David Becker/NBAE by way of Getty Photos
The WNBA playoff image is turning into clearer as the tip of the common season nears.
With only one week to go earlier than the beginning of the playoffs, seven groups have punched their ticket to the postseason whereas two groups, the Dallas Wings and Los Angeles Sparks, have formally been eradicated from playoff competition.
That leaves three groups preventing for the ultimate playoff spot, that means the ultimate few days of play can have loads of implications.
Forward of the ultimate week of standard season play, this is a have a look at the present playoff image:
- New York Liberty, 31-7 (Clinched playoff berth)
- Minnesota Lynx, 29-9 (Clinched playoff berth)
- Connecticut Solar, 27-11 (Clinched playoff berth)
- Las Vegas Aces, 25-13 (Clinched playoff berth)
- Seattle Storm, 24-14 (Clinched playoff berth)
- Indiana Fever, 20-19 (Clinched playoff berth)
- Phoenix Mercury, 18-20 (Clinched playoff berth)
- Washington Mystics, 13-25
- Chicago Sky, 13-25
- Atlanta Dream, 13-25
Heading into the week, essentially the most intriguing storylines reside with the Mystics, Sky and Dream as these three squads battle it out for a visit to the postseason.
For the previous few weeks, the race for the No. 8 seed has largely been between the Sky and Dream, however Washington has gone 7-3 over its final 10 video games to place itself in playoff place. Sadly for the Mystics, they’ve a tricky schedule this week as they will play the top-seeded Liberty and the Fever.
On Tuesday, the Dream and Sky face off in a sport stuffed with implications. Whichever workforce comes out on high in that matchup will doubtless earn the ultimate spot within the playoffs. After taking part in Atlanta, Chicago will shut its season out in opposition to the Solar. The Dream will end out the common season in opposition to the Liberty.
New York has been the highest workforce within the WNBA all yr, and it simply must win or a Lynx loss to formally declare the No. 1 seed. The Lynx might drive a tiebreaker in the event that they win their last two video games and the Liberty lose their final two video games.
If any groups finish the yr with an identical file, the next shall be used to find out the tiebreaker:
- Head-to-head file
- Convention successful proportion
- Successful proportion in opposition to all groups with .500 or higher file
- Level differential in head-to-head video games
- Coin toss
Incomes the highest seed is not any small feat, as that workforce would get home-court benefit all through the postseason.
Whereas the Lynx shall be chasing the Liberty this week, the Solar shall be trying to overtake them for the No. 2 seed, and the Aces are hoping to steal No. 3 from Connecticut.
Whichever workforce earns the No. 3 seed might have a tricky matchup ready on them as Caitlin Clark and the Fever have nearly secured the No. 6 seed. At the start of the yr, Indiana appeared like a playoff hopeful, however now it looks like a workforce able to upsetting the next seed and placing collectively a deep playoff run.
Clark has put collectively among the best rookie seasons in current reminiscence, and she or he’s not trying to finish her season sooner than she must.
If the present standings maintain after this week, followers may very well be in for a deal with this postseason. The defending champion Aces might have a date with the Liberty within the second spherical in what could be a rematch of the 2023 WNBA Finals.
It hasn’t been the title-defending yr Las Vegas has hoped for, but when it might probably take down the highest workforce within the league within the second spherical it might make a three-peat considerably simpler.
