High Post Hoops
Fansided

Podcast: Lynx/Sparks WNBA playoff preview with Neil Olstad

By Ben Dull

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 2: Maya Moore #23 of the Minnesota Lynx and Candace Parker #3 of the Los Angeles Sparks battles for position on August 2, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 2: Maya Moore #23 of the Minnesota Lynx and Candace Parker #3 of the Los Angeles Sparks battles for position on August 2, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

It’s a Minnesota Lynx / Los Angeles Sparks-centric edition of the Locked On Women’s basketball podcast, previewing the upcoming single-elimination WNBA playoff game between the league’s last two champions.

Host Ben Dull is joined by Neil Olstad of Canis Hoopus and the Lynx Dynasty Podcast. In this episode, they cover the following:

  • the state of both team’s heading into the postseason based on their play in the 2018 regular season
  • how the health of Rebekkah Brunson (concussion), Nneka Ogwumike and Danielle Robinson (ankle) may come into play
  • how the Sparks/Lynx matchup has evolved or what is different this time around
  • how both teams would fare if they advance to face either the third-seeded Washington Mystics or fourth-seeded Connecticut Sun
  • prediction for Tuesday’s game

As the six seed, the Sparks will host Tuesday’s game, which tips at 10:30 PM ET and will be aired on ESPN2.

The start of the WNBA playoffs is just two days after the close of the WNBA regular season. The Sparks played Sunday in Connecticut with a chance of still nabbing the four seed and a first round bye.

Meanwhile, the Lynx hosted the Washington Mystics, who had nothing left to play for by about the midway point of the game, as the Atlanta Dream had won their game in Las Vegas against the Aces to clinch the two seed in the playoffs and the double-bye to the semifinals that comes with it.

Relative to the past two seasons, the Sparks and Lynx are both in uncharted waters. Neither team has participated in a single-elimination WNBA playoff game. The league changed its playoff format prior to the start of the 2016 season. In both 2016 and 2017, L.A. and Minnesota clinched the top-two seeds.

Prior to the start of Lynx-Sparks Tuesday on ESPN2, tune in beginning at 8:30 PM ET for the other first round game featuring the Dallas Wings and the Phoenix Mercury.

To subscribe to Olstad’s Lynx Dynasty podcast, click here to find it on iTunes or here to view all past episodes on one webpage.

Home/WNBA