After what has been yet another memorable regular season in the WNBA filled with record-setting performances, memorable moments, and unforgettable games, it is once again “Win or Go Home” time in the W as the playoffs are set to commence this week!
The #WNBAPlayoffs tip off Wednesday with the single-elimination first-round games on ESPN2! #WatchMeWork
» https://t.co/2hvOVzwuEh pic.twitter.com/UDpRGJsFgo
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 4, 2017
Photo Credit: Jeff Wheeler/Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Photo Credit: Juan Ocampo/NBAE/Getty Images
Each of last year’s WNBA Finals participants—the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks—clinched double byes by virtue of having the top two records of all WNBA teams.
Photo Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Photo Credit: Sean D. Elliot/The Day (New London)
The New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun earned single byes as they are, respectively, entering the playoffs as the number three and four seeds.
Five through eight round out like this—the Phoenix Mercury, the Washington Mystics, the Dallas Wings, and the Seattle Storm.
The first two rounds of the playoffs will contested under a single-elimination format with the semifinals and Finals being best-of-five series.
In old @WNBA playoff format; @wnbachicagosky would have been four seed in East and @seattlestorm would have missed out being 5th in west
— Doug Feinberg (@DougFeinberg) September 4, 2017
Photo Credit: Lindsey Wasson/The Seattle Times
It is somewhat ironic that the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm are meeting in the first round of the playoffs given that they met a couple of times in the preseason. On both occasions in the preseason, the decision went to the home team. The Storm defeated the Mercury 86-64 at KeyArena and a few days later, the Mercury topped the Storm 72-55 at the Talking Stick Resort Arena.
During the regular season, it was a different story. Seattle and Phoenix played each other on three occasions with all three games to the team on the road. On June 23, the Mercury defeated the Storm 85-82 at the Key. Fifty of the 85 came from Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner who each contributed 25.
The Storm had four players who finished in double-digits for points—including Breanna Stewart’s 21, Jewell Loyd’s 18, Crystal Langhorne’s 16, and Sue Bird’s 14—but Seattle went 17-22 from the free throw line against a team that went 13 out of 14 from the charity stripe.
The Storm bested the Mercury 98-89 in mid-August in Phoenix. Seattle got 20 points each from Loyd and Stewart, 19 via Langhorne, and 13 via Alysha Clark. Taurasi had 29, Griner added 19, an Monique Currie contributed 13.
Two key things swung in the Storm’s favor against the Mercury this August 12. They shot nearly 60 percent from the field and they out-assisted Phoenix 27-15.
Last week, the Storm and Mercury met one more time—back in the Emerald City—to decide the season series. It was a close one, but as was the case in their first two get-togethers, have travel will win. The rubber match went Phoenix’s way, 75-71.
This one was decided late. Stewart was fouled with 38 seconds left and made both shots to bring the Storm within one at 72-71. Later, a Taurasi three extended the Mercury’s advantage to 75-71 with 15 seconds on the clock.
Both Loyd and Bird attempted game-tying threes, but neither went through the basket. This was despite a 33-point outing from the Gold Mamba. Stewart added 13 with nine rebounds and Bird had 10. Griner led with 29 points, Taurasi added 18, and Leilani Mitchell finished with 11.
Interestingly enough, Storm-Mercury will not be at the Talking Stick Resort Arena, but the Wells Fargo Arena on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe. The arena website does not specify exactly what the scheduling conflict relates to.
Photo Credit: Vernon Bryant/Dallas Morning News/AP
As for the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics, they also met three times this year but none in the preseason. All three tilts between the Wings and Mystics happened in the regular season, but as was the case with the Storm and Mercury, the team on the road won all three games.
On June 7, the Mystics defeated the Wings 101-89 at College Park Arena in Arlington in what was a nationally televised game on ESPN2. At the time, Washington was in the throes of a five game winning streak.
The Mystics outscored the Wings 27-17 in the second quarter—and that made all the difference. Elena Delle Donne finished with 23 points. Tayler Hill and Kristi Toliver added 17 each. Krystal Thomas and Ivory Latta added ten apiece.
For Dallas, Skylar Diggins-Smith led with 23 points and Glory Johnson added 19. Theresa Plaisance finished with 13, Rookie of the Year favorite Allisha Gray contributed 12, and Kayla Thornton had ten.
The Wings were hampered by shooting under 30 percent from behind the three-point arc in addition to committing 12 turnovers.
Two weeks later, the scene shifted to the Capital One Arena in D.C. which resulted in a better outcome for Dallas as they defeated the Mystics 87-83. Johnson finished with 27 in that game and Diggins-Smith added 19. The Wings were also helped with 12 points each from Gray and Plaisance.
Hill’s 21 points led the Mystics and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt finished with 15. Delle Donne had 14 despite shooting a cold four-from-11 from the field. Tianna Hawkins added 13 points and seven rebounds to Washington’s cause and Thomas contributed ten.
One would not expect a team with Toliver to shoot only four of 16 from downtown, but that is what happened to the Mystics that game.
And as was the case with the Storm and Mystics, the Wings and Mystics had their most recent of matchups not too long ago. August 26th to be exact back in D.C. and this one as well went the way of Dallas by an 83-78 score.
The Wings proved victorious despite only two of their players being in double-digits for points (Diggins-Smith with 20 and Karima Christmas-Kelly who had 12). But 51 of the 78 for Washington were via Delle Donne’s 29 and Emma Meeseman’s 22.
It was Plaisance who decided this one as Diggins-Smith found her who followed with a three-pointer that put the Wings ahead by six (81-75).
Is it Wednesday yet?
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
