The WNBA playoffs will begin on Monday, and the league is currently hurtling toward at least two potentially thrilling playoffs match-ups.
The No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx are set to take on the No. 8 seed New York Liberty. Typically, this kind of game would be pretty easy to predict, but this time around that's not exactly true. The Liberty might be heading into the postseason at the bottom of the stack, but that doesn't mean they're going to lose.
Both teams have struggled of late, and both teams have been missing key contributors. Olivia Miles sat out the Lynx's game against the Fever earlier this week, and head coach Cheryl Reeve benched her starters. The Liberty rested Breanna Stewart during the team's own loss to the Atlanta Dream and limited minutes for Sabrina Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich, and Pauline Astier in the fourth quarter. Both teams are clearly prioritizing the playoffs... and each other.
New York beat the Lynx two times out of the three games the teams played during the regular season this year. Granted, those wins came while Napheesa Collier was still out. If the Lynx head into the playoffs with everyone fully healthy, New York could be in trouble. But if the Liberty also head into the playoffs with everyone fully healthy... the first round could see an upset of epic porportions.
There's a second series of games that's likely going to produce fireworks: the Atlanta Dream and Indiana Fever will once again meet one another in the first round. This time around, both teams are bringing even more power to the table than they did last season, when Indiana ultimately ended Atlanta's playoffs hopes.
The Fever has a healthy Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, and the pair are currently two of the most formidable scorers in the entire WNBA. This year marks Clark's first true playoffs run, and it's entirely possible her competitive spirt will be the fuel the Fever needs to go all the way.
But the Dream will not go down quietly. The team boasts the combined powers of Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and Angel Reese, and even more importantly than that, will be hungry to avenge last year's loss.
The first round of the playoffs is always fun, but this year's may be even more exciting than fans are used to — and that's saying a lot. The games will also see battles between the Golden State Valkyries and Dallas Wings, and the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics.
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