The WNBA 2020 Finals are underway. In the unique but highly contested season in the WNBA, which was played inside a bubble, the two most impressive teams are battling it out for the title.
Both the Las Vegas Aces and the Seattle Storm have two of the most talented young superstars to ever play in this league. This year’s MVP A’ja Wilson for the Aces and 2018 MVP Breanna Stewart for the Storm. The contribution of these two young MVPs could not be emphasized more as they both got their teams to these finals.
However, these two are not the marquee matchup in these series. It is the battle between the 17-year veteran Sue Bird of Seattle and the 11-year veteran Angel McCoughtry for the Aces. Let’s take a look at the Bird vs. McCoughtry: rematch 10 years in the making.
A rematch 10 years in the making
Back in 2010, Seattle Storm was the top seed from the Western Conference and Atlanta Dream was the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Bird, in her ninth year in the league, and McCoughtry was only in her sophomore year. Both of them were huge pieces for their team and how they got the 2010 Finals.
Sue Bird was with the league MVP Lauren Jackson, the three-time MVP; Jackson played a huge role for her team to power them to the postseason. In that year, Seattle posted a league-best and franchise-best 28-6 regular-season record.
But perhaps the most memorable event over the first two rounds of play came in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals. With less than three seconds remaining on the clock with the score tied at 88, Sue Bird broke free and drained a three-pointer to put the Storm ahead 91-88. This play eventually sent them to the finals to face Atlanta.
For Atlanta Dream, they were the youngest franchises in the league in 2010. The season marked a number of firsts for the Atlanta Dream, including a 6-0 start to the season, an Eastern Conference Semifinals win, and an Eastern Conference title. Behind the arsenal of Iziane Castro Marques, Erika de Souza, Sancho Lyttle, and Angel McCoughtry.
However, even with the monster number that McCoughtry put up in the finals series, they eventually got swept by the mighty Storm. McCoughtry was averaging 26.7 points per game in those playoffs and hitting 45.5 percent from 3. Bird, on the other hand, was averaging 12.7 points and 7 assists. Atlanta could just not get past the deadly duo of Bird and Jackson for their first title.
In the end, Seattle Storm collected their second championship in 2010.
10 years after, they are both still fighting hard for a title
Now, 14 days ahead of Bird’s 40th birthday, they meet again. It is incredible to think about how Bird and McCoughtry after 10 years are still both fighting like how they fought 10 years ago. Though the main difference this year, both of them have a great team to support them in this endeavor. Bird, aiming for her fourth title, and McCoughtry aiming for her first title.
Moreover, both players are still making a huge impact on their teams. McCoughtry who has been on fire in the finals for her Aces team. In the playoffs, she is averaging 20 points a game. She was the boost that the Aces needed in their series against Connecticut Sun before getting to the finals.
While Bird, had a historic 16 assists on her last game to make history as the most assists in a finals game. She is tallying up 7.3 assists per game in the postseason. More importantly, the Storm have a 1-0 advantage after defeating the Aces in the first game.
This 2020 WNBA Finals series has all the factors that make this series so much more exciting. Veterans with history fighting toe-to-toe; MVPs matching up each other, and both teams trying to win the title for their squad. Basketball fans could not ask for anything more for the WNBA 2020 Finals.
Catch game 2 of the WNBA 2020 Finals today at 3:00 PM ET.
For more WNBA 2020 Finals and women’s sports-related content, check us out at Beyond Women’s Sports.
