After specializing in the highest half of the playoff bracket final week, it’s time to verify in on a surprisingly spirited race for the eighth seed. With about two weeks left within the common season, seven playoff groups are primarily set in stone, although the matchups aren’t but set.
There’s drama on the backside of the postseason bracket. Chicago has been in a tailspin for the reason that Olympic break, relinquishing what had been a snug lead over the lottery groups. The Sky have misplaced six in a row, affected by the absence of Chennedy Carter (sickness) and already with out Marina Mabrey as a result of pre-deadline commerce. Chicago remains to be slotted into the No. 8 seed by advantage of a 2-1 head-to-head tiebreaker over Atlanta; nevertheless, a Sept. 17 showdown in opposition to the Dream looms cost. The Sky don’t have a real incentive to tank out of the playoffs as a result of they don’t personal their first-round choose, however they do have a swap with Dallas. If it looks as if the Wings additionally will land exterior the highest eight, lacking the postseason would make sure that Chicago a minimum of will get a lottery choose, even when it’s not one of the best choice.
The Atlanta Dream (11-21) have now matched the Chicago Sky’s report! 😳 #WNBA pic.twitter.com/ei16oNr1V1
— I discuss hoops 🏀 (@trendyhoopstars) September 2, 2024
Atlanta appears to be the betting favourite to make the postseason. The Dream have the fifth-best web ranking within the league for the reason that Olympic break and are tied within the standings with the Sky. In addition they bought a present within the type of Natasha Cloud’s suspension for technical fouls accumulation in opposition to the Mercury, bettering the opportunity of stealing a win in Phoenix to finish their West Coast street journey. Atlanta additionally doesn’t personal its first-round choose within the subsequent draft, so it has each incentive to push towards the postseason.
Every week in the past, it appeared as if solely two groups had been in rivalry for this last playoff spot. However current surges by the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics added extra intrigue. Dallas had gained three in a row — together with back-to-back wins over Las Vegas and Minnesota — earlier than succumbing to Indiana on Sunday. Even so, the Wings are solely two video games out of the ultimate playoff seed spot, and their subsequent three contests are in opposition to the Mystics, Dream and Sky, which supplies Dallas an opportunity to make up floor shortly. The Wings even have essentially the most expertise amongst any workforce chasing the playoffs and one of the best probability of profitable postseason video games in the event that they make it there.
Washington additionally sports activities a current three-game profitable streak and hasn’t actually misplaced a step since buying and selling away Myisha Hines-Allen. The Mystics have 4 video games remaining in opposition to the opposite three groups on this subject, and their current play suggests they’re in all probability nearer to a .500 workforce than the one which began the season 0-12.
The race for eight isn’t almost as consequential as how the highest seeds shake out, contemplating most of those groups aren’t actually able to hanging with the New York Liberty in a three-game playoff collection, there’s at all times worth in seeing how gamers reply to sport stress and better stakes. Even when youthful squads just like the Sky and Mystics don’t advance to the playoffs, merely being within the chase is a helpful expertise. The video games nonetheless matter.
Three standout performances
1. White T A’ja Wilson is totally terrifying
The 2-time MVP and reigning two-time defensive participant of the yr has grow to be moreover well-known for her tunnel matches over time, dazzling as a lot off the court docket as she does on it. However lately, Wilson has taken to an easier method, coming to video games in a plain white T-shirt and sweats earlier than turning into her Aces uniform. As she advised the Las Vegas Assessment-Journal, “I’ve to need to placed on garments. Proper now, the place I’m, I don’t really feel like I need to placed on (dressier) garments.”
It doesn’t matter what Wilson wears to a sport, defenses don’t have any prayer of stopping her. On Sunday in opposition to Phoenix — an opponent that boasts Brittney Griner however little different ahead depth — Wilson scored 41 factors on 16-of-23 capturing, including 17 rebounds, one block and no turnovers in an 18-point street win. Wilson grew to become the primary participant in WNBA historical past to publish 40 factors and 17 rebounds in a single sport, and she or he tied Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi for essentially the most 40-point video games ever. As a reminder, Wilson is barely 28.
By 32 video games this season, Wilson has 42 turnovers, which belies comprehension. She needed to create extra of her offense than traditional to start out the yr with out Chelsea Grey and nonetheless commonly navigates via double groups. She operates with a stay dribble contemplating how typically she faces as much as rating, as a substitute of along with her again to the basket. Turnovers needs to be the worth of doing enterprise for such a high-volume scorer (the best in league historical past up to now, if her common holds for the remainder of the season), and she or he nonetheless leads the WNBA in turnover proportion (5.5), greater than two proportion factors higher than second-place Kayla Thornton.
The Aces had been 3-4 for the reason that Olympic break (19-12 general) when Wilson made that assertion. That report might have made Wilson really feel that she wasn’t performing to her commonplace — and why I argued final week that she wasn’t the no-brainer MVP — however it’s nonetheless price acknowledging simply how ridiculous her particular person performances have been. No much less an authority than Taurasi known as Wilson’s season “unthinkable.” Already one of many sport’s all-time greats, Wilson continues to get higher.
“What she’s doing proper now could be unthinkable. … She’s simply unguardable. You guys have a look at her as a publish, I have a look at her as a guard.”
Diana Taurasi to @AlecCipollini concerning the Aces’ A’ja Wilson in opposition to the Mercury (41 factors, 17 rebound) and her dominance within the WNBA this season. pic.twitter.com/6dshfeXf1F
— DANA (@iam_DanaScott) September 1, 2024
2. Satou Sabally’s 3-pointer is a difference-maker
The very first thing that stood out when Sabally returned to the German nationwide workforce was how comfortably she stepped into pull-up 3-pointers. The lengthy ball has traditionally been the differentiator between good and nice seasons for Sabally. When she shoots above 30 p.c (which isn’t even league-average) from distance, she’s an All-Star.
