Top 3 Games to Watch — August 26–September 1
It’s the penultimate week of the WNBA regular season, and that means it’s not too early to start calling games “potential playoff previews.” Depending on how the seeds shake out, we could have three of those this week.
We’ll start with the results from last week’s games:
- Las Vegas Aces 85, Connecticut Sun 89
- Washington Mystics 78, Chicago Sky 85
- Connecticut Sun 72, Los Angeles Sparks 84
Her Hoop Stats Games to Watch
Los Angeles Sparks (18–10) at Washington Mystics (21–8)
Tuesday, August 27, at 7:00 PM ET — ESPN2, NBA TV Canada
If the Sparks keep the fourth seed and the Mystics hold onto the top spot, all it would take is one Los Angeles home win in the second round for this matchup to be repeated in the playoffs. Neither of those are givens, however, as Chicago is breathing down LA’s neck for the four seed (0.5 games back) while the Mystics are on the wrong end of the tiebreaker with the Sun. Connecticut faces three non-playoff teams in its last four games, so a win for the Mystics may be crucial to keep its one-game cushion at the top.
The Sparks will have five games left after this one, four of which will be against teams below them in the standings (and three of those will be at home, to boot). A road win over the Mystics might be the most difficult assignment a WNBA schedule has to offer, but if the Sparks can pull it off, they will be well-positioned to ride the late-season momentum into a first-round bye. A loss, on the other hand, could move them behind Chicago and leave them fighting an uphill battle for the four seed.
Connecticut Sun (20–9) at Seattle Storm (15–14)
Tuesday, August 27, at 10 PM ET — Twitter, JoeTV
The Sun sit one game behind the Mystics for the top seed, but as owners of the tiebreaker Connecticut has a shot at it. They may need to win out to get there. One loss and they’d need to count on two of Washington’s last five opponents pulling the upset. This might be Connecicut’s most difficult remaining game, so a win here is paramount to stay in the chase for the regular season crown.
The Storm look like a longshot for a first-round playoff bye at this point, but they need to keep winning to ensure home court in the first round. Dropping just one spot would force them to travel to start the playoffs, and Minnesota and Phoenix are both hungrily eyeing that six line. On the other side of the ledger, finding a way to steal the one seed could be vital for Connecticut. Knocking off the juggernaut Mystics in a five-game series will be a tall order for anyone, but hosting three out of five might be the edge the Sun need if the two meet in the Finals. Connecticut is a league-leading 14–1 at home this season.
Phoenix Mercury (13–15) at Chicago Sky (18–11)
Sunday, September 1, at 6 PM ET — League Pass, The U Too
If the postseason started today, this game would be on the opening-day slate as the 5–8 matchup. The Sky may have other plans, though — if they can sneak into the top four, they’ll not only secure a bye, but also avoid a first-round matchup against a Phoenix team that might be nearing full strength with Diana Taurasi back in the fold. Between Taurasi’s injury, Brittney Griner’s suspension and the absences of several other key contributors throughout the season, anything close to a full Mercury lineup for the playoffs may resemble something a lot more like a top-four seed than an eight seed. Add to that the fact that Phoenix and its veterans have gone 6–0 in single-elimination games in the last three years and the Mercury look like the eight-seed that no one wants to face.
The Mercury, of course, would rather be the six-seed that no one wants to face. Despite recent road playoff success — four of those six single-elimination wins came away from Phoenix — they are still hoping to move up two spots to open the playoffs in front of their own fans. With 1.5 games separating them from the Storm, it’s still within reach, but they may need to top Chicago here to keep it that way.
If you like this content, please support our work at Her Hoop Stats by subscribing for just $20 a year. All stats are compiled from stats.wnba.com and represent games played through August 26, 2019.
