Caitlin Clark heads to first WNBA postseason and Aces look for threepeat as playoffs begin Sunday

 

[September 21, 2024]  By DOUG FEINBERG

Caitlin Clark will make her first appearance in the WNBA playoffs in the arena where she started her professional career.

The Indiana Fever will play in Connecticut on Sunday as the league's postseason gets underway with four best-of-three series. The two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces will host Seattle, top-seed New York will play Atlanta and Minnesota faces Phoenix.

Clark, who had a record-breaking rookie season, will try to lead Indiana to its first playoff win since 2015 when current Sun coach Stephanie White was in charge of the Fever.

This is the third straight postseason the league will use a best-of-three format with the better seeded team hosting the first two games. A decisive third game would be played at the home of the lower-seeded team.

Las Vegas aims to become the first team to win three consecutive titles since Houston won the first four WNBA championships.

Here's a look at the four series that begin Sunday.

No. 1 New York vs No. 8 Atlanta

The Liberty had the best record in the league and fell just two wins short of the franchise's first championship last year, losing to Las Vegas in four games. The Dream are in the playoffs for the second consecutive season, led by Tina Charles.

Season Series: New York won three of the four games with the lone loss coming in the season finale, when the Liberty had nothing to play for and the Dream were fighting to get into the playoffs.

BetMGM odds to win championship: New York +125, Atlanta +50,000.

Major Storylines: The Liberty's chemistry has improved this season, the second with the core group of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot playing together. Stewart has shown once again she's one of the best players in the league and is a tough matchup. Atlanta is back in the playoffs for the second consecutive year — the first time that's happened since 2013-14. Charles is a New York native, who played several seasons for the Liberty.

No. 4 Las Vegas vs. No. 5 Seattle

A'ja Wilson has been the best player in the league this year, raising her already impressive play to another level. She became the first player in league history to score over 1,000 points in a season and has been dominant on both ends of the court. The Aces started off slowly this season, while Chelsea Gray was out recovering from a foot injury suffered in the WNBA Finals last year. The team has come on strong lately. They've won nine of their last 10 games heading into the playoffs, including a win over Seattle on Tuesday. The Storm added Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith in the offseason to add to their competitive edge.

Season Series: The Aces took three of the four games from the Storm this season.

BetMGM odds to win championship: Las Vegas +225, Seattle +2500.

Major Storylines: The Aces are peaking at the right time to make a run at another championship, with Wilson, Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young leading the way. Las Vegas added Tiffany Hayes midway through the season and she's been a solid spark off the bench. Las Vegas knows how to win in the playoffs and will be a tough out. Seattle's concern is the health of Jewell Loyd, who missed the last three games with a knee injury. Without Loyd, the Storm will be hard-pressed to knock off the champions.

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

No. 2 Minnesota vs. No. 7 Phoenix

The Minnesota Lynx have been the surprise team of the season led by star forward Napheesa Collier. Minnesota took the Commissioner's Cup title by defeating New York, indicating how good Cheryl Reeve's team could be. Minnesota is one of the hottest team heading into the playoffs. The Lynx had won 13 of 14 games before losing a meaningless contest to close out the regular season. The Mercury have been on the other end of the spectrum, heading into the playoffs with seven losses in their last 10 games.

Season Series: The Lynx won three of the four meetings this season, with all victories coming by double digits.

BetMGM odds to win championship: Minnesota +270, Phoenix +10,000.

Major Storylines: Diana Taurasi hasn't said whether she's going to retire at the end of this season or not, but Phoenix honored the league's all-time leading scorer on Thursday as if it was the end of her career. The Mercury have the talent to make a run in the playoffs with Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Natasha Cloud and Kahleah Copper leading the way. They may just be hard-pressed to beat the talented Lynx, who have been playing extremely well. Since winning their last title in 2017, Minnesota has won only one playoff series, beating Phoenix in 2020.

No. 3 Connecticut vs. No. 6 Indiana

All eyes will be on Clark as she makes her postseason debut. The Fever struggled early in the season with a difficult schedule, but have really come on strong after the Olympic break. They had the first .500 or better season since 2016 — the last time the team made the playoffs finishing at 20-20. Clark, who set the league record for assists and the rookie mark for points, has help from Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. Connecticut has been to eight straight postseasons — the longest active streak. Led by Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, the Sun look to end Clark's first year.

Season Series: The Sun won three of the four meetings, but the Fever took the last one. The three Connecticut wins all came within the first month of the season.

BetMGM odds to win championship: Connecticut +1,000, Indiana +2,500.

Major Storylines: Clark has always thrived on the biggest stage and is ready for her playoff debut. For the Fever to succeed, they'll need other players to step up and help her. Clark averaged 16.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in the four meetings. The Sun are looking to get back to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2022.

All contents © copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved