The WNBA playoffs are set to begin Sunday with the start of the four first-round series.
The defending champion Las Vegas Aces and A’ja Wilson will look to secure a third straight title while rookie sensation Caitlin Clark will make her playoff debut when the The WNBA Playoffs starts on Sunday.
These are just two of the storylines to watch when the league’s playoffs begin.
This is the third consecutive season the league will use a best-of-three format in the first round, with the higher-seeded team hosting the first two games. A third deciding game would be played at the home court of the lower-seeded team.
Many players and coaches weren’t thrilled with the format, especially now that the league was offering charter flights to teams throughout the season. The WNBA has chartered flights for every playoff game starting in 2023.
“Now that we have charters that should have changed automatically,” New York forward Breanna Stewart said. “To create home-court advantage. So there’s some little nuances that have to be looked at and broken down a little bit. Obviously, if we can extend the playoffs, it’ll make things a little less rushed.”
New York, which hosts Atlanta in the first round, faced the Dream in the regular-season finale on Thursday, so both teams were already in town for this weekend’s opener.
Here are some things to consider:
Caitlin Clark will try to become the first recruit Since her idol Maya Moore led a team to the WNBA championship, the Fever enter Connecticut as the No. 6 seed. Clark has had a breakout freshman year, breaking the league record for assists and setting the rookie record for points. Clark and the rest of the rookie class have helped lead the WNBA to incredible ratings and attendance this season.
Diana Taurasi has not announced whether this is her final year in the WNBA, but the Phoenix Mercury honored her in their final home game of the regular season. Taurasi leads the playoffs in scoring and would like a chance to win one more title. The Mercury have a tough road ahead, facing No. 2 seed Minnesota in the first round.
The Las Vegas Aces became the first team since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02 to win back-to-back WNBA titles and are now looking to become the second team to win three straight. Led by Wilson, the fourth-seeded Aces are in top form at the right time, winning nine of their last 10 games heading into the playoffs. The Aces got off to a slow start this season as Chelsea Gray recovered from a foot injury suffered in last year’s WNBA Finals. The first meeting is against Seattle in Game 4-5.
Courtney Vandersloot is three assists away from surpassing Sue Bird’s record of 364 playoff appearances. The Liberty point guard did it in 10 fewer games. … Connecticut forward DeWanna Bonner is two games away from tying Lindsay Whalen’s record of 82 playoff appearances. … The Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm are tied with the Houston Comets for the most championships with four each. New York is still searching for its first — it’s the only original WNBA franchise that has yet to win a title.
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