Are the Las Vegas Aces beatable? 4 things to know about the Chicago Sky’s 1st-round matchup in the WNBA playoffs.

The Chicago Sky dive into the WNBA playoffs Wednesday night with the hardest matchup in the league: the Las Vegas Aces.

Led by two-time MVP A’ja Wilson, the reigning champs were billed as a “super team” before they set foot on the court this season.

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Here are four things to know about how the eighth-seeded Sky match up against the No. 1 seed.

1. Home-court advantage

The best-of-three series begins with two home games for the Aces. To earn a chance to host Game 3 at Wintrust Arena, the Sky will have to beat the Aces on their home court — where they lost only once in the regular season.

The Aces went 34-6 overall and closed the season on a four-game winning streak after two straight losses, one of them at the hands of theleague’s other super team, the New York Liberty. The Sky were swept 3-0 in the season series with the Aces by an average of 10.7 points.

Wilson is the centerpiece of the Aces’ success, averaging 22.8 points and 9.4 rebounds in her quest for a second straight MVP award and third in four years. But the rest of the roster can be equally dangerous. Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum provide sharpshooting from outside the arc, while Chelsea Gray coolly distributes the ball at the point.

The Sky got up early on the Aces the last time they met in August, carrying a 50-37 lead into halftime. But the third quarter showed how quickly Las Vegas can step on the gas as the Aces ripped off a 15-5 run and took a 70-68 lead by the end of the quarter.

That meeting will serve as an important gauge for the Sky as they enter the postseason: The only way to beat the best in the league is to accept that there’s no margin for error.

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2. All eyes on Kahleah Copper

One key for the Sky is to set Copper loose as soon as possible. The WNBA Finals MVP during the Sky’s championship run in 2021, Copper has been the team’s most reliable force in the postseason.

She continued her consistent scoring in her first season as the Sky’s sole star, logging a career-high 18.7 points per game.

The Sky have often found success with a more balanced approach on offense, sometimes putting six players in double digits rather than leaning solely on Copper. But in these must-win matchups with the Aces, the Sky need Copper to be ready to step up and take over a game.

3. Elizabeth Williams put to the test

Copper might be the offensive focus, but the clear key for the Sky defense starts in the paint with Williams, who will shoulder the one-on-one matchup with Wilson.

Wilson produced slightly below-average scoring against the Sky this season (21 points per game) but still averaged a double-double. The expectations for defending Wilson have to be adjusted — no one is going to hold her below 10 points — but it’s possible to disrupt the way the Aces rotate around her as their offensive center of gravity.

Williams will need to balance three priorities: limiting Wilson’s second-chance opportunities on the boards, reducing her ability to pass out of the paint and managing to stay out of foul trouble.

4. Will Candace Parker face her hometown team?

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Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker during media day on May 3, 2022. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

At the start of the season, this matchup would have been billed as a faceoff between Parker — the Naperville Central alumna who helped lead the Sky to the 2021 WNBA championship — and her hometown team.

But Parker, who signed with the Aces as a free agent in January, is unlikely to play in this series as she remains sidelined with a foot injury.

Parker, 37, has not played since July 7, and the Aces announced she underwent surgery July 24 to repair a fracture in her left foot that she had been playing with all season. Parker was ruled out indefinitely at the time, but the Aces expressed hope she would be able to return during the playoffs.

Before surgery, Parker had become a critical glue player on a stacked Aces roster, providing smothering defense around the rim that paired efficiently with Wilson’s overwhelming presence. The Aces became slightly less invulnerable without Parker, losing two of three against the Liberty.

Chicago Sky vs. Las Vegas Aces

Best of three

• Game 1: 9 p.m. Wednesday in Las Vegas, ESPN
• Game 2: 2 p.m. Sunday in Las Vegas, ABC-7
• *Game 3: Sept. 20 at Wintrust Arena, time TBD, ESPN

*if necessary