The WNBA Semifinals are now set to see the Storm and Ace meet in what has all the makings of an all-time great series. Chicago and Connecticut will battle it out in the other star-studded semifinals to see if they can come one step closer to claiming this year’s title.
Before Round 2 of the postseason kicks off, here are the 5 points earned from Round 1. They are meant to reflect on what has already happened and prepare for what is yet to come.
1. Chicago’s past experience continues to shine even in adverse circumstances.
The sky did not blink while playing on the road in the series-deciding Game 3. Even after New York cut his 7-0 fourth quarter deficit to just three from his 10 points, Chicago remained calm, showing the experience and composure that contributed to last year’s title win. When his manager James Wade called a timeout less than a minute into the fourth quarter, he kept his cool on the team and mentally focused on eliminating his mistakes. reminded me of The players did just that, continuing their 16-0 run over the next six minutes to put the game and series away.
All-Star center Emma Miesmann won Finals MVP with the Mystics in 2019, although she wasn’t on last year’s title team. Ahead of Game 3 on Tuesday, she reflected on how the team’s veteran her make-up has paid off all year. “Even if you’re not perfect basketball, you have to keep fighting,” she said.
During the regular season, Chicago often played their best basketball in the game’s most important moments. . In Game 1 against the Liberty, they slipped in late in the 4th quarter and dropped the series opener. But such flabs are rare in Chicago, and its defense has stepped up in particularly crucial moments: After her team lost Game 3, Liberty’s Sandy Brondello He pointed out the importance of solidarity. “I think it just carried over to this year, and I honestly think it’s really hard to beat them,” she said.
2. How does Storm coach Noel Quinn use Star Center?
Tina Charles has been open about her desire to win a championship in Seattle. It took Charles some time to get used to the Storm, but by the end of the season, she was a key part of the WNBA’s five-man lineup. Among her five-player group she has played over 100 minutes with this season are her five: Storm’s Charles, guard Jewel Lloyd, guard Sue Bird, forward Gabby Williams and forward Breana Stewart. No group had a better net rating than her. This combination is especially strong offensively, forcing the opposing team to make uncomfortable choices about who to stop.
At the same time, however, the arrival of Charles has reduced the role of center Edji Magbegor, who appeared to be one of the front-runners for the league’s Most Valuable Player award in the first two months of the season. Magbegor, one of the best defensive centers in the league, has seemed increasingly comfortable returning to the bench role, but in Game 2 of Seattle’s series against Washington, in fact, the overall She played more hours than Charles, both in terms and in the decisive period of the game. Of course, having two centers that can make a big impact is a good thing, but it will be a curiosity how Quinn will deploy each ahead of his matchup against Las Vegas and its versatile frontcourt. It’s still
3. Chelsea Gray plays great basketball with perfect timing.
Four members of the Aces’ five most-used starting lineups were named WNBA All-Stars in July. Only guard Chelsea Gray was not. Still, after one round of playoffs, it’s fair to wonder if she’s playing better than any other player on the Las Vegas roster. The 29-year-old guard averaged 20.8 points and 6.4 assists in her final five games of the regular season. Such success carried over into the playoffs, with Gray scoring her 17 points effective in her 6/9 shooting from the field in Game 1 against Phoenix, with even more she scoring 27 points and 8 points. Although he recorded an assist, he missed only two. Of her 11 shots, Ace’s Series Clinch Game 2 victory.
“Right now, as a team, I think we’re playing the best basketball on both ends,” Gray said after the game. As for me, that’s what I feel.”
Against Seattle, forward Dearika Humby still has a right quadriceps injury, so Gray, guard Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and forward Aja Wilson are expected to do the same if the ace wants to move forward. level of success must be maintained. Gray has been successful throughout his season as a regular with the Storm, averaging 17.5 points, 7.5 assists and 5.3 rebounds over four matches, but of course, how will she perform in the upcoming Best of 5 series? performance is much more important.
4. Connecticut’s defense is dangerous in any situation.
Connecticut didn’t look any worse offensively than the first half of Wednesday night’s Game 3 vs. Dallas. Shooting 32% from the field, it was the worst first-half field goal percentage in the playoffs since 2012. 3 to 27.3%. 50% from the free throw line. Still, when I headed to the changing room, the sun and wings were each tied at 34.
Coming out of the locker room, Connecticut stepped up the defensive pressure. They held Dallas to 24 points and forced 11 turnovers in the final 20 minutes of the game. This ability to overwhelm opponents has been demonstrated throughout the season. The Sun has been a regular defensive player this season as he finished second in his ratings, with 0.3 points per 100 possessions, inferior to the top-ranked Mystics. Against Chicago in the next round. Sure, Connecticut’s Biggs will play a key role against Sky, but hopefully Dijonay Carrington will build on his stellar performance in Game 3. Applying. The Sun have reached the semifinals for the fourth time in a row and are looking to avenge last year’s playoff exit. It comes down to which defense works best in determining the series winner.
5. The WNBA’s first-round playoff format remains polarized.
There’s little argument that this year’s first-round postseason format (replacing single-elimination games with a best-of-three series) is a step in the right direction for the WNBA. However, how the Best of 3 is constructed is still a matter of debate. Ahead of his team’s series against New York, Wade said he’s “not a real big fan” of the new structure. , Chicago were tasked with winning a winner-takes-all game on the road after dropping Game 1 at Wintrust Arena. (Note also that in the previous format, Chicago retained the second seed, which also resulted in a double-bye to the league semifinals.)
A two-on-one makes it easier for players to move, especially considering the league pledged to charter teams’ flights only during the finals. Like, “We’re the bottom seed, but we’re at home, so anything can happen,” so it can also create more intrigue. However, he may move to a 1-2 structure in future seasons to give higher seeds a chance to hold a playoff, especially if the league finds the 1-1-1 option implausible for him. It’s natural to wonder if you should.
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