Regular season number 20 in the WNBA is now in the books, but we are just getting started as playoff season number 20 is only a few. Days. Away. What has this season not had this year? Two teams that began their seasons undefeated before playing each other, a social controversy, and retirements. It has been one to remember!
Now the playoffs are beginning with a whole new set of storylines. At the top of the list, of course, is that of the Minnesota Lynx and if they can repeat as champions from last year and make it four titles in seven years to only enhance their dynasty.
The newest of the WNBA’s stars, Breanna Stewart, and her Seattle Storm are also in this year’s postseason. It may be the first playoff trip for her with Seattle but it likely will not be the last as the Storm are seen as the Lynx of tomorrow.
And with these being the final seasons for Tamika Catchings and Swin Cash, could either Indiana or New York, who also each qualified for the postseason, send them out on top?
There is also one in Chicago—and it is not good news in the Windy City as the Sky will be without Elena Delle Donne due to a thumb injury. She did have successful surgery. The Sky seemingly were entering the postseason with momentum and could still be a sleeper team to watch.
That same team’s final regular season game of 2016 was in Seattle against the Storm. The Sky managed to stick around with Seattle for three quarters before being outscored 25-14 in the final frame as Seattle won the game 88-75. With the win, the Storm also clinched the seventh seed in the postseason.
Stewart finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis added another 16 and Sue Bird and Ramu Tokashiki each had 14. Tokashiki’s 14, along with the 16 of Mosqueda-Lewis came off of the bench. Bird also chimed in with six assists.
Chicago also got production off its bench when it needed to as Allie Quigley (11) and Erika De Souza (12) combined for 23 points off the Sky’s bench. Quigley also put in six assists and De Souza had the same amount of rebounds. This went along with 14 each from Jessica Breland and Jamierra Faulkner plus 12 from Tamera Young.
The Sky’s margin of victory back at home at Allstate Arena earlier in the weekend was larger than its margin of defeat to the Storm as Chicago would defeat the New York Liberty by a final of 92-68. Did we mention Tamera Young? She led the Sky with 22 points and nine rebounds. Quigley had 18 points and Breland along with Cappie Pondexter added 11 points each.
Swin Cash and Carolyn Swords each had 15 points and Rebecca Allen finished with 13. Allen and Swords also contributed eight rebounds to the New York effort.
On the subject of the defending champions, they will once again enter the postseason as the team to beat as they have done a lot over the course of their dynasty. Minnesota will not only advance to the postseason as the number one overall seed with home court advantage throughout, but, as winners of 13 of their last 15 games. That what one calls momentum.
The 12th of those wins came on the road in Indiana—an 82-75 win over the Fever. One difference was Maya Moore’s 15 points and another was Renee Montgomery’s 13. For the Fever, Marissa Coleman had 19 and Tamika Catchings added 11.
Minnesota only led by one at one point in the fourth quarter (59-58) before embarking on a 21-8 scoring run that extended their lead out to 14 (80-66).
Back at the Target Center in the Lynx’s final regular season game this year, it was more of an offensively charged matchup against the Atlanta Dream. They also entered this contest with a chance to set a franchise record for wins with 28. They did so via a 95-87 win over the visiting Atlanta.
The tone for this one would be set early as it was 30-24 after one quarter. Sylvia Fowles lived up to her nickname, Big Syl, with 13 points in the first quarter and 30 for the game overall in addition to eight rebounds. Moore had 21 points plus eight assists. Natasha Howard finished with 11 and Seimone Augustus would finish with 10.
The Dream got 18 from Angel McCoughtry, 16 via Tiffany Hayes, 15 from Bria Holmes and 14 each courtesy of Reshonda Gray and Elizabeth Williams. Atlanta shot 70 percent from the free throw line and the Lynx were 67 percent from that same charity stripe.
Catch’s final regular season was a success for her Fever as they faced the Dallas Wings back at the Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. She had 16 points in leading her team to an 83-60 victory against Dallas.
Lynetta Kizer also had 16. Tiffany Mitchell and Natalie Achonwa ended up 12 each.
The Wings did not have a particularly great outing from the field. Karima Christmas had 12 points but everyone else was held to single digits. Dallas only a shot a mere 32 percent from the field and were out-assisted 25-12.
And prior to that the Wings’ fortunes were not much better against the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena as Dallas was blown out by Connecticut, 107-74.
Seven players for the Sun finished with double-digit scoring outings including Chiney Ogwumike who would have 13 rebounds in addition to her 13 points. Camille Little and Courtney Williams each scored 15. Alex Bentley and Jasmine Thomas each finished with 14.
For the Wings, they got 22 from Theresa Plaisance, and 12 each via Christmas and Skylar Diggins.
Back on the subject of teams that made the playoffs—one mentioned the LA Sparks earlier. Their final game of the regular season was also at home—vs. the San Antonio Stars. This game was one of those where an observer would think blowout on paper, but it was anything but as Los Angeles only beat San Antonio by six (71-65).
Nneka Ogwumike’s double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds) helped out a lot. So did Jantel Lavender’s 14 points and Chelsea Gray’s 13.
For San Antonio, Moriah Jefferson finished with 18 points, Monique Currie added 17, and Astou Ndour had 12. It was also the final game of Jayne Appel-Marinelli who earlier announced that she would be retiring after this season.
Another player who will be hanging up her jersey after this season is Penny Taylor of the Phoenix Mercury. Her Mercury still have some basketball left to be played as they also qualified for the postseason. Phoenix closed out its regular season with an 81-65 win on the road over the Stars.
Diana Taurasi scored all of her 18 points for the game in the first half. Brittney Griner finished with 15. Candice Dupree added 12.
For the Stars, Currie had 19, Jefferson scored 16, and Haley Peters would end up with 11. San Antonio only shot 35 percent from the field compared to 53 for the Mercury.
Two teams that also did not qualify for the postseason were the Sun and Washington Mystics. There was not much to play for this game, but was still entertaining as the Sun defeated the Mystics by a final of 87-78 in D.C.
Jonquel Jones would end up with 21 points and Alyssa Thomas would contribute a double-double with 16 points along with 10 rebounds. Jasmine Thomas also scored 14 and Camille Little and Chiney Ogwumike each had 10.
Emma Messeman and Stefanie Dolson each scored 18 for Washington. Kaleah Cooper added 15 points and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt ended up with 13.
Playoff Format
Thanks to changes made in the playoff format, it is different than in previous years. The fifth seeded Indiana Fever will face the eighth seeded Phoenix Mercury and the sixth-seeded Atlanta Dream gets the seventh-seeded Seattle Storm. This first round is single-elimination, as is the second round, where the third-seeded New York Liberty gets the lowest-seeded first-round winner and the fourth-seeded Chicago Sky gets the highest-seeded winner.
The semifinals will feature the one-seeded Lynx hosting the lowest remaining seed and the Sparks, at the two, hosting the higher remaining seed. It follows a 2-2-1 Best of Five format with the one and two seeds hosting Games 1, 2, and 5. The WNBA Finals also will remain at 2-2-1.
Bring on the postseason!
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
