Will History Be Made At Game 3 Of The WNBA Finals?

As WNBA fans gear up for the start of Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, both teams are already thinking ahead to history being made!

The Las Vegas Aces lead the series 2-0 and hope to take Game 3 to become the 2023 WNBA Champions for a second year in a row, becoming the league’s first back-to-back champions since the Sparks in 2001 and 20023. They would also become the first ever WNBA team to go undefeated in the postseason.

If the New York Liberty win Game 3, there’s still a chance they can make history with the franchise’s first ever championship. Liberty would also become the first-ever WNBA team to overcome a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five series. 

Both teams are ready for a good show on Sunday afternoon in Barclays Center in Brooklyn with one team hoping to end the season as champions for a second year in a row and the other hoping to stay alive to further their chance of ending the season as champions for the first time in Liberty history.

During the pregame interview, Liberty coach Sandy Brodello said the team needs to "go to another level" after a tough Game 1 and 2, and "stay connected and committed."

After Game 2, Liberty star Breanna Stewart talked about how the team has evolved.

“You’ve seen the support definitely continue to keep growing. When I came into the league, it was at MSG [Madison Square Garden]. And then it was at Westchester and then it was here - Barclays,” she said to press.

“When I wasn’t playing for the Liberty, what I remember is it was Sue’s [Bird] last game in New York. So that was kind of crazy, but then also seeing the fan support that they got also for the playoffs - the round one - and the way they continue to keep building. And I think of it as, obviously, fans are continuing to come to games. But the ones that are on the street and talking about it and riding their bike and saying, ‘Good Luck’ and the bus driver stopping. We mean a lot to this city, and we’re embracing that. And we want to continue to show we have fight left in us, and we’re not done.” 

Aces star A’ja Wilson shared her take on the improvements on the defensive end from last season to this season after Game 2.

“It really fuels our offense. Last year we were just talented, obviously. We had a lot of weapons and we were just going out there and going through our flow. This year we’ve definitely seen how it really fuels our offense,” she explained.

“What we do one side of the basketball can help ignite the other side and I think we take a lot of pride in that. We try to just execute that side and know shots may not fall all the time, but if it’s a ‘We don’t score, then you won’t score’ mentality, then it’s really great to have. It’s been a lot of fun to just kind of play. I never thought defense would just be fun to play because it really is. It takes a lot of heart. It takes a lot of ‘want’ to do it and we’ve kind of showcased that.” 

Tip-off is today, Sunday, Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. Lil' Kim will be performing at halftime. If the Aces win today's game, they become the 2023 WNBA Champions for a second year in a row. If the Liberty wins, Game 4 will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 18 in Brooklyn. If a Game 5 is necessary, it will take place on Friday, Oct. 20 back in Las Vegas.