The accelerated WNBA postseason has struck again. With the finals already underway, it’s time to take a look back at the first two rounds of the playoffs and understand how we got here and what’s to come.
A Straightforward First Round
The first round of the playoffs opened with four clean sweeps. The No. 1 ranked New York Liberty dispatched the No. 8 Atlanta Dream in two easy games. Meanwhile, the No. 2 Minnesota Lynx faced a greater challenge from the No. 7 Phoenix Mercury. In the first game of the Lynx/Mercury series, Phoenix mounted a fourth-quarter comeback before eventually falling 102–95. In the second game, the Mercury kept the score close until the fourth quarter, when Minnesota went on a late run to claim a 101–88 victory and finish the first-round series 2–0.
The No. 3 Connecticut Sun also went 2–0, fending off Caitlin Clark and the no. 6 Indiana Fever in a matchup partly overshadowed by controversy over the league’s handling of hate speech. After Connecticut secured a 93–69 win in Game 1, a deep Marina Mabrey three and a couple of clutch free-throws in the second game (87–81) put the finishing touches on the Sun’s sweep.
In the final first-round matchup, the No. 4 Las Vegas Aces faced off against the No. 5 Seattle Storm. After a slow start in Game 1, the Aces pulled off a 2–0 series victory, notching 78–67, and 83–76 victories against Seattle.
Before the existing WNBA playoffs format made its debut in 2022, the first round consisted of one-and-done games. Best-of-three series are certainly an improvement, but in light of the run of sweeps this year, some fans still felt robbed of more games. However, the semifinals offered recompense, with two best-of-five series that did not result in sweeps.
Semifinals Showcase Serious Talent
The marquee matchup of the semifinals featured the Aces and the Liberty. The two teams have been at each other’s throats since their 2023 finals matchup, in which the Aces won 3–1 to clinch their second straight national title. In the year since, Las Vegas and New York have drummed up some serious publicity for the W. And let’s face it, it’s hard not to get excited when two-time league MVP and Liberty forward Breanna Stewart goes toe to toe with this year’s unanimous MVP, Aces forward A’ja Wilson.
The Liberty won all three regular-season games against the Aces this year. The semifinals were a chance for New York to complete their revenge tour. And they delivered, topping the Aces 3–1 on the series.
During game one, at home in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, the Liberty never trailed. Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu headlined the win, picking up 34 and 21 points respectively. 6’6” Jonquel Jones also made herself known, posting 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Liberty. Meanwhile, New York’s defense held Wilson to 21 points on the night, well under her regular-season average of 26.9 points per game.
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that when Aces “Point Gawd” Chelsea Gray has herself a night, Las Vegas does, too. Unfortunately, game one was a bust for Gray, who is still getting back to her old self after fracturing her foot during the finals last year. In her 26 minutes on the court, Gray recorded only 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist.
But in game two, Gray found her footing, racking up 14 points and 7 assists. Her stats padded a well-rounded performance by the Aces (five players scored in double digits) and led to a thrilling, back-and-forth game two that the Liberty ultimately won 88–84.
In game three, facing elimination, the Aces came out with a vengeance. Gray posted another 7 assists, while Wilson added 14 rebounds and 19 points. Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young each delivered for the Aces, pouring in 20 and 24 points, respectively. Overall, efficiency was the name of the game: The Aces shot 52.1% from the field, compared to the Liberty’s 38.8%. Though Las Vegas and New York traded baskets throughout much of the first half, the Aces hit their stride in the fourth quarter, beating New York 95–81.
No team in WNBA playoff history has ever come back from a 2–0 series deficit. The Aces were looking to make history headed into game four, but New York went up early, and although Las Vegas kept it close throughout the game, they never led. The Liberty secured a 76–62 win to clinch their spot in the finals.
Stewart (19 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists) and Ionescu (22 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists) were once again key figures in New York’s victory. Leonie Fiebich, a 24-year-old, 6’4” German forward who was name-dropped in this year’s Rookie of the Year race, also made a dent. New York coach Sandy Brondello recently swapped Fiebich for veteran Courtney Vandersloot in the Liberty’s starting lineup, and Fiebich has proven herself to be at home in her role. She recorded 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists on the night.
