Top 3 Games to Watch — September 2–8
It’s the final week of the regular season, which means it’s our last edition of “Games to Watch." To finish the year, we’re doing something a little different. With so many of these games being vital to teams’ seeding, we couldn’t pick just three. So we’re going through all of the important matchups of the week, quick-hitter style.
Let’s still stick with one tradition and kick it off with the results from last week’s games:
- Los Angeles Sparks 66, Washington Mystics 95
- Connecticut Sun 89, Seattle Storm 70
- Phoenix Mercury 78, Chicago Sky 105
Her Hoop Stats Games to Watch
Seattle Storm (16–15) at Phoenix Mercury (15–16)
Tuesday, September 3, at 10:00 PM ET — ESPN2
Minnesota, Seattle and Phoenix are all within a game and a half of each other for the six seed. The team that emerges on top of that group will be the only one that gets to open the playoffs at home. The loser of this game will need a lot of help the rest of the week to get to sixth, so this game could end up determining home court for an opening-round playoff game.
Seattle Storm (16–15) at Los Angeles Sparks (19–12)
Thursday, September 5, at 10 PM ET — CBS Sports Network, Spectrum SportsNet
This is another near must-win for both squads. If a loss on Tuesday doesn’t knock the Storm out of contention for sixth, another loss here certainly would. On the other end, the Sparks are still fighting for a first-round bye, and a loss here could force them to play in the first round.
Indiana Fever (11–21) at New York Liberty (9–22)
Friday, September 6, at 7 PM ET — League Pass, YES, SN1
The fate of Oregon standout Sabrina Ionescu, the presumed No. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft, could ride on the outcome of this game. One of these two teams will end up with the best odds of landing that pick, and the odds are determined by combined record over the last two seasons. The Fever have a record of 17–49 over that span, while the Liberty are 16–49. Ionescu’s destination may depend on the result of this one.
Chicago Sky (19–13) at Connecticut Sun (22–9)
Friday, September 6, at 7:30 PM ET — League Pass, NESN+, The U Too
The Sky are still hanging onto their first-round bye hopes by the thinnest of threads. The Sun have their sights set on the top overall seed, but almost certainly have to win out to get it. The loser of this game probably isn’t going to like its playoff seed, but the winner will keep its goal within reach.
Minnesota Lynx (17–15) at Phoenix Mercury (15–16)
Friday, September 6, at 10 PM ET — League Pass, Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports North Plus
This is another game that will be crucial to the resolution of the six-to-eight logjam. If the Storm fail to secure the six seed in our first two games of the week, this one might decide the host of the six vs. seven first-round matchup.
Every game on Sunday
Sunday, September 8, at 4 PM ET — ESPN2, ESPN3
The final day of regular season action promises to be thrilling. With every game starting at the same time on either ESPN2 or ESPN3, it will be two hours of nonstop, nationally-televised drama. Any playoff seeds that aren’t locked up when you wake up on Sunday will be when you go to bed, so block out this late-afternoon window and watch the excitement unfold.
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 September 2, 2019.
