Guru’s WNBA Report: Opening Series Sweeps Completed as Connecticut Tops Indiana Ending Clark’s Rookie Season While Minnesota Finishes Phoenix and Likely Taurasi

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

The low seeds never got to return home in all four opening rounds as the WNBA play completed Wednesday night with the third-seed Connecticut Sun in Uncasville edging the sixth-seed Indiana Fever 87-71 and are heading to their sixth-straight semifinals, which expand to best-of-5 series and stays in that format for the title round.

The second-seed Minnesota Lynx likely brought and end to the 20-year storied career of Diana Taurasi by beating the seventh-seeded Phoenix Mercury 101-88 in Minneapolis as former UConn star Napheesa Collier bested her 38-point performance in Sunday’s opener by tying a postseason record with 42.

The wins followed Tuesday’s 2-0 close outs by the top-seeded New York Liberty over the eighth-seed Atlanta Dream and the fourth-seed and two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces over the fifth-seed Seattle Storm.

On Sunday, the Liberty will begin seeking revenge for last season’s 3-1 championship round loss to Las Vegas hosting the first of two games in the Barclay Center in Brooklyn at 3 p.m. on ABC while Minnesota will host Connecticut in the first of two at the Target Center at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Tuesday’s Game 2 times and viewing platforms aren’t posted yet but next Friday’s potential clinchers when the sites switch to the other cities, if teams started 2-0, will air on ESPN2.

Connecticut Turns Indiana Aside and Out

Olympian and Maryland alum Alyssa Thomas out of Harrisburg was at it again Wednesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in this one scoring 19 points and dealing 13 assists to lead Connecticut to its first 2-0 opener round in three tries without having to close out on the road after the league changed the format in 2022.

"Finally locked in and took advantage of home court advantage,“ said Thomas, who had a triple-double Sunday in her previous game. “We’re ready. Tested tonight and it wasn’t pretty, but that’s the nature of playoffs.

“We pulled out a gutsy win. We are hungry and ready. We’re ready for what the playoff journey is going to unfold.“

Clark, who was controlled in her playoffs debut Sunday, improved with 25 points and nine assists but not enough for the folks to see her at least one more time in uniform back in the Midwest.

“ Obviously, it’s a tough one,” she said. “Especially as we climbed all the way back in and just to have our opportunities late.”

Aliyah Boston, last season’s No. 1 overall pick, coming out of South Carolina, had 16 points and 19 rebounds. She gave Indiana fans new hope on a layup with 2:05 left in regulation for a 77-75 lead that was short-lived when DeWanna Bonner scored from deep to regain the lead.

Bonner, out of Auburn, tied a league playoff record held by former Lynx and previously Sun star Lindsey Whalen with her 82nd postseason appearance.

A few possessions later Marina Mabrey, who came to the Sun in a midseason deal with Chicago, fired a three, Kelsey Mitchell missed on the Fever’s next possession, and Connecticut wrapped it up in the final minute on the foul line.

Indiana jumped to a 14-6 lead in the game but the Sun went up with  the last 11 points of the first quarter to move ahead by three. 

Clark has been non-stop in the center of the sport dating to a year ago selling out Iowa’s football stadium outdoors to a record crowd in a preseason game with DePaul and then became the centerpiece in the college run to a return to the NCAA title game pulverizing every scoring record while also drawing explosive numbers from TV viewers and in-arena attendance wherever she played.

She has not said if she’ll play in the new winter league in January being started by New York’s Breanna Stewart and Minnesota’s Collier to play the month in Florida or the recent other startup that will compete in February.

 TV could be expected to grab her for broadcast work when the collegiate season returns in November.

Iowa on Wednesday even with Clark gone announced another season ticket sellout where former Villanova star Lucy Olsen transferred after the season.

Minnesota Win Keeps Reeve on Track to Add Another Title to her Olympic Coaching Gold Medal

After leading USA to its eighth straight Olympic gold in Paris in August former La Salle star Cheryl Reeve remains in the hunt for a fifth WNBA crown following Wednesday’s win over Phoenix.

Napheesa Collier matched the 42-point single game playoff record held by New York’s Breanna Stewart previously playing for Seattle and Angel McCoughtry.

Coupled with Sunday’s performance Collier became the first WNBA player gaining at least 38 points in consecutive games.

Kayla McBride added 15 points, while Bridget Carlton and Alanna Smith scored 12, just a point ahead of 11 from Courtney Williams.

Phoenix got 24 from Brittney Griner while Taurasi fouled out after her 10th point with 2:34 left in regulation as the Minnesota fans gave her a standing ovation.

Taurasi, who earned a record sixth Olympic gold in Paris, has not formally said this is it but Phoenix held a special night for her at the last Mercury home game on Thursday.

Collier scored a third-straight over 30 that is dating to last season’s loss to Connecticut, tying Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson, this season’s MVP in separate unanimous votes by the Associated Press and league’s nation awards media panel.