Liberty-Aces, Clark-Reese and extra WNBA matchups with playoff implications

The WNBA is again, and earlier than we all know it, the playoffs might be, too.

With the season resuming Thursday evening and all 12 groups again in motion by Saturday, it is full steam forward for the league in its ultimate month of the common season.

Six groups appear fairly protected bets to make the playoffs: the New York Liberty, Connecticut Sun, Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury. Under them within the standings, the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky are at the moment slotted at seventh and eighth, however the ninth-place Atlanta Dream aren’t too far behind.

Whereas some groups might be centered on snagging one of many eight playoff spots, others will compete over seedings. The highest 4 seeds host best-of-three first-round collection, then the upper seeds host the best-of-five semifinals and finals.

There are lots of video games to be performed between now and Sept. 19, the ultimate day of the common season — which suggests lots can change concerning seedings and even groups’ postseason possibilities. Nonetheless, as play will get into full swing this weekend, listed here are among the matchups that may influence the playoff race.

New York Liberty–Las Vegas Aces

Aug. 17 in Las Vegas (4 p.m. ET, CBS); Sept. 8 in New York (4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

The Aces (16-8) do not look as invincible as they did final yr, however two battles between the league’s two superteams, and a rematch of the 2023 WNBA Finals, can’t be missed. Ten Paris Olympians representing 4 nations will take the court docket Saturday of their second assembly of the season. The Liberty (22-4) received by eight within the first assembly, when Aces star level guard Chelsea Gray (foot) wasn’t accessible.

All eyes might be on these remaining clashes. Will the Liberty take management of the rivalry and cement themselves because the championship favorites? Or will the Aces present that with Grey again in tow, their three-peat hopes are alive and properly?

Phoenix Mercury–Chicago Sky

Aug. 18 in Phoenix (9 p.m. ET); Sept. 15 in Chicago (6 p.m. ET)

One of many largest surprises of the offseason was 2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper‘s commerce request out of Chicago to Phoenix. Copper confronted her outdated crew for the primary time on Thursday and can see the Sky twice extra earlier than the common season ends. The franchises, 3½ video games aside within the standings, are each led by first-year head coaches (Nate Tibbetts in Phoenix, Teresa Weatherspoon in Chicago) and have one thing to show. The Mercury have been lackluster within the first half of the season with a 13-12 document, however nonetheless have the expertise and, with higher well being, may compete for a championship. The playoff prospects for the 10-15 Sky, in the meantime, obtained murkier with the commerce of Marina Mabrey. Totally counting out their guard-post tandem of Chennedy Carter — who didn’t play in Thursday’s loss in opposition to Phoenix — and Angel Reese, nonetheless, can be unwise.

Minnesota Lynx–Las Vegas Aces

Aug. 21 in Las Vegas (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN); Aug. 23 in Minneapolis (9:30 p.m. ET, ION)

Few, possibly nobody, predicted Las Vegas can be fifth within the standings on the Olympic break. Thankfully for the Aces, they’ve fared significantly better with Chelsea Grey again within the lineup, going 10-2 since her return on June 19. However the two-time defending champs should do some work to safe home-court benefit for not less than one spherical of the postseason — Vegas was the No. 1 seed in each 2022 and 2023 when it received its titles. Beating high groups, together with Minnesota, would assist the Aces in that effort.

That stated, the Lynx have a lot on the road themselves. They obtained combined preseason expectations after not having the splashiest of offseasons. However with Napheesa Collier — who might have been the MVP front-runner if A’ja Wilson wasn’t having a traditionally dominant season — on the court docket, Minnesota may problem the Aces and return to its first Finals since 2017, when it received its fourth championship in seven years.

Connecticut Sun–New York Liberty

Aug. 24 in New York (7 p.m. ET)

The collection between the highest two groups within the standings has been lopsided, with the Liberty successful the primary three matchups and accounting for half of Connecticut’s complete losses. Can the Solar (18-6) lastly get one in opposition to considered one of final season’s WNBA finalists? Connecticut is 1-10 in opposition to this superteam iteration of New York courting again to final season. Realistically, if it needs to win the franchise’s first WNBA title this yr, Connecticut must crack the code on the Liberty. We’ll see whether or not Mabrey, acquired by way of commerce proper earlier than the break, may also help the Solar transfer the needle.

