The WNBA playoffs begin TOMORROW, in case you were unaware, and all of the first round battles are a little fascinating and unpredictable. The No. 8 seed New York Liberty will meet the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx, a series that feels like it should have a predictable winner (the Lynx), but that is a lot closer than those numbers suggest. The Dallas Wings and the Golden State Valkyries will tango, a series that is likely the latter's to lose, and the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics will go head to head in a series that is anyone's to claim.
The Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces will also play one another starting tomorrow, and that series is one that deserves a close eye. The two teams met in the second round of playoffs last year. Though Las Vegas ultimately came away with the win, the series of games proved difficult, and the Fever demonstrated a tenacity that a lot of people didn't seem coming.
At that point, the Fever was playing with nearly an entirely different roster than the one they started the season with. Caitlin Clark was out, Sydney Colson was out, Sophie Cunningham was out, Aari McDonald was out — all injured at some point throughout the regular season. That the Fever even made it to the second round was nothing short of unexpected and tremendous, and plenty of people didn't expect the series to run as long as it did.
This year's Fever is very, very different. Clark and Kelsey Mitchell are leading the league in terms of points scored — Mitchell is second with an average of 24.7 points and Clark is third with an average of 22.3 points this season. But both trail the Aces' A'ja Wilson, who is averaging 26.2 points right now — and who remains the greatest player in the WNBA.
Wilson is joined by Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, and when they combine their powers, these three are nearly unstoppable on the floor. The series is the Aces' to lose — the defending champions are certainly hoping to go all the way. Wilson is also hoping to snag her fifth MVP title of her career, an award that will be announced before the playoffs begin tomorrow. That's the kind of win that would certainly give her a boost heading into a crucial part of the playoffs (though it's fair to say Wilson doesn't need much).
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