The W.N.B.A. season saw the dominance of two superteams, the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty. It was no surprise that these teams performed exceptionally well, with only two other teams in the 12-team league achieving a winning record.
A highly anticipated final between these two superteams awaits, but first, they must navigate through the playoffs against the other six teams in the league.
When do the playoffs start?
The first game of the best-of-three quarterfinals takes place on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern, with Minnesota playing against Connecticut. The game between Chicago and Las Vegas follows at 10 p.m. The series between Washington and New York, as well as Atlanta and Dallas, will begin on Friday.
The best-of-five semifinals are scheduled from Sept. 24 to Oct. 3, and if all five games are necessary, the finals will start on Oct. 8 and run through Oct. 20.
What do the first-round matchups look like?
The Las Vegas Aces (34-6 in the regular season) and the New York Liberty (32-8) are the clear favorites in their matchups against the Chicago Sky and the Washington Mystics, although the Mystics have the advantage of having their former M.V.P., Elena Delle Donne, back from injury. The Chicago Sky have a history of performing well in the playoffs despite a subpar regular season.
The Connecticut Sun (27-13), the third-best team in the league, is expected to defeat the Minnesota Lynx. In the final series, the Dallas Wings, who finished three games ahead of the Atlanta Dream in the regular season and have home-court advantage, are considered the favorites.
Who’s going to win it all?
The battle between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty has been the defining question of the entire season.
The Aces, as the reigning champions, have continued to excel this year. The Liberty, on the other hand, made significant improvements by acquiring Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Courtney Vandersloot in the offseason.
Although the teams split their four regular-season matchups, the Liberty emerged victorious in the final of the new Commissioner’s Cup. The betting odds favor the Aces, but the outcome is too close to confidently predict.
Could the Connecticut Sun spoil the party? Their 1-6 record against the top two teams suggests otherwise. The other five teams in the playoffs would need an exceptional run of form to secure the title.
How can I watch the games?
The games will be televised on ABC and the ESPN channels.
What’s this I hear about flights?
Unlike the N.B.A., most travel in the W.N.B.A. is done commercially, which has been a point of contention between players and the league. However, for the playoffs, the league has announced that teams will fly charter.
According to news accounts, charter flights will be permitted only once between series. This means that teams can fly home from a series by charter, but they cannot continue onward to the next series by charter.
A W.N.B.A. spokesperson, however, confirmed that all flights will be charter throughout the postseason.
Who are the players to watch?
Keep an eye on every Ace who takes the court. A’ja Wilson, the star forward and reigning M.V.P., has been outstanding this season. The guard trio of Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray are also known for their sharpshooting abilities.
The longer W.N.B.A. season has allowed Breanna Stewart to break the league record for points scored. Sabrina Ionescu, the top 3-point shooter in the league, joins Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot to strengthen the New York Liberty.
The versatile forward Alyssa Thomas leads the Connecticut Sun, dominating the rebounds category and nearly leading in assists as well. She also set a league record this season with six triple-doubles.
What teams and players are missing?
Unfortunately, Candace Parker, a two-time M.V.P., won’t be playing for the Aces due to a fractured foot. She played the first half of the season but has been out since early July.
Fans would have loved to see Aliyah Boston, the No. 1 draft pick and likely Rookie of the Year, in action, but her team, the Indiana Fever, did not qualify for the playoffs.
After making the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons, the Phoenix Mercury finished last and failed to qualify. This means no playoffs for Brittney Griner, who made an impressive comeback to the league after spending time in Russian prison on drug charges. She managed to make the All-Star team and maintain an average of 17.5 points per game, which is in line with her career average.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