Sabally is presently canning 48.8 p.c of her triples, together with 9 throughout the Wings’ current three-game profitable streak. Dallas forces Sabally to the perimeter on offense extra so than European groups due to the glut of frontcourt gamers on the Wings, however Sabally is making {that a} profitable proposition. Regardless that she’s taken almost as many midranger jumpers (23) as photographs within the restricted space (24), her effectivity hasn’t wavered. Her efficient field-goal proportion is a career-best 55.6 (although seven video games, admittedly), and Dallas is again from the useless after a horrific begin to the season.
Satou Sabally stuffed the stat sheet to steer the @DallasWings to victory!
🔥 28 PTS (10-14 FGM)
🔥 7 REB
🔥 5 AST
🔥 4 3PM
🔥 2 STLS pic.twitter.com/YBA6tH9e3I— NBA (@NBA) August 28, 2024
If something, Sabally is perhaps higher served shifting extra of her shot makes an attempt past the arc. Within the loss to Indiana, she made 4-of-9 3-pointers however solely 2-of-7 2-pointers, as she shared the court docket your entire sport with two different bigs. The Wings’ protection has nonetheless been horrible regardless that they’ve strung collectively just a few wins, so they should proceed to place up excessive level totals. Extra 3s from Sabally, particularly if she is capturing the ball this effectively, might be a part of the recipe. It could additionally save the oft-injured star from taking a beating within the paint, since Dallas wants her on the court docket as a lot as doable to shut out the common season.
3. The most effective backcourt within the league?
The superlatives preserve coming for Caitlin Clark, however her backcourt mate Kelsey Mitchell has been no much less spectacular throughout Indiana’s surge. Because the Olympic break, Mitchell is the WNBA’s second-leading scorer (she’s ninth for the complete season), whereas capturing 50 p.c general, 40 p.c on 3-pointers and 90 p.c on free throws. Depart her for a second, as Sabally did when she and Arike Ogunbowale miscommunicated on a swap Sunday, and Mitchell will stand up with no hesitation. She and Clark have a simple chemistry on backdoor cuts as Mitchell is without doubt one of the quickest guards within the sport, particularly when her defender turns her head for a beat. Indiana’s transition assault has been efficient with Mitchell working the ground and Clark hitting her with outlet passes.
THE FEVER ARE THE MOST FUN TEAM IN BASKETBALLpic.twitter.com/cRefDPsh4w
— whitney medworth (@its_whitney) September 1, 2024
Towards Dallas, the pair mixed for 64 factors and 15 assists. To be honest, the Wings’ protection creates some inflated offensive totals, however the ease with which Mitchell and Clark created offense was one thing to behold.
It begs the query of whether or not the Fever have already got one of the best backcourt within the WNBA. Neither Clark nor Mitchell is an ace defender, however that isn’t precisely obligatory after they’re scoring at this charge. Perimeter gamers for New York and Las Vegas may have their say within the postseason, however for now, the truth that Clark and Mitchell already entered the dialogue is a win for Indiana.
(As an apart, between Wilson and Mitchell, it’s been fairly a second for the 2018 draft class. Even past these high two picks, Gabby Williams, Jordin Canada, Hines-Allen, Ariel Atkins and Monique Billings might all play significant roles within the stretch run of the 2024 season).
Rookie of the week
Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago Sky
Cardoso had a little bit of a lull, taking 4 shot makes an attempt in every of the Sky’s losses in opposition to Washington and Indiana final week. She responded with one of the best sport of her younger profession in opposition to Minnesota (albeit one other loss). A part of the change was how she was used within the offense. The Sky typically throw the ball on to Cardoso within the publish; contemplating she’s 6-foot-7, runs the ground effectively, and works exhausting to seal her defender, it’s essentially the most environment friendly means of getting Cardoso concerned. Nevertheless, it’s additionally predictable and permits defenses to carry assist. Even a workforce just like the Lynx that isn’t notably tall inside can ship a second defender to trouble Cardoso on the rim.
What was enjoyable about Cardoso’s efficiency in opposition to Minnesota was that she ran some pick-and-rolls with Lindsey Allen, and Allen delivered a few pinpoint pocket passes that gave Cardoso open seems inside. Chicago’s spacing isn’t at all times ok to allow clear entry passes into the paint, but when Cardoso evacuates the lane to set a display, that creates some daylight inside. Cardoso isn’t essentially the most versatile large offensively, however she will be able to undoubtedly do greater than catch lobs excessive. The Sky needs to be utilizing these alternatives to develop her scoring talent set, particularly with a roster that doesn’t have a ton of offensive pop.
Kamilla Cardoso continues to enhance with every sport ✅
The rookie posted a career-high 22 factors and 9 rebounds in at the moment’s loss vs. the Lynx!#WelcomeToTheW pic.twitter.com/e14joh3OQx
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 1, 2024
Sport to circle
Las Vegas Aces at New York Liberty, 4 p.m. (ET) Sunday
That is the final regular-season assembly between the 2023 WNBA finalists, and thus the final probability for the Aces to show that the Liberty haven’t handed them by. Getting swept throughout the common season doesn’t imply Las Vegas can’t flip the script throughout the playoffs — as an illustration, in 2020, the Storm misplaced each regular-season video games to the Aces however swept them within the finals. However one other loss definitely wouldn’t be an excellent omen, particularly with Las Vegas now at full power.
(Picture of Angel Reese: Michael Hickey / Getty Pictures)
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