Liberty vs. Aces: Three keys for Game 3 of their WNBA semifinal series

This WNBA semifinal clash between the Liberty and the Aces shifts to Las Vegas Friday night with the Liberty one win from the Finals after taking two in Brooklyn. Here are three keys for Game 3:

1. Motivation

The Liberty have been very hungry after falling to Vegas in four in the Finals last October. They can’t afford any complacency.

“Yes, we have a scar, but that’s just a reminder of what we felt like,” coach Sandy Brondello said. “We don’t want to go back there, so what are we going to do about it?”

Another question: What are the Aces going to do now? They don’t figure to be resigned to getting swept in front of their fans. But coach Becky Hammon has questioned their desire since early on this season after taking two straight titles.

“Quite frankly, we haven’t had the edge all year,” Hammon said. “Now we found it. The last month, I feel we’ve gained a lot of ground. But the feel was different from the jump.

“And this is why three-peating is hard. Let’s be real. The whole league has been [ticked] off for the last eight months, and my players are in commercials and this and that and being … celebrities, and you get distracted.”

“The Liberty took a huge loss last year,” she added. “ … They felt like they had it, and we walked away with it. I did think we were the better team, but we were dealt a really … tough hand last year in the Finals [with injuries], losing Chelsea [Gray] and Kiah [Stokes]. So I’m sure they feel like something was stolen a little bit.”

2. Sabrina Ionescu

Ionescu has come across as being driven to help the Liberty claim their first championship, and she has played at a very high level in the four postseason games.

The combo guard is averaging 24.5 points, six assists and 4.8 rebounds. She’s at 42.4% from beyond the arc. And she delivered seven of her 24 points in the final 1:45 of Game 2.

The Liberty will need more of that.

“Just a superstar and someone who really shines brightest in the biggest moments,” Jonquel Jones said.

3. Bench play

It sure helped the Liberty in Game 2 that Courtney Vandersloot scored 12 and Kayla Thornton added nine — 21 points off the bench. Both contributed defensively, too.

Brondello spoke to Thornton about being an X factor in this series. The forward brings physicality and toughness.

“Defensively, we know what she does,” Brondello said. “I said, ‘Don’t worry about offense. The offense is going to come. But you can impact it with the defense.’ … She gives us a lot of energy with the passion that she plays with.”