LAS VEGAS — They have been the All-Star Recreation captains this season and one in every of them would be the WNBA’s season MVP when that award is introduced Sept. 7. On Wednesday, in what felt like a must-win sport for Las Vegas, the Aces’ A’ja Wilson and the Storm’s Breanna Stewart each performed brilliantly. However Wilson’s group got here out on high 78-73 to even this WNBA best-of-five semifinal collection at 1-1.

“Clearly a few particular person nice performances by the 2 finest gamers within the league,” Aces coach Becky Hammon mentioned afterward.

Wilson had 33 factors and 13 rebounds; Stewart had 32 and 7. Every had three blocked pictures. It was simply the third time in WNBA playoff historical past that two opposing gamers had 30-point performances in a sport. And it was the primary time two playoff foes did that plus had at the very least three blocks.

Each have been No. 1 draft picks, Stewart in 2016 and Wilson in 2018. Stewart was the league MVP in 2018 and Wilson in 2020. This 12 months, that award will come right down to the 2 of them once more, identical to it did in 2020, after they met within the WNBA Finals gained by the Storm.

In August, Stewart turned 28 years previous and Wilson 26; they aren’t simply the league’s brightest stars, they’re additionally proper within the prime of their careers.

“That is what grows the sport. Everybody loves a great matchup,” Wilson mentioned. “Everybody likes to be like, ‘Oh, what is going on to occur right here?’ I believe that is what attracts followers and a focus to us. Whenever you have a look at the NBA, if you have a look at soccer, something, there’s at all times a great matchup that everybody’s tuned into it doesn’t matter what.”

For Stewart, who went 12-of-23 from the sector and 5-of-5 from the foul line, this was her eighth consecutive playoff sport scoring at the very least 20 factors. She had 24 factors in Sunday’s Recreation 1 Storm win.

Wilson went 12-of-18 from the sector and 8-of-11 from the road in getting her career-high scoring whole in a playoff sport. It is also the second-highest whole in franchise historical past for the playoffs, second solely to the 35 factors her coach, Hammon, scored in 2008 when the group was situated in San Antonio.

Wednesday’s sport was Wilson’s reply to a disappointing playoff opener. She had eight factors Sunday, though she did add 12 rebounds. The Aces went with a smaller lineup for a great a part of Wednesday’s sport to assist open issues up and provides Wilson extra room to work.

She and level guard Chelsea Grey make a dynamic pick-and-roll mixture, particularly with Grey being maybe the most popular participant within the postseason. Grey had 19 factors and 7 assists Wednesday and is taking pictures 66.7% from the sector (65% from 3-point vary) within the Aces’ 4 playoff video games. In accordance with ESPN Stats & Info analysis, Grey has accounted for 44% of Las Vegas’ 151 factors on this collection both by scoring or helping on them.

“Whenever you have a look at nice guards and nice posts, the entire thing is you have to determine learn how to guard it,” Wilson mentioned of the pick-and-roll. “You must decide your poison. What are you going to do? As soon as we mastered that, it is like Play-Doh in our arms at that time.”

There have been additionally the 18 factors that guard Kelsey Plum obtained for the Aces, which contrasted with the Storm having solely two gamers rating in double figures: Stewart and Tina Charles, with 17. Guard Jewell Loyd, who led Seattle with 26 factors in Recreation 1, was held to eight in Recreation 2.

“I believe it is nearly her rhythm,” Seattle coach Noelle Quinn mentioned of Loyd going 2-of-10 from the sector Wednesday. “The primary couple did not go in, and he or she has a tricky defensive project. I believe getting Jewell in her consolation spots, getting her off the ball a bit of bit extra — which we’re making an attempt to do — and sort of get her going early.”

The collection will go to Seattle for Recreation 3 on Sunday and Recreation 4 on Tuesday. The Aces misplaced the semifinals to Phoenix final 12 months in 5 video games. However below Hammon — who obtained the Coach of the 12 months award from WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert earlier than Wednesday’s sport — the Aces really feel like they’ve a bit of extra confidence and cohesion this season. That got here into play in Recreation 2.

However the Storm additionally should be feeling good. Because the No. 4 seed, they opened the collection with a cut up on the street towards the No. 1 seed. That is often the lower-seeded group’s purpose in a playoff collection. And so they could not ask for extra from Stewart, who did not rating from 3-point vary Sunday however hit three treys Wednesday.

“I believe matching up towards A’ja, you have to respect every thing she has accomplished and what’s she able to,” Stewart mentioned. “It is only a battle. It is what motivates you, what retains you going, what makes you wish to be higher. It is aggressive.”

Grey mentioned that although she’s in the midst of the motion herself, she continues to be marveling at Wilson and Stewart.

“I am watching it through the sport,” Grey mentioned. “I am like, ‘Stewie simply scored; A’ja, what are you about to do?’ These matchups, lots of consideration is on it, and there’s a lot of those gamers are going by with all that strain to be that highlight. Nevertheless it’s good for the followers, it is good for the game and it is good for them. It raises their stage of play. They get higher by difficult one another.”