Storm Coach Addresses Aces Allegedly Ducking Fever Playoff Matchup
Despite not playing their top four players in favor of giving them rest, the Las Vegas Acs still secured a 98-84 win over the Dallas Wings on Thursday.
This game was significant because the Aces — who will now be facing the Seattle Storm in the first round of the WNBA playoffs — potentially could have jumped up to the No. 3 seed if they had won and the Connecticut Sun had lost.
This is why it surprised some that A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young all sat out Thursday. It even convinced fans on social media that the Aces were trying to intentionally 'duck' the No. 3 seed because it would have meant they'd play Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in the first round.
Regardless, Connecticut squashing the Chicago Sky meant Seattle and Las Vegas would be matching up. But that didn't keep Storm head coach Noelle Quinn from speaking out about the Aces allegedly ducking Indiana in favor of her team.
"We have to go through the best to get to where we want to be," Quinn said when asked about playing Las Vegas in the playoffs during Seattle's postgame press conference Thursday, per X user @WNBAStormChaser.
"I mean, word on the street is that they wanted to play us, or they preferred to play us... cool. Bring on the matchup. We have to really prepare, not just our minds but our bodies to get ready for battle," she continued.
Coach Noelle Quinn shared her initial thoughts on the playoff matchup against the Las Vegas Aces. I liked Noey’s response to “the word on the street…” #WNBA #TheNewStorm pic.twitter.com/AQvjA4Hv4g
— Storm Chasers (@WNBAStormChaser) September 20, 2024
For the record, the Aces went 4-0 against the Fever this season and therefore probably had no qualms about facing them in the playoffs. But perhaps the Storm are trying to find motivation for what's sure to be a tough series against the two-time defending WNBA champions.
GRANT YOUNG
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.