The Las Vegas Aces will have guard Jewell Loyd back in the lineup for Friday's do-or-die Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals against the Golden State Valkyries at Michelob Ultra Arena. Coach Becky Hammon said Loyd, the team's 3-point specialist, will play on a minutes restriction after missing Game 2 due to injury.
Forward Stephanie Talbot will also be on a minutes cap. She returned for Game 2 and played 21 minutes in the Aces' 83-81 loss, a game in which Las Vegas erased a 17-point deficit and briefly took the lead in the final two minutes before falling into an 0-2 series hole.
The Aces need a win Friday to force a Game 4 on Sunday at Michelob Ultra Arena. Golden State's Tiffany Hayes scored 21 points in 17 minutes off the bench in Game 2 against her former team, while former Aces center Kiah Stokes grabbed 14 rebounds, seven offensive, in the Valkyries' Game 1 victory.
The series comes as Aces star A'ja Wilson was recently named WNBA MVP for a fifth time, placing her among the most decorated players in professional sports history. Wilson led the league in scoring and dominated advanced metrics en route to her third consecutive MVP award and fifth overall.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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