The other semifinals matchup generated less publicity than the Aces/Liberty series but arguably more exciting games. The Sun and the Lynx fought a close, five-game battle, with the Lynx ultimately prevailing 3–2 on the series. While the matchup was rife with individual big-name players, it was also a face-off between two excellent head coaches—2024 Coach of the Year Cheryl Reeve (Lynx) and 2023 Coach of the Year Stephanie White (Sun)—and two excellent defenses.
The Sun took game one 73–70—a victory made all the more impressive because Connecticut was playing on Minnesota’s home court and without guard Ty Harris, who left game one of the first round with an ankle injury. Alyssa Thomas, the league’s all-time triple-double leader, was one assist shy of a triple-double on the night. A clutch three-point-shooting night for Marina Mabrey (20 points) also contributed to Connecticut’s win. But the Sun’s defense was the real story; they held Lynx forward and Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier to 19 points only days after Collier had back-to-back 40-point games in the first round against Atlanta.
The Lynx stormed back in game two, winning 77–70. Although they were still unable to contain Thomas (18 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists), they limited Sun forward Brionna Jones and kept Mabrey to 15 points. Harris played 7 minutes but did not score. The Lynx’s depth made an impact: Myisha Hines-Allen, Cecilia Zandalasini, and Natisha Hiedeman all posted admirable performances off the bench. And while Connecticut held Collier to 9 points, she still pulled down 12 rebounds for Minnesota.
But game three was when Collier really hit her stride, dropping 26 points and hauling in 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, the Lynx’s bench continued to deliver. Although five Sun players scored in double digits, Connecticut fell 90–81.
The Sun faced elimination heading into game four. At first, things looked tough for the undersized Connecticut team. The Lynx led by as much as 10 in the first quarter, and Natisha Heideman dropped a clutch buzzer-beater to end a Connecticut run and put Minnesota ahead by seven at the half.
In the second half, things started to turn around for the Sun—thanks in large part to Harris, who played 30 minutes and had 20 points on the night. Thomas and veteran forward DeWanna Bonner each knocked in 18 points, with Thomas adding 11 assists and both-ends-of-the-court energy that helped the Sun storm to victory, 92–82.
Expectations were high for a thrilling game five, especially with Harris back to full strength for the Sun, which shifted the playmaking burden off of Sun players like Brionna Jones and Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Connecticut led early in the first quarter, but soon fell behind, trailing by as many as 20 points before the half. Lynx guard Courtney Williams led the Lynx’s offensive push, going 6–6 from the field in the first half.
Defensively, the Lynx forced the Sun to commit 19 turnovers and converted those miscues into 22 points. On the offensive end of the court, Collier (27 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists), Kayla McBride (19 points), and Williams (24 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists) set the tone for Minnesota.
The Sun’s 88–77 loss marked the fourth time in six years that Connecticut has lost a semifinal series. In the other two years, Connecticut made it to the finals before being defeated. This year’s semifinal loss was another tough blow for a Sun team that has never won a league title.
Fighting in the Finals
Having clinched their spot in the finals, the Lynx are now in search of their record-setting fifth league title. On the other side, the Liberty are looking to pick up their first championship.
The teams met four times during the regular season, and Minnesota won three of those four matchups. The finals will likely be a close battle, as both New York and Minnesota ranked in the top four for offensive and defensive rating this year. Led by accomplished coaches and replete with star power, both teams are well-positioned for a shot at the championship.
Collier could make the difference for Minnesota. When she’s active on both sides of the ball, the Lynx are a force. They distribute the ball well, lock down on defense, and shoot confidently from behind the arc. However, if New York manages to contain Collier, then Stewart and Jones’ control of the paint could lift the Liberty to victory, especially if Ionescu continues to be an offensive facilitator as well as a threat from the outside.
Regardless of the outcome, the series promises to be an exciting cap to a historic WNBA season.
The WNBA finals began on Thursday, Oct. 10, and could continue as late as Sunday, Oct. 20. All games will air on ESPN.
Audrey Nelson can be reached at aa******@******an.edu.
Leave a Reply