WNBA: Is Sunday’s Liberty-Lynx showdown a Finals preview?

Sportem
Sportem
6 Min Read

The final Sunday of regular-season action will not be short on intense WNBA games.

A six-pack is ready to be served starting at 3 p.m. ET, with a flight featuring the Indiana Fever hosting the Dallas Wings on NBA TV, the New York Liberty taking on the Minnesota Lynx and the Washington Mystics welcoming the Atlanta Dream.

The evening will be capped off with the remaining three games at 6 p.m. ET—the biggest of those three matchups being the Las Vegas Aces against the Connecticut Sun on CBS Sports Network. In Chicago, the Sky will fight to keep playoff hopes alive against the Phoenix Mercury, while the Seattle Storm play the Los Angeles Sparks for the second time in three games.

A Finals preview?

The Liberty have been the best team in the WNBA all season. Yes, the Aces are the champs, but the numbers lean New York’s way. On Sunday, they can remind us why that is by beating the No. 2 seed Lynx.

Napheesa Collier has been having a MVP-esque season for the Lynx, leading the team to the sixth-best winning percentage in franchise’s storied history. The seasons they had a higher percentage ended in a Finals appearance, at a minimum, and three championships.

New York will have home court, but expect this rematch of the Commissioner’s Cup Championship, which was won by Minnesota, to be highly-contested and a potential WNBA Finals preview.

Don’t call it a comeback!

Before you had a chance to miss them, the Aces are back. They’ve just finished a season sweep of the WNBA’s darlings, the Fever, and have won seven of their last 10 matchups.

Do you know who else has won seven of their last 10? The Sun. Sitting in the No. 3 spot, Connecticut has a three-game edge over Las Vegas in the standings, so this likely won’t impact the playoff seeding, but it will be a good appetizer for the kinds of games we’ll see in late September.

The rest of Sunday’s games

The Fever should be able to take care of the Wings. Indiana wants to get a win after a pair of losses to Vegas and the Wings are eliminated from playoff contention. The Dream versus the Mystics is an intriguing battle. Both teams are vying for the final playoff spot, and Washington has the edge. A win against Atlanta could bury them.

The Sky might not have Angel Reese for the rest of 2024, but their playoff hopes aren’t dead yet. They have the same record as Washington, but, because the Mystics own the tiebreaker, need to win games to jump back into the eighth seed. A loss against the Mercury would not help them.

The Sparks are just running out the clock at this point, while the Storm are still hoping to catch the Aces. Expect this game to be a win for Seattle, even with Jewell Loyd ruled out.


Game information

Indiana Fever (19-19) vs. Dallas Wings (9-29)

When: Sunday, September 15 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN

How to watch: NBA TV

Fever injury report: none

Wings injury report: Stephanie Soares (out; knee)

New York Liberty (31-6) vs. Minnesota Lynx (28-9)

When: Sunday, September 15 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY

How to watch: League Pass

Liberty injury report: none

Lynx injury report: none

Washington Mystics (13-24) vs. Atlanta Dream (12-25)

When: Sunday, September 15 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, DC

How to watch: League Pass

Mystics injury report: Shakira Austin (out; left ankle), Aaliyah Edwards (doubtful; right ankle)

Dream injury report: Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (out; ankle), Aerial Powers (out; calf)

Chicago Sky (13-24) vs. Phoenix Mercury (17-20)

When: Sunday, September 15 at 6 p.m. ET

Where: Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL

How to watch: League Pass

Sky injury report: Elizabeth Williams (out; knee), Angel Reese (out; wrist), Diamond DeShields (out; ankle)

Mercury injury report: Kahleah Copper (questionable; back), Rebecca Allen (out; right hamstring), Charisma Osborne (out; left lower leg)

Las Vegas Aces (24-13) vs. Connecticut Sun (27-10)

When: Sunday, September 15 at 6 p.m. ET

Where: Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, NV

How to watch: CBS Sports Network

Aces injury report: none

Sun injury report: Tiffany Mitchell (out; illness)

Seattle Storm (23-14) vs. Los Angeles Sparks (7-30)

When: Sunday, September 15 at 6 p.m. ET

Where: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA

How to watch: League Pass

Storm injury report: Ezi Magbegor (out; concussion), Jewell Loyd (out; right knee)

Sparks injury report: Cameron Brink (out; left knee), Lexie Brown (out; Crohn’s), Layshia Clarendon (out; mental health reasons), Aari McDonald (out; right ankle), Odyssey Sims (probable; right hand)

Source link

Leave a comment