New York is at the moment three video games forward of the Solar and can look to strengthen its stronghold on the highest spot to clinch home-court benefit by way of the whole thing of the playoffs.

Indiana Fever–Atlanta Dream

Aug. 26 in Atlanta (7:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV); Sept. 8 in Indiana (4 p.m. ET)

It’s fairly attainable Indiana (11-15), Chicago (10-15) and Atlanta (7-17) find yourself preventing over the ultimate two playoff spots, giving this pair of contests further significance. Atlanta, which made it again to the playoffs final season for the primary time since 2018, may very well be poised for a late push with 2022 No. 1 choose Rhyne Howard (ankle) and level guard Jordin Canada (hand) each getting back from damage.

But when the Fever play like they’ve for the reason that center of June — when Caitlin Clark settled into the league and the crew chemistry clicked — they will not be any simple opponent, both. The primary of those video games may decide which crew has hit the bottom operating following the Olympic break.

Additionally of word: Indiana, which is aiming for its first postseason berth since 2016, is at the moment up 2-0 on the season collection.

Indiana Fever–Chicago Sky

Aug. 30 in Chicago (7:30 p.m. ET, ION)

The primary three conferences between star rookies Clark and Reese delivered. Indiana took the primary two video games, Chicago had the sting within the third, and all three have been determined by a mixed 10 factors. This fourth and ultimate regular-season conflict might have much more juice than the others: The Fever and Sky are inside a half-game of one another within the standings following Chicago’s loss Thursday.

Clark and Reese have downplayed their on-court rivalry, however that is additionally their ultimate head-to-head matchup earlier than a aggressive Rookie of the 12 months race is set. Whatever the ROY outcome, each have proven how impactful they are going to be for his or her franchises and within the league properly past this yr.

Seattle Storm–Connecticut Sun

Sept. 1 in Connecticut (1 p.m. ET, NBA TV); Sept. 3 in Connecticut (7 p.m. ET)

Seattle beat Connecticut the one time the 2 groups performed one another within the first half of the season — giving the Solar their solely back-to-back losses this summer season. Each defensive-minded groups will look to get their models in high form come playoff time, and so they nonetheless have ranges they’ll unlock offensively. Going up in opposition to stiff competitors in early September is a superb alternative to fine-tune issues heading into the postseason. The Storm, who revamped their roster within the offseason with the additions of Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, are poised to return to the playoffs this season after lacking out in 2023. With a powerful displaying in Connecticut, they might enhance on their at the moment slated fourth-place seeding.

Dallas Wings–Indiana Fever

Sept. 1 in Dallas (4 p.m. ET, NBA TV); Sept. 15 in Indiana (3 p.m. ET, NBA TV)

The Wings concluded the primary half of the season with a bang after they beat the Fever in a 101-93 thriller, an exclamation level to an in any other case disappointing 6-19 begin that had them on the backside of the league standings.

The model of Dallas that’ll take the ground after the Olympic break might be a lot stronger: Satou Sabally (shoulder) and Jaelyn Brown (sickness) return Friday, with the previous suiting up for the Wings for the primary time this season, and Maddy Siegrist (finger) is anticipated to play Tuesday at New York.

At full power, the Wings hope they will look nearer to the model that completed fourth within the league standings final yr and made it to the semifinals. It’s going to take a livid rally to return to the postseason, however wins in opposition to the Fever would assist.

Minnesota Lynx–New York Liberty

Sept. 15 in New York (3 p.m. ET)

The Liberty have not misplaced fairly often this season, however the Lynx have gotten the higher of them — twice in the event you embrace the Commissioner’s Cup championship recreation. New York avenged that loss every week later, and the 2 will meet as soon as extra on the ultimate weekend of the common season.

Regulate Jonquel Jones for this one: The 2021 WNBA MVP is having probably the greatest seasons of her profession, however two of her eight single-digit scoring video games this season got here in opposition to the Lynx, together with the Commissioner’s Cup ultimate.

Las Vegas Aces–Seattle Storm

Sept. 17 in Seattle (10 p.m. ET, NBA TV)

If the common season ended at present, the Storm and Aces would play one another within the first spherical because the fourth and fifth seeds — a prospect that appears unfair to each groups, and to basketball followers writ massive. Seedings may shuffle between now and the precise finish of the common season, however this mid-September tilt will nonetheless be one to look at as each make a ultimate push for the highest 4 playoff seeds.