Breanna Stewart did her thing. So did A’ja Wilson. Rhyne Howard had ever best-ever playoff game. Gabby Williams likewise was excellent.
However, the New York Liberty, Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries would not have earned Game 1 wins in their first-round series without key contributors from players who, in contrast to Stewie, A’ja, Rhy and Gabby, less frequently occupy the spotlight.
So, let’s get some love to these Game 1 X factors. In the comments, share your appreciation
for any other players who provided an underrated impact.
Leonie Fiebich (New York Liberty)
In 2024, the Liberty began their eventual title run with a Game 1 win over the Dream, with Leonie Fiebich scoring a career-high 21 points as she hit four 3s and shot 7-for-8 overall.
Back then, the Liberty were the No. 1 seed playing the No. 8 seed. On Sunday, they were the No. 8 seed, but New York once again benefitted from another Game 1 shooting spree from Leo.
She didn’t quite match her 2024 masterclass, finishing with 16 points, making four 3-pointers and shooting 6-for-7 overall.
Fiebich added eight boards, as the Liberty outscored the No. 1-seed Minnesota Lynx by a game-high 21 points in her 34 points— a plus-minus mark that points to the two-way impact of the 6-foot-4 Fiebich.
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (Las Vegas Aces)
The season-ending injury to NaLyssa Smith robbed the top-heavy Aces of their fourth-most important player, as Lyss had established herself as a perfect complement to the Vegas Big 3.
Now, a committee must fill that role for the defending champs. On Sunday, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus was the first volunteer.
It’s been an inconsistent two-year tenure for Parker-Tyus in Vegas, but, before the Aces eventually pulled away and obliterated the Indiana Fever, CPT provided some timely scores.
Parker-Tyus ended up a perfect 3-for-3 from the field, which included nailing a top-of-the-key 3.
With a steal, block and two rebounds in her 15 minutes, Cheyenne provided the kind of reliable, stabilizing bench play that they Aces will need during their repeat run.
Madina Okot (Atlanta Dream)
DeWanna Bonner already has gotten her deserved love.
A player on the opposite end of the experience spectrum also helped uplift Atlanta: Madina Okot.
The 6-foot-7 rookie center played flashed her game-changing potential, giving the Dream an interior presence to match the size of the Washington Mystics.
Okot logged just seven minutes, but she tallied four points, five rebounds, a block and a steal in that stint, leading to Atlanta outscoring Washington by 12 points during her court time.
Cecilia Zandalisini (Golden State Valkyries)
It seems that Cecilia Zandalisini might like the big stage.
At the beginning of the month at the FIBA World Cup, she nearly captained Italy to an upset over Team USA.
On Sunday, now suiting up for the favored team, she again thrived in a high-pressure game, scoring 22 points—17 in the first half—in less than 16 minutes of playing time. Zandalisini drained four of her five 3-point attempts for the victorious Valkyries.
Although a member of the 2017 championship-winning Lynx, she received scant minutes during those playoffs and, until last season’s first round with the Valkyries, had rarely been a key rotational piece during any of her three prior playoff runs.
As she announced with a loud Game 1, it seems certain that Ceci will be essential to determining how far Golden State will go this postseason.
