Guru’s WNBA Report: Connecticut Thumps Indy to Move Closer to Postseason While Vegas Wins and Phoenix Eliminates New York

By Mel Greenberg @omhoopsguru

 

Mathematically, Connecticut did not become the seventh team to grab one of the two remaining berths Saturday for the upcoming WNBA playoffs.

 

But the Sun did what they had to do — they beat the Indiana Fever easily 96-77 — and even though they will be underdogs in their next two back-to-back battles Monday and Wednesday with the Phoenix Mercury, the teams left in the playoff hunt with a chance to catch them will be also serving underdog roles and cannot afford any more losses.

Thar groups includes current eighth-place Dallas, Washington, Atlanta, and Indiana.

 

In another key game — on the daily three-game card at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., near Tampa/St. Petersburg, the Las Vegas Aces topped the Atlanta Dream 89-79 to move a game in front of Los Angeles and the Minnesota Lynx, who were idle, and one behind the front-running and idle Seattle Storm, which edged now third-place Los Angeles 90-89 Friday night at the buzzer on Notre Dame grad Jewell Loyd’s three-point feed from veteran Sue Bird.

 

The top two teams in the playoff field get double byes to the best-of-five semifinals, whole the third and fourth teams get a one-game bye to the second round. The opening round will match 6-10 and 7-8 seeds in one-game knockouts to send the winners on to another one-game knockout even in the second round.

 

In the other game Saturday,  fifth-place Phoenix (12-7) dispatched the New York Liberty 83-67 to move a game in front of Chicago in fifth and three in front of Connecticut with three remaining.

 

A year ago, Connecticut extended the eventual champion Washington Mystics all the way to the fourth quarter of the decisive Game Five before falling away and then off roster losses began this coronavirus shortened 22-game regular season losing their first five games.

 

Only two other teams in the 24-year history of the WNBA got to the post season following losing their first five or more games — Los Angeles dropped their first seven in 2015, while New York began 0-5 in 2012.

 

The Sun’s ability to dominate the losing record crowd was enough to do the trick because they didn’t do much against those .500 or better, which, by the way, is the second tie-break if teams for either qualifying or seed position are locked at 1-1 in their two game series.

 

Connecticut will be the favorite in their final game next weekend against Atlanta, but, again, there are a myriad of ways they can likely back into the field if they get swept by Phoenix.

 

Against the Fever (5-14), Maryland grad Alyssa Thomas returned to action off being sidelined last time out with a hand injury and scored 20 points off 8-of-13 from the field while also dealing four assists and grabbing five steals, newcomer DeWanna Bonner had a team-high 26 points, while Brionna Jones tied her career mark with 20 points, shooting 9-of-12 from the field, while Jasmine Thomas dealt seven assists, and Briann January dealt six assists.

 

Connecticut also took care of the basketball, committing a season-low six turnovers and 54 of the Sun’s points occurred inside the paint.

 

Indiana got 16 points from Kelsey Mitchell while reserve Teaira McCowan had 15 points, and Tiffany Mitchell scored 12. Rookie Julie Allemand had a game-high eight assists.

 

In the win by Las Vegas over Atlanta, South Carolina grad had 21 points and eight rebounds, while Angel McCoughtry, Kayla McBride, and Jackie Young each scored 18 points, and Dearica Hamby had 11 points and nine rebounds.

 

Rutgers grad and Atlanta’s Betnijah Laney had 21 points, Chennedy Carter had 19 points, Courtney Williams had 18 points, and Elizabeth Williams scored 10.

 

In the Phoenix win over New York (2-16), Skylar Diggins-Smith had 20 points for the Mercury, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 15, Kia Vaughn scored 12, Sophie Cunningham scored 10, and Brianna Turner grabbed 13 rebounds.

 

New York got 13 points and 13 rebounds from Joyner Holmes, 12 point from Layshia Clarendon, 11 

From Kia Nurse, and 10 from Jazmine Jones and became the first of four teams officially eliminated from the playoffs.

 

Looking Ahead

 

Sunday’s trifecta will feature Washington and Dallas fighting for the last playoff slot meeting at 4 p.m. on twitter.

 

A key game comes at 6 on facebook when Seattle meets Minnesota with one trying to close out in first place and the other looking to penetrate at least second.

 

Yet another key game comes in the nightcap at 8 when Los Angeles tries to bounce back off its tough Friday loss when it meets Chicago on CBSSN.

 

On Labor Day Monday Connecticut and Phoenix will meet at 6 on CBSSN in a makeup from the recent two-day series of league-wide postponements as WNBA players joined their NBA brothers in protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis.

 

With three more postponements to be made up next Sunday, extending the regular season one day, Las Vegas has a tough act facing Los Angeles on Saturday and Seattle in the makeup on Sunday.