As expected, two super teams, the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, dominated the WNBA season. They were so good that only two other teams in the 12-team league even had a winning record.
A final between them has the potential to be a classic. But first they have to prevail against the six other teams in the WNBA playoffs.
When do the playoffs start?
The first game of the best-of-three quarterfinals, Minnesota vs. Connecticut, is Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, followed by Chicago vs. Las Vegas at 10 p.m. The Washington-New York and Atlanta-Dallas series begin Friday.
The best-of-five semifinals will take place from September 24th to October 3rd, and the finals will begin on October 8th and run until October 20th, subject to all five games being required.
What do the first round matches look like?
The two big teams, the Aces (34-6 in the regular season) and the Liberty (32-8), are prohibitive favorites over the Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics, although the Mystics have their former MVP, Elena Delle Donne, back due to injury and the Sky have a history of deep playoff runs after subpar regular seasons.
The third-best team in the league was clearly the Connecticut Sun (27-13), who are expected to beat the Minnesota Lynx. In the final series, the Dallas Wings were three games better than the Atlanta Dream in the regular season and have home field advantage, so they should be the favorites.
Who will win everything?
The Aces or the Freedom, the Freedom or the Aces? That’s been the question all season.
The Aces are the reigning champions and have been even better this year. The Liberty managed to sign Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot in the offseason to go from an average team to a great team.
The teams tied their four regular-season league meetings, but the Liberty won a fifth game, the final of the new Commissioner’s Cup. The odds are in favor of the aces, but in reality it looks too close to call.
Could the sun spoil the party? A record of 1:6 against the two top teams doesn’t bode well. To win the title, the other five teams in the playoffs would need form that they haven’t achieved all season.
How can I watch the games?
ABC and the ESPN channels will televise the games.
What am I hearing about flights?
Unlike the NBA, travel in the WNBA is primarily commercial in nature, which has become a point of contention between the players and the league. This year, the league announced that teams would operate charter flights, at least for the playoffs.
But there are limits, as sources report: Charter flights would only be allowed once between series, so that, for example, a team can fly home from one series by charter, but cannot fly on to the next series.
Which players should you watch out for?
Pretty much every ace that steps on the court. Star forward and reigning MVP A’ja Wilson (22.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game and a game-high 53 points) is supported by the sharp-shooting guard trio of Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray (seven) added assists per game).
A longer WNBA season that year allowed Stewart to break the league record for points scored, although Seattle’s Jewell Loyd broke her record a few days later. In addition to Jones and Vandersloot, the Liberty have Sabrina Ionescu, the league’s best 3-point shooter.
The Suns are led by versatile forward Alyssa Thomas, who led the league in rebounds and nearly led the league in assists. And she recorded six triple-doubles this season, a league record.
Which teams and players are missing?
Candace Parker joined the Aces as a bright offseason signing, but the two-time MVP was sidelined indefinitely with a broken foot. She played the first half of the season but has been out since the beginning of July.
It would have been fun to see No. 1 draft pick and likely Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston in action, but her Indiana Fever didn’t make the playoffs.
After 10 consecutive seasons in the playoffs, the Phoenix Mercury finished in last place and did not qualify. That means Brittney Griner, who was reinstated to the league after 10 months in a Russian prison on drug charges, won’t be able to play in the playoffs. Notably, she made the All-Star team again and averaged 17.5 points per game, close to her career average.