Playoff Picture Is Gone: The Curtain Falls.
The last WNBA regular season was not a silent day. What most had seen as a slow deflation instead burst into a nail-biting climax, like an incredibly fierce game of musical chairs in regard to playoff place. Already eight teams have their tickets to the postseason, so the real drama was the complicated game of seeding. The final positions of only three teams were definitively decided before the Thursday schedule of matches, and an unbelievable number of stakes rested on almost every other player.
The dust is now settled, and the stage is officially ready to be the scene of a great playoff run with the WNBA.
1st Round Game Results: Here Are Your Playoff Boxes.
After a dramatic finish to the regular season, the WNBA has secured its first-round matchups. Be ready to see no mercy as these teams fight towards a chance to win the championship:
- Minnesota Lynx vs. Golden State Valkyrie.
- No. 2 Las Vegas Aces versus No. 7 Seattle Storm.
- Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever, No.3 vs. No. 6.
- Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty
- No. 4 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 5 New York Liberty.
The drama of Decision Day: Major Teams and Breaking Moments.
On the last day presented two especially strong stories were presented that garnered large points at the top of the bracket.
Aces Ascend: A Championship Streak Continues.
By showing exactly why they are the defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces made it apparent that they had their future squarely in their hands. They maintained the phenomenal momentum through a resounding defeat of the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday. It was not just another victory, it had stretched their winning streak to 16 consecutive games which was actually remarkable and reflects their superiority going into the playoffs.
This performance saw the Aces jump to the No. 2 seed, and they will play the first-round series against the No. 7 seed, Seattle Storm. This is likely to be an interesting contention, with the Aces and Storm splitting their regular-season series 2-2.
Bravado of Valkyries Fades.
The Golden State Valkyries were perhaps especially under the stress. It was firmly in their own hands: a decisive victory over the mighty No. 1 overall seed Minnesota Lynx would have guaranteed them the No. 7 seed. Alas to the Golden State they were incapable of taking it up. Losing their final game 72-53 in a lopsided affair in the Target Center, it ended their season with a dismal three game losing streak.
This loss had far reaching implications. It gave the Valkyries the No. 8 seed, which made the first round match-up really brutal. They now have to confront the same Minnesota Lynx that has given them their fourth regular-season defeat. Discuss a difficult first round match to play in the playoffs!
When to Expect It: The Postseason.
The drama on the last day has definitely positioned the WNBA playoffs on a very interesting platform. The difference in the destinies of the Aces and Valkyries is a bitter pill to swallow as a reminder of the strength of momentum into the postseason. Even though the Aces gaining the second seed as a result of their unbelievable win streak makes them undoubtedly one of the contenders of the highest caliber, the collapse of the Valkyries in the final weeks of the season and the first-round match against the first-seeded Lynx clearly creates a critical issue in the long-run perspective. Do they recover well following a tough defeat by the same team?
These high seed contests are not the only series that will provide fireworks. However, in the history of the sport, the 4-5 games, including the one between the Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty, tend to be among the most dramatic and evenly matched series throughout the whole playoffs, and that indeed each seed does matter. The final game-time changes have definitely guaranteed us a great wild ride in the WNBA playoffs and we can hardly wait to see what will happen next.
