With the WNBA Playoffs scheduled to tip off in less than three weeks (August 17th), there is a clear divide within the twelve-team league as to the contenders and the pretenders.
Currently, there are four teams who have already locked in a playoff berth, the Chicago Sky, Las Vegas Aces, Connecticut Sun, and the Seattle Storm. On the flip side, any chance for a postseason berth was squashed long ago for the Indiana Fever who have yet to crack double digits in victories.
Considering that there are only a handful of games left in the regular season, the Washington Mystics are another lock for the playoffs, while the race for the final three seeds will certainly bring the most excitement to the final few weeks of the season with six teams all within 2.5 games of each other.
It seems unlikely that any of the Phoenix Mercury, Los Angeles Sparks, Dallas Wings, Atlanta Dream, Minnesota Lynx, or New York Liberty are viable threats in the WNBA odds.
Still, that doesn’t mean that the championship is a lock for the Sky, who captured the title last year with a 3-1 series victory over the Mercury.
- Las Vegas Aces
Following a 13-3 start to their season, the Las Vegas Aces, led by MVP candidate A’ja Wilson, All-Star Game MVP Kelsey Plum, and All-Star shooting guard Jackie Young are seeking a return to the finals and their first championship after coming up short in 2020 when they were swept 3-0 by the Seattle Storm.
Plum and Wilson are among the top five in WNBA scoring average with 20.1ppg and 19.5 respectively, with Wilson also holding down second in rebounds (9.6) and blocks (2.0). In her first season as head coach, Becky Hamon has tinkered with the offensive attack, with the team taking and making more three-pointers than last season and hitting at a league-high 35.8% and leading the league in overall scoring at a clip of 90.5ppg.
- Chicago Sky
They say that winning a title is hard, but repeating as champion is even more challenging. Not since the LA Sparks won back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002 has a WNBA team repeated. In fact, only the Sparks and the Houston Comets can lay claim to such a feat.
Although they are second in league scoring, the Sky does not feature a single player within the top ten scoring leaders, with guard Kahleah Cooper, barely holding down the fifteenth spot with 14.8ppg.
Despite not having a prominent scorer, the Sky has one of the most balanced scoring attacks with six double-digit scorers. With two-time WNBA Champion, former two-time MVP, and former Finals MVP Candace Parker rumored to be retiring after this season, another championship in her home city would be icing on the cake for a Hall of Fame career.
- Seattle Storm
Speaking of Hall of Fame career, the Seattle Storm’s Sue Bird is playing out her sixteenth year with the team and hoping to cap it off with her fifth WNBA championship. While Breanna Stewart and Jewel Loyd are the focal points offensively, Bird is still unquestionably the leader of the team.
With the second seed in the West locked up, the Storm has had to adapt to three different head coaches in the past three years but has managed to remain one of the top teams in the league, thanks to their trio of stars. If the historical pattern is any indication, the Storm could be primed for another championship as they won in 2018 and 2020.
- Connecticut Sun
While they have two conference titles, the Connecticut Sun has yet to win a WNBA Championship. Currently holding on to the second seed in the Eastern Conference and third overall, the Sun are paced by reigning MVP Jonquel Jones, who leads the team in points (14.6), rebounds (8.6), and blocked shots (1.2).
Although they have only two players in the top twenty scoring ranks, the team currently sits third overall in league scoring. Having only lost back-to-back games once this season, the Sun looks to use their chemistry, returning most of their core from last season with Jones, Brionna Jones (no relation), Dewanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas, and Courtney Williams.
- Washington Mystics
In 2018, the Washington Mystics fell to the Seattle Storm 3-0 in the WNBA finals, the next season they captured their first WNBA title in a 3-2 series victory over the Sun. Last season the Mystics missed the playoff completely with a 12-20 regular season record (the New York Liberty held the tiebreaker).
The Mystics have not only bounced back to right the ship, but they are also a dark horse to contend for the championship thanks to the return of two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne who was sidelined with injury.
Although the two-time MVP can carry a team on her own, she doesn’t have to as Ariel Atkins, and Natasha Cloud help with the offensive load. While the Mystics are one of the lowest scoring teams bound for the playoffs, they are also the stingiest as they lead the league in opponents’ points per game with 75.3.
