WNBA Semifinals - who you got?

[BRS24]

Starting a new thread for the semis, as the first round is 5 pages long. Please be careful to only pick one from the upper and lower group, as you only have two choices. Poll will close right before the first game tomorrow. Have fun!

Schedule:

 

[MilfordHusky]

I don't see any sweeps.

So the format is 2-2-1. Fastest to 3.

 

[cancontent]

 

[snlMINAJ]

now Carrington out for remainder of playoffs

 

[bballnut90]

Worth noting regarding the matchups:
-Indiana beat Vegas 2-1 in the regular season.
-They haven't played in almost 2 months though, and in the most recent matchup (July 24th), Indiana was starting Cunningham and McDonald, both of whom are out now. Both teams are very different.
-Indiana matched up well with A'ja Wilson the first 3 matchups, holding her to 42.8% FG, 5.3 rebounds per game and forcing her to commit 3.8 TOs per game.
-Aliyah Boston generally performed quite well and has better overall numbers than Wilson head to head in the 3 games this year. This is the most compelling matchup to watch.

Indiana could play spoiler here but I think Aces take it 4. They've won 18 of their last 19 and have the best player in the world on their team. She also is a magnet for drawing fouls and I think gets Boston into foul trouble throughout the series.

Minnesota and Phoenix:
-Minnesota won the series 3-1
-Neither team has ever been healthy in the matchups. Every game has missed at least 2 of Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper and Napheesa Collier.
-3 of the 4 games the winning team scored below 80 points, I don't think we'll get a lot of high octane offense from either team.

I think this one goes the distance but Minnesota is the better team and wins in 5. Collier plays pissed off after not winning MVP and has a monster series.

 

[JellyBean]

now Carrington out for remainder of playoffs

Definitely hurts the depth chart but I hope Carrington recovers well and we can keep her here in Minnesota. We got Maria (Kilundikova) to help. We shall see. Let's go Lynx!

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Don't see the favorites losing. I will root for Vegas, but need to root for Phoenix as I have rooted in varying degrees for them since moving out here in 2011. Not that I like the current edition as much as the past ones with Griner and DT, but at least there is Copper.

 

[bballnut90]

Don't see the favorites losing. I will root for Vegas, but need to root for Phoenix as I have rooted in varying degrees for them since moving out here in 2011. Not that I like the current edition as much as the past ones with Griner and DT, but at least there is Copper.

Worth noting, this is the best team by W/L percentage Phoenix has had since 2014. I'm not sure they're a true title contender but they're definitely worth rooting for if you're a fan.

 

[GamecockFam]

I chose Vegas over Indiana but my heart really wants Indiana to win it all for Kelsey's sake. She doesn't get the flowers she deserves.

Just listen to this KM interview @ the 11 minute mark. My eyes are watering up:


The KM praise in the interviews are fun too so just listen to the whole thing 😜

 

[TheFarmFan]

Post in thread 'WBNA Playoffs - here we go!'

Today at 2:46 AM

Indy v. Aces: I was really impressed with Boston's defense on Wilson and Hull's defense on Young. Neither lit up the score sheet on offense but both shut down the Aces #1 and #2 options, and Gray and Evans were not enough to offset it without the nonexistent help they got from the rest of the roster. Not only did A'ja not look like herself (probably the hangover from the MVP celebration), but Hull drew a really nice foul on Wilson to draw her 4th and get her to sit during the stretch Indy really padded its lead. And I will say: Sims has been a revelation for Indy. I could see at...

• TheFarmFan

• 

Linking to my prior post in the main Playoffs thread on thoughts on Game 1.

I chose Vegas over Indiana but my heart really wants Indiana to win it all for Kelsey's sake. She doesn't get the flowers she deserves.

Just listen to this KM interview @ the 11 minute mark. My eyes are watering up:


The KM praise in the interviews are fun too so just listen to the whole thing 😜

I will say, Stephanie White also deserves a ton of credit. The Fever looked like the better coached team in game 1 and that's remarkable since a third of the players who took the floor for Indy yesterday didn't the last time those two teams played. And one other thought - I continue to not understand what the Aces coaching staff sees in Bell - she is not a great shooter and she was beaten on defense repeatedly.

 

[cancontent]

Post in thread 'WBNA Playoffs - here we go!'

Today at 2:46 AM

Indy v. Aces: I was really impressed with Boston's defense on Wilson and Hull's defense on Young. Neither lit up the score sheet on offense but both shut down the Aces #1 and #2 options, and Gray and Evans were not enough to offset it without the nonexistent help they got from the rest of the roster. Not only did A'ja not look like herself (probably the hangover from the MVP celebration), but Hull drew a really nice foul on Wilson to draw her 4th and get her to sit during the stretch Indy really padded its lead. And I will say: Sims has been a revelation for Indy. I could see at...

• TheFarmFan

• 

Linking to my prior post in the main Playoffs thread on thoughts on Game 1.

I will say, Stephanie White also deserves a ton of credit. The Fever looked like the better coached team in game 1 and that's remarkable since a third of the players who took the floor for Indy yesterday didn't the last time those two teams played. And one other thought - I continue to not understand what the Aces coaching staff sees in Bell - she is not a great shooter and she was beaten on defense repeatedly.

You and me both. Still find it wild that she went in the first round while Hillmon was picked in the second and thought to be a reach. Just goes to show that where you get drafted means squat once you make the league.

 

[Reypl21]

Outside of AW and Young, the Aces are kind of mediocre. Gray and Loyd can pop off, but they are more inconsistent now. Bell is not a WNBA-level starter. Smith has helped LV since arriving, but her defense is atrocious. Indiana was picking on her at the beginning of the game. Indiana looks significantly better defensively with the trio of Boston, Howard, and Turner. I know Smith had an injury.

 

[Bigboote]

For game two, Sabally needs to get going - she was the weak link for the Merc offensively

(quoted from the other thread).

Watching the game, then later looking at the box score, I was thinking that Sabally and Alanna Smith seem to have both fallen in love with shooting the three. Sabally is 7-28 (16-53 overall) in the playoffs and Smith 1-13 (5-19). Work on getting some high-percentage shots.

 

[cancontent]

Outside of AW and Young, the Aces are kind of mediocre. Gray and Loyd can pop off, but they are more inconsistent now. Bell is not a WNBA-level starter. Smith has helped LV since arriving, but her defense is atrocious. Indiana was picking on her at the beginning of the game. Indiana looks significantly better defensively with the trio of Boston, Howard, and Turner. I know Smith had an injury.

And this is without Dantas who is still under concussion protocol. This could be the weak spot that Indiana leans heavily on because Vegas' depth in the front court seems non-existent. Gustafson, Tyus-Parker and Stokes played a total of 14 minutes combined. Vegas needs more from them.

 

[GamecockFam]

(quoted from the other thread).

Watching the game, then later looking at the box score, I was thinking that Sabally and Alanna Smith seem to have both fallen in love with shooting the three. Sabally is 7-28 (16-53 overall) in the playoffs and Smith 1-13 (5-19). Work on getting some high-percentage shots.

I think this has been Indiana's recipe for success so far. They haven't been as reliant on the three in the postseason and instead are trying to use their quickness to attack the basket. With more physicality in the post season I think that can play to their advantage with blow-bys, getting the defensive out of rotation, and getting the opponent into foul trouble. Guards, mainly Mitchell and Sims, were causing chaos with this strategy against Vegas.