And the WNBA has done it! They made it to the final round in the Wubble. The only two teams left are the Las Vegas Aces and the Seattle Storm.
The top two teams will face each other in the WNBA Finals.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Ned Dishman/Getty Images.)
It’s only right that the top seeds are in the Finals. The Las Vegas Aces had a tough opponent in the Connecticut Sun as we saw a slugfest between those teams in five games. The Seattle Storm decidedly had an easier time with the youthful, short-handed Minnesota Lynx, who had an impressive season of their own by getting to the semifinals when nobody expected them to.
The season series was swept by the Aces. In August 22nd, the Storm didn’t shoot well from three. The Aces survived 29 and 18 from Breanna Stewart and got 23 points and 14 boards from MVP A’ja Wilson. Vegas won, 82-74. Sue Bird did not play.
The second game was played in the last day of the regular season. Both teams were playing for the top seed. And, really, it was also to possibly avoid the #3 seed L.A. Sparks in the semifinals (who never made it because they got waxed by the Sun). Stewie and Sue didn’t play in the game. A’ja and Dearica Hamby each had 23 for the Aces as they edged out the Storm, 86-84. Jewell Loyd scored 30 points after only scoring three in the first game.
But here lies the problem for the Aces. They already didn’t have Liz Cambage and Kelsey Plum for the season. Now they’re losing Hamby in the Finals as she hurt her knee. That makes their depth even more precarious compared to Seattle.
Now the Storm don’t have Sami Whitcomb, their deadeye shooter off the bench who had a career season. She returned to Australia as her wife is having their child. Obviously, that’s more important than basketball.
The good news is that Stewie and Sue are playing in the WNBA Finals. Sue is actually facing the Aces for the first time. She didn’t shoot well in their series against the Lynx but she’s averaging a tidy 11.7 points and 7.3 dimes. Those ladies can move the rock. Stewie has been great this postseason (23-8-6 averages). We knew about Alysha Clark doing the dirty work and making game-winners. Natasha Howard has regained her form. And they have a starter-caliber back-up 1 in Jordin Canada. Mercedes Russell has also given quality minutes. The Storm have looked deadly all year.
The Aces play grimy. They’re counterculture to today’s game. They are physical, don’t shoot a lot of outside shots, and would rather go inside to A’ja Wilson. Angel McCoughtry was saved for the playoffs and she went off in Games 4 and 5. Danielle Robinson has been a boost as their starting point guard. Kayla McBride and Jackie Young have had trouble making shots and, once again, Hamby is out for the Finals. So what they’ll have to do is beat the Storm up, just like they had that brawl (not a LITERAL brawl) with the Connecticut Sun.
Unfortunately, I think the Storm are just overwhelming. It’s almost like I’m telling the Aces to settle and make this into some sort of Streets of Rage scenario. But I won’t be surprised if they try that. The Aces have been missing key players all season, reminiscent of the Storm in 2019. And like the Storm, it was just too much for them as they didn’t make it out of the second round last season. Now they’re healthy and have nearly the entire championship roster from 2018 in this round.
I say two out of three for these ladies in the PNW.
PREDICTION: STORM IN 4.
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
TNLP on FaceBook.