September 25th, 2024

WNBA heads to the playoffs

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The first round of the postseason in the WNBA started this past weekend. The defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces are trying for a three-peat, the first one since the league’s inception with the four-time WNBA champion Houston Comets, who ruled the league from 1997 to 2000. Their opponent in the first round is the fifth-seeded Seattle Storm. The 2024 champions boast League MVP, the face of the franchise A’ja Wilson and the Olympian guard Kelsey Plum. But it was 35-year-old guard Tiffany Hayes pouring in 21 points that helped the Aces defeat the Storm in their first game, 78-67. Wilson led the team finishing with 21 points, but Plum struggled all evening, scoring just two points. Guard Skylar Diggins-Smith led the Storm with 16 points and forward Gabby Williams scored 14 for Seattle, who will try and stave off elimination at the hands of the World Champs.

The top-seeded New York Liberty dominated the eighth-seeded Atlanta Dream, 83-69. The Liberty set a record by making 73% of their field goals in the first quarter and tied a record by hitting five three-pointers in the frame. Also, the Liberty had at least 15 assists for the 125th consecutive game in either the regular or post season contests. New York sealed the deal with a 25-7 run in the first quarter and never looked back.

The second-seeded Minnesota Lynx held off the veteran and savvy seventh-seeded Phoenix Mercury. Naphessa Collier’s game-high 38 points on 11 for 19 shooting and 13 free throws was the story of the game; however, Kayla McBride’s additional 20 points helped the Lynx get over the hump.

On the other side, Natasha Cloud was the star of the game for the Mercury, adding 33 points on 14 for 23 shooting. After the Lynx held a 23-point lead with just five minutes left in the first half, Cloud put the Mercury up 92-91 with a layup as the clock read 2:06 left in the fourth quarter. Despite all that, a 9-0 run in the final two minutes by the resilient Minnesota Lynx pulled them over the hump to secure the victory. It will be interesting to see how a veteran team such as the Mercury overcomes being so close without pulling out the victory.

The third-seeded Connecticut Sun handled the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever with relative ease, thanks in large part to a triple double by superstar Alyssa Thomas. In 37 minutes of action Thomas tallied 12 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, but the five-time WNBA All-Star didn’t do it alone. The Sun received a huge scoring boost from Marina Mabery, who added 27 points off the bench shooting 9 for 20 from the field and 5 for 12 from behind the arc.

Rookie phenom Caitlin Clark struggled for the Fever, putting up 11 points on poor 4 for 17 shooting but did dish out eight assists. Despite Clark struggling in her playoff debut, two-time All-Star Aliyah Boston was a bright spot for the Fever as she poured in 17 points on 8 for 14 shooting, while also grabbing 11 rebounds. Kelsey Mitchell added 21 points as well, but if the Fever want any chance in this series against the Connecticut Sun, they need more production from their bench and far better shooting numbers from Clark.

The postseason

Like the regular season, expect this postseason to see an immense increase in viewership and ticket sales. This season was headlined by the most polarizing rookie class the league has ever seen. The likes of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Rikea Jackson and others raised the notoriety around women’s professional basketball. Simultaneously, veteran phenoms like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas continued their dominance in front of sold-out arenas, which only further increased hype around the sport. This is proving that the WNBA has arrived as a league and will only continue to get better in years to come. This past Sunday saw superstars Clark and Wilson unanimously win the Associated Press Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player award, respectively.

On September 15, Clark, a former University of Iowa Guard and the No. 1 pick of this year’s draft, broke the rookie scoring record which tallied to 769. In her first season, she has also broken the rookie single season assist record and the single season rookie record for most three-point makes, all in route to helping the Indiana Fever clinch their first postseason berth since the 2016 season, earning them a first-round matchup with Alyssa Thomas and the Connecticut Sun.

Clark’s 19.5 points a game, along with 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds, have helped the Fever grab the sixth seed; however, she didn’t do it alone as Kelsey Mitchell and Aaliyah Boston’s production not only from an on-court perspective, but a leadership role have been extremely understated in the Fever’s success. This type of on-and off-court production will be needed on a whole new level if they are to pull off this upset against the Sun.

However, Clark is not the only rookie to break records this season. Angel Reese, the tenth pick in this year’s draft, broke the single season rookie rebounding record on September 1 in a loss to the Minnesota Lynx. The Chicago Sky’s standout forward had recorded 446 rebounds this year before having to undergo surgery on her left wrist, which unfortunately led to an early end of her  rookie campaign.

Despite not making the playoffs this season, the Sky have found their future cornerstone piece to build around, as Reese brings a sense of urban toughness and aura, making her a perfect fit for the city of Chicago. Her rivalry with Clark, which started with their college battles, has brought an even greater level of attention to the sport of women’s basketball. Their difference in playstyles and competitive fire has electrified the game the way the Larry Bird/Magic Johnson rivalry rejuvenated the NBA back in the ’80s.

In addition to Clark’s record-breaking performance on September 15, in a win over the Connecticut Sun, two-time league MVP A’ja Wilson became the first player in league history to record 1000 points in a single season. Coming off a WNBA championship and an Olympic Gold Medal, Wilson and the Aces head into this postseason with nothing but title defense on their minds.

This year’s postseason will be unlike any other. With an increase in competition and the target on their back, teams like the Connecticut Sun, Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty, all of whom have a better record than the Aces, will be chomping at the bit for a shot at the defending champs. These four teams have established themselves as the league’s best and have been battling it out all season in some of the most entertaining games of the year.

Newest franchise: Portland, Oregon

In other news, on September 18, the WNBA approved the expansion addition of yet another team which will reside in Portland, Oregon. The team’s inaugural season will be the 2026 season, just one year after the San Francisco Valkyries make their WNBA debut at the beginning of the 2025 season.

A’ja Wilson, Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, Sports, WNBA