 and I'm like, 'you took the whole second quarter off,'" Staley told CBS Sports. "They need the MVP. They could get anybody in there to reverse the ball. For her, give us what you've given us all year long. I'm not on the Aces, but I'm saying it as if I'm her teammate or her coach."
Wilson was named the MVP this season, a title she also earned in 2020 and 2022. She was a unanimous selection this year as she broke both the single-season scoring and rebounding records. It's a historic year for her, but the Aces are chasing a WNBA title three-peat and one game away from being eliminated.
While the Aces swept the Seattle Storm in the first round, they are not as dominant against the Liberty -- a team they beat 3-1 in last year's title matchup. New York took Game 1 87-77 behind a combined 55 points by Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.
Las Vegas kept it closer during Tuesday's Game 2 and had a 27-22 advantage after the first 10 minutes. However, the second quarter Staley highlighted saw the Aces turn the ball over four times in the first three and a half minutes and allowed the Liberty a 10-2 run. Las Vegas only scored 13 points in that quarter.
Wilson's stats were not bad in Game 2 as she registered 24 points on 11 of 18 shooting from the field, seven rebounds and four assists. However, there were some key moments that she didn't capitalize on. New York was up 83-81 with less than 30 seconds remaining and Wilson had the perfect opportunity to tie the game when she successfully got past Jonquel Jones. This was a key possession, but she air-balled the layup and the Aces eventually lost 88-84.
Staley has previously talked about Wilson's "insatiable desire to be great," so perhaps the Game 2 will serve as motivation. No team has ever come back from a 0-2 deficit since the league introduced the best-of-five series in 2005. If the Aces want to keep their three-peat dream alive, Wilson will have to make history again.
Staley is not the only coach who thinks the Aces could be doing better. After Tuesday's loss, Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said the Aces haven't had "the edge" this year.
Game 3 will take place in Las Vegas on Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
