WNBA Playoffs: Semi-Finals
- By Shorty
- Sep 27, 2016
- 3 min read
The first two rounds have been completed and it has left us with some interesting results.
Round 1
Mercury defeated Fever 89-78 - Which marked the end of a wonderful career by Tamika Catchings who scored 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Dream defeated Storm 94-85 - On a second half surge from Angel McCoughtry who scored 37 points and 7 rebounds. Her performance was the 7th best scoring-wise in playoff history with McCoughtry holding the all-time record scoring 42 points.
Round 2
Mercury defeated Liberty 101-94 - In a game where Tina Charles was limited to 12 shots going 5 of 12 and 8 of 8 from the free throw line. She finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assist.
Sky defeated Dream 108-98 - In a total team effort lead by Vandersloot's 21 points and 13 assist and Breland's 20 points and 16 rebounds.
Semi-Finals Round is Set
As we take a look at the updated bracket, the Semi-Finals Round is set. Mercury will take on the Lynx at 8 PM ET followed by Sky at Sparks at 10 PM ET on ESPN 2.
Predictions: Unlike the first two rounds, the semis are a best of 5 series so I will give my prediction on who I think will win.
Mercury vs Lynx - Minnesota finished the season with the best record in the WNBA and will look to defend their title, but the Mercury are the hottest team in the playoffs right now and could potentially be the most dangerous lower seed in the field. Match-ups to look out for is the battle of the giants Griner vs Fowles and Moore vs Taurasi. Also a special match-up between Taurasi and Coach Cheryl Reeve to see who will be first to pick up a tech. Even with the Mercury on a roll, I ultimately think the Lynx will be too much for them, which will lead to a final result:
3-1 in favor of the Lynx.
Sky vs Sparks - For both teams it was a tale of two halves. Sparks started off on fire with a league's best 21-3 record then found themselves going 5-5 after the break. The Sky along with their inconsistencies held a record of 11-13 then went on a 7-3 run after the break. Match-ups to look out for is the post dominance of Ogwumike and Parker vs Breland and Boyette. Also it will be interesting to see who's bench will emerge in this series. Anyone on Chicago's second unit can step up on any given night and one of the names that come to mind is Jamierra Faulkner who averaged 7 points and 4 rebounds along with Allie Quigley's 12 PPG. For Los Angeles, Sixth Woman of the Year candidate Jantel Lavender has been a consistent threat throughout the entire season along with sharp shooter Chelsea Gray who will look to add a scoring punch to LA's offense. The Sky have done a great job of pulling off victories without their top leading scorer Elena Delle Donne, but I'm not sure how far can they go in this series without her presence on the floor. They have all the weapons to collectively put up a big effort, but I'm not buying them in a 5 game series against LA. Final Result:
3-1 in favor of the Sparks.
In other events, the 2016 WNBA Draft Lottery will be held during half-time of the Mercury/Lynx game with four teams in the drawing:
San Antonio Stars
Dallas Wings
Los Angles Sparks (via Conn. Sun)
Washington Mystics
Vying to see who will receive the No. 1 overall pick.
Also, I believe the WNBA will announce 2 awards during evening.
Jantel Lavender will be named Sixth Woman of the Year.
Sylvia Fowles will be named Defensive Player of the Year.
Update - Just a few minutes ago it was annouced by the WNBA that Nneka Ogwumike has been named the 2016 Most Valuable Player.
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