The Guru’s WNBA Roundup: Las Vegas Wins 12th Straight Beating Atlanta to Move Into 2nd; Minnesota’s Magic Number is One to Claim Playoff Top Seed

 By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

The Las Vegas late season surge in one of the two WNBA games Wednesday night reached 12 straight wins with an 81-75 triumph at Atlanta before a crowd of 3,326 at Gateway Center in suburban College Park and the Aces (26-14) moved into second place a game ahead of the Dream (24-14) and 5.5 behind first place Minnesota (30-7).

In the process, Las Vegas did a favor for the Lynx, who delivered the last setback for coach Becky Hammon’s team, a WNBA second-worst ever 111-55 rout in Sin City on Aug. 2.

The magic number is one to gain the top seed for next month’s playoffs, which begin on Sunday, Sept. 14 with all four of the best-of-three first round games (ABC/ESPN) in a new 1-1-1 series format, the winners moving on to a best-of-five semifinals, and those winners on to an expanded record by two best-of-seven finals.

By beating visiting seventh-place Seattle (20-19) at 8 p.m. on Thursday night (League Pass), the Lynx become regular season WNBA champions and get to hold home court over the rest of it having already clinched one of four home best sites in the first round.

Las Vegas, the only other team to have officially punched a playoff ticket, still has a way to go within its last four games to join Minnesota in the opening round benefit department because of the overall standings gridlock all the way down to 10th place Washington (16-22), which sits 3.5 behind the cutoff and two behind ninth-place Los Angeles (17-19).

Wednesday’s other game involved two of three teams already eliminated from the postseason and headed to the draft lottery and in that one Connecticut (10-28) which had the worst record much of the way since opening day, besides by far the worst for the franchise since moved to New England in 2003 from previously NBA-owned Orlando, won its fourth of last five, rallying to beat last-place Dallas 101-95 before a crowd of 5,710, at the College Park Center in suburban Arlington.

The Sun moved to 11th in the 13-team league at a half-game in front of idle Chicago (9-28).

The Wings (9-30), 22 games behind Minnesota and one behind Chicago, were without number one overall pick Paige Bueckers, scratched due to illness.

The playoff to the playoffs continues Thursday and things have never been tighter with just 15 days until the record 44-game regular season ends Sept. 11 when the first-round pairings will be set.

On the three-game card Thursday Seattle, after losing to sixth-place Indiana (20-18), which is just two games up on Los Angeles and three behind defending champion New York (23-15), arrives at the Target Center in Minneapolis running out of playoff oxygen just 1.5 games in front the Sparks with five remaining in a virtual tie at 11 back overall with expansion Golden State (19-18) and 1.5 behind Indiana.

The Valkyries have set a record for wins in a debut season and are trying to be the first expansion team in the playoff field.

Though Golden State’s Natalie Nakase might be frontrunner for coach of the year, the only thing that matters is reaching the playoffs.

“They should re-name it Coaching Staff of the Year,” said Nakase, who’s team next plays visiting Washington at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.

But New York gets a crack at the Mystics first on Thursday night (7 p.m.) in one of the two other games that will air on Amazon Prime Video.

The Liberty have the same “must-win” label on this one at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn as Washington.

Having started the season with a franchise-best 9-0 run on a virtual even ground with Minnesota, the team the Liberty beat 3-2 in series play in the Finals last October, injuries took their toll and now they sit in fifth a half-game behind Phoenix (23-14), which is in the last first round home-court advantage spot and whom New York visits Saturday at 10 p.m. on NBA TV and trails 2-1 in the series.

The Mercury also play Thursday on Amazon Prime Video hosting Chicago at 10 p.m.

The problem for New York landing in the 4-5 playoff series, baring upsets, advancing means likely facing Minnesota, which took the first three of a four game series, in the semifinals at a home disadvantage instead of meeting again in the finals.

But with All-Star Breanna Stewart returned Monday from 13-game absence due to a bone bruise on her right knee, the squad has most of the needed pieces to get past Phoenix with third-place Atlanta just a game in front, though the series was tied 2-2, and two behind Las Vegas, whose series the Liberty clinched.

Atlanta on the Friday ION streamed doubleheader hosts Dallas at 7:30 p.m. before a huge meeting at 10 p.m. with Indiana visiting Los Angeles.

Wilson and Young Keep Las Vegas Humming in Win at Atlanta

Reigning MVP A’ja Wilson, who has three such awards, continued to make this year’s race with Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier compelling, scoring 34 points with 10 boards while Jackie Young, with her second triple-double of the season (10 points, career-tying 11 rebounds, 10 assists) led the Aces over the host Dream into second place.

Wilson has reached 35 career games with at least 30 points behind the retired Diana Taurasi at 54. She now has 11 for the second straight season, one behind record holders Maya Moore (2014-Minn.) and Jewell Loyd (2023-Seattle).

Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard and Brionna Jones each scored 19 points while Las Vegas’ Chelsea Gray and Loyd each scored 14 points.

The Dream’s Allisha Gray scored 15 while Naz Hillmon grabbed a personal best 15 rebounds.

“We’re going to give them a rest,” Hammon said of the five-day break until the Aces next play. "This is our eighth game in 15 days, I was very concerned with our legs coming into this game, and our energy level was a gut check.

“You talk about our gears and our ability to kick it up an extra notch, we’ve really been enabled to do that on the defensive end and it’s winning us games,” Hammon continued.

“This was one of our quality team wins tonight,” Hammon said. “Not only that, but our circumstances also coming into it, our resiliency, gut check, toughness that we were able to get this win tonight.”

The game was close until late in the third quarter when Wilson scored eight straight with two consecutive makes from deep on a 15-0 run to head into the final period with a 61-48 lead the Aces never relinquished.

Wilson is now 20th in WNBA career rebounds at 2,452, just two behind South Jersey’s Crystal Langhorne, and having passed Yolanda Griffin and Lauren Jackson.

Connecticut Downs Dallas in High Scoring Battle

French rookie Leila Lacan scored 22 while Marina Mabrey scored 18 with a pair of foul shots with 16.6 seconds left to win in Texas.

Tina Charles added 18 points and rookie Aneesah Morrow had 11 points and 11 boards, and rookie Saniya Rivers scored 11.

Dallas rookie Aziaha James scored 22, Myisha Hines-Allen had a career high 18 and Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist scored 15.

The short-handed Wings were also without Arike Ogunbowale with a right knee injury.

The Wings next are at Atlanta Friday while Connecticut hosts Minnesota Saturday at 7 p.m.