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2020 Wubble Playoffs: Aces, Storm, Lynx, Sun to semifinals

Photo Credit: Lamar Carter

It was improbable that we would reach this point in the season simply a few short months ago – but we have completed a season and are now about to reach the apex of said season.

Every recent WNBA season has started with 12 teams in pursuit of one championship. Four of those teams now remain with two of them that did earning double byes into the semifinals.

The only thing that was left was to determine which one of those teams would advance to challenge the Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury for berths to join them in those semis.

The Mercury were a team that likely was continuing to ride an emotional wave after its miraculous come-from-behind victory in the first round with the Washington Mystics that was capped by Shey Peddy’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

Its second round opponent – the Minnesota Lynx – a team that had received a pair of lifts even prior to the game with the announcements of Cheryl Reeve as 2020 Coach of the Year and Crystal Dangerfield as Rookie of the Year.

If the early moments of this game were any indication, the Mercury had the semifinals clearly in its sights as Phoenix raced out to an early 17-7 advantage only for the Lynx to climb their way back into the game.

Skylar Diggins-Smith had a less-than-memorable shooting performance, but two late in the fourth quarter pulled the Mercury to within one at 80-79. Damiris Dantas was later fouled by Diggins-Smith which put her at the line for two tries. She missed both, which meant Phoenix had a chance at a win with simply a two. Diggins-Smith’s three try was unsuccessful at the end of the game and the Lynx found themselves in a similar position that they have been in for much of the Cheryl Reeve era – nearing the WNBA finals again.

Dantas still led the Lynx with 22 points and eight rebounds. Dangerfield finished with 17 points and three rebounds. Odyssey Sims tallied 14 points with four rebounds while Rachel Banham scored 11. Napheesa Collier brought in six rebounds and dished out six assists.

Diana Taurasi scored 28 and also sent out nine assists. Brianna Turner finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Kia Vaughn added 10 with eight on the glass. Diggins-Smith only had eight points and was three out of 15 from the field.

As for the Connecticut Sun and Los Angeles Sparks, after what happened in last year’s semifinals between these same two teams, there could not have been anyone that could have expected that this game would have a similar outcome as last year’s semifinals games, could there?

Apparently there were – the Connecticut Sun players.

No Jonquel Jones? No problem. No Courtney Williams? No problem. No top seed in this year’s in this year’s playoffs? No problem.

Sometimes it is not about which teams is the best, but which team may have the hottest hand. The Sun may be peaking at just the right time and are clearly allowing its doubters to serve as very valuable bulletin board material.

All those doubters could do is look at the scoreboard when the clock read triple zeroes at the end of the fourth quarter – and saw a Connecticut 73-59 win over Los Angeles.

Every Sun starter finished with a double-digit point output – including Alyssa Thomas with 19 (seven rebounds, five assists), DeWanna Bonner with 17 (13 rebounds and five assists), Briann January with 11 (four assists), Jasmine Thomas with 10 (six assists) and Brionna Jones with 10 (eight rebounds).

Candace Parker finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Seimone Augustus added 10 off the bench for the Sparks – who will have to make some significant decisions in the offseason with Parker, Chelsea Gray and Nneka Ogwumike among its list of free agents.

As for the four remaining teams, the Sun will met up with the Aces and the Lynx will face off against the Storm. Both series begin Sunday.

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