LAS VEGAS This years WNBA Finals matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury already had storylines galore:
[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]
If Fridays Game 1 was any indication, were going to be incredibly fed as basketball fans, because that was an awesome, drama-filled, topsy-turvy game. The Aces were able to secure an 89-86 victory, but it took 12 lead changes and plenty of schematic tweaks along the way.
In the inaugural edition of The Morning After, well be looking at a major theme that stood out from Game 1 before emptying the notebook with smaller yet important observations. This will be the format for each game moving forward.
Lets dig in, shall we?
Evans earns top billing behind a historic performance off the bench. She racked up 21 points, notably knocking down five of her six 3-point attempts, and four steals. Per WNBA PR, Evans became the first player in Finals history to make five threes and accumulate four steals in a game. She was huge in the fourth quarter, playing all but 13 seconds of the final frame (Kiah Stokes will get her just due soon) while drilling three triples and racking up a key steal as well.
This wasnt always on pace to be a heros story, though. The first half, while close in score, was incredibly rickety for the Aces and Evans specifically. She was, figuratively and literally, the center of attention. On one hand, her blend of timely drives and jumpers helped keep the Aces afloat while their stars looked to find their way. On the other hand, the Mercury were relentless in attacking Evans, particularly with inverted ball screens.
Normally, Evans and other guards are tasked with navigating on-ball screens and working hard to stay attached to their matchups while a big offers support behind them. The Mercury, as they have all season with Thomas at the helm, flip that dynamic by having their guards screen for Thomas. That meant Wilson, who normally toggles between dropping back in coverage or switching screens altogether, had to navigate screens while Evans had to execute center-like coverages.
Per GeniusIQ tracking data, teams, on average, generated 0.88 points per possession on trips featuring a pick-and-roll during the regular season. During the playoffs (excluding Fridays Game 1), that mark dropped slightly to 0.86 points per possession. In the first half of Game 1, Thomas-led pick-and-rolls that involved Evans as the screener defender generated an absurd 2 points per possession effectively a guaranteed bucket.
Between the spacing setup the Mercury often filled the corners and made sure a wing was clear so Thomas had more room to operate and tremendous screens set by rookie guard Monique Akoa Makani, the Aces struggled to contain the action. After the game, Wilson noted how difficult it is to prepare for such a drastic shift in role and matchup, but that shes willing to be uncomfortable to pull out wins.
Coming off having to guard Nneka [Ogwumike], then having to guard Aliyah [Boston], now having guard AT, those are three different players that you have to guard very differently, so it did put me in a funky position, Wilson told Yahoo Sports.
I dont go over screens, I dont go under screens. Thats not Im a big, I dont do that, Wilson said with a laugh. But in this [series], I might have to. Im going to buckle in and see how I can be comfortable in my uncomfortable situation, but my guards always have my back, so Im not worried when it comes to that.
Head coach Becky Hammon also acknowledged how difficult the Thomas-led pick-and-rolls were to deal with, leading to some subtle tweaks to their coverage in the second half. Notably, Evans played closer to the level of the screen in the second half, cutting off some of the space Thomas used to rev up for drives in the first half.
Heres a snapshot from the first half:
And heres one from the 4th quarter:
Taking away that initial space felt important. Evans took things a step further by jumping Thomas handle on a few occasions, even forcing a jump-ball as the Aces were rallying early in the fourth quarter. Throughout the night, you could feel an extra jolt of energy and confidence from Evans whenever she was able to get a stop; it especially stood out in the second half.
Honestly, I really get going with my defense, Evans said, answering a question from Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post. When Im able to get steals, push the ball and see something easy go in get a layup then I know, All right, I feel good. I have to let my defense dictate my offense; I feel like it cant be the other way around.
How the Aces choose to deal with the Mercury putting Evans in action, and if the Mercury will change their approach at all to their mismatch-hunting, looms large heading into Sundays Game 2. I wouldnt be surprised if they tap into more off-ball screens featuring Evans to generate switches before flowing into post touches.