7 WNBA all-stars could be eliminated in the first night of the playoffs. It’s that competitive.
A single-elimination first round will send some of the league’s biggest names packing on the first night.
There aren’t many words in pro sports scarier than “single elimination playoff game,” and that’s exactly what basketball fans will get in the first round of the WNBA playoffs. But the first night of the postseason, which features a doubleheader of Dallas Wings vs. Phoenix Mercury at 8:30 p.m. ET and Minnesota Lynx vs. Los Angeles Sparks at 10:30 ET (both on ESPN2), is stacked with all-star rosters left and right.
In fact, there are so many stars on tap that we’ll have to say goodbye to some of the best players in the league just five hours into the playoffs.
At least 5 WNBA all-stars will be eliminated on Tuesday
When the Wings and Mercury kickoff the playoffs, some of the WNBA’s best will be on the line.
For the Mercury, that means shoo-in Hall of Famer Diana Taurasi will be in a fight for her playoff life alongside center Brittney Griner and veteran guard DeWanna Bonner. It’s hard to imagine a world where Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer and a three-time champion, is eliminated in the first round, and the Wings’ 15-19 regular season finish doesn’t bode well for their odds against the Mercury.
But Dallas has been powered by the two-headed monster of Liz Cambage and Skylar Diggins-Smith all season long. Cambage led the league in scoring (23.4 points per game) this season, while Diggins-Smith is enjoying a career-high assist year. The Wings have their work cut out for them, but it won’t be a cake walk for the Mercury, either.
Unfortunately, either two or three all-stars will be eliminated at the end of this one.
And that’s just the first game.
The Lynx vs. Sparks rivalry showdown at 10:30 p.m. is a rematch of the last two WNBA Finals, both of which came down to the final moments of a decisive Game 5. These two teams were supposed to be completing the Finals trilogy this season, not in a dogfight for their playoff livelihood this early on.
But the Lynx’s supporting cast aged quickly, causing them to finish just two games above .500 and fall to the No. 7 seed. The Sparks were just one game ahead of them at 19-15, hampered by injuries and an illness to 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike.
Thus, here we are with a wildly exciting first-round fight to the basketball finish between the league’s two marquee franchises. Minnesota has four all-stars on tap, headlined by reigning back-to-back All-Star Game MVP Maya Moore. Legendary point guard Lindsay Whalen announced her Hall of Fame career will come to an end when this season is over. Sylvia Fowles is the league’s reigning regular-season MVP, and Seimone Augustus is a dynamic perimeter player who rounds out the Lynx starting lineup. On paper, it’s hard to believe this team should have underperformed like this.
But the Sparks also have a recent MVP in 2016 winner Ogwumike. Guard Chelsea Gray has ice in her veins, and Candace Parker has been one of the league’s premier all-around talents since she entered the WNBA in 2008.
Minnesota and Los Angeles split four of the WNBA’s last five MVP recipients. Add in the Mercury, and the three teams have won nine of the last 12 WNBA titles.
At least one of them is guaranteed to go home Tuesday night. Talk about a wild ending.
A ton of talented WNBA players are heading home Tuesday night as a result of the single-elimination first-round playoff format. That probably means we’re going to see a bunch of all-stars pissed all the way off that they only get one game to protect their playoff livelihood before someone gets sent home.
It’s hard to see the WNBA changing the playoff format anytime soon — it’s served the league well since it was introduced two years ago and certainly adds to the drama this season. The only thing we do know is that there’s a fight to the finish between four super talented teams on the first night of the playoffs, and at least five All-Stars and two recent MVPs will be sent packing.
Damn, this opening playoff night is about to be fire.