LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A’ja Wilson remembers the wake-up call the Aces needed. It came the second week in July, when they stumbled into the All-Star Game break as losers of three of their last four.
No need for a wake-up call now, though, Wilson said. It’s postseason.
“Around this time there shouldn’t be a hype thing, that we should gas each other up,” said Wilson, the Aces’ dominant performer around the basket. “Because this is playoffs, this is what we play for.”
The Aces take on the Seattle Storm on Sunday at Michelob Ultra Arena in the opener of their best-of-five semifinal series. Tipoff is 1 p.m.
Wilson said the Aces can use what they learned at the All-Star break to remind them of their mission — a WNBA title — and what they can do to achieve that goal.
“Be us, continue to be us and have fun doing it,” she said. ” … Stick to what we can control, our systems.” That means defend, hustle, share the ball and grind it out.
Coach Becky Hammon said the Aces grew from their midseason slump and built a trust and a confidence in how they bounced out of it. They finished the season 11-3, including winning their last three — each with superb fourth-quarter play — to clinch at tie for the league’s best record (26-10) and the No. 1 seed in the postseason.
“After the All-Star break is something I’m really proud of,” Hammon said. “We learned how to grow up together.”
The Aces can expect some rough spots against the Storm, the fourth seed. Seattle has star power in four No. 1 draft picks: Sue Bird (2002), Tina Charles (2010), Jewell Loyd (2015) and Breanna Stewart (2016).
The Aces counter with three: Kelsey Plum (2017), Wilson (2018) and Jackie Young (2019).
Stewart led the league in regular-season scoring, averaging 21.8 points, and Wilson, one of the league’s strongest defenders, acknowledges she will be mainly responsible for keeping the Storm’s 6-foot-4 offensive force in check.
Bring it on, Wilson said. “Everyone always talks about this matchup between Stewie and I,” she said. “We love it, and we get better every single possession we guard each other.