After a first round full of sweeps, the WNBA semifinals are officially here.
The four teams left standing, the New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, Connecticut Sun and Las Vegas Aces, all tip off Sunday in the first games of their respective series. It just so happens that the four teams left are also the top four teams from the WNBA regular season.
The Liberty won all three matchups this season against the Aces by an average margin of victory of eight points.
In the regular season series between the Lynx and the Sun, Connecticut took two of the three meetings, though Minnesota won the most recent matchup, 78-76, earlier this month.
Here’s what to know for Sunday’s playoff action:
No. 1 New York Liberty vs. No. 4 Las Vegas Aces
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
TV, streaming: ABC, ESPN
Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Series standings: 0-0
What happened in the previous round? The Liberty and Aces each swept their respective first-round series. New York prevailed over the Atlanta Dream and Las Vegas over the Seattle Storm. In the Liberty’s clinching game over the Dream, a 91-82 victory, guard Sabrina Ionescu went off for 36 points on 12-of-23 shooting. In the Aces’ seven-point victory over Seattle in the decisive Game 2, Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson combined to score 53 points.
What’s on the line? This is the first game of the semifinal series between both teams. A win would give that squad significant momentum in the best-of-five series. It is a rematch of the 2023 WNBA Finals, a series Las Vegas won in four games.
No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 3 Connecticut Sun
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV, streaming: ESPN
Location: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Series standings: 0-0
What happened in the previous round? The Lynx and Sun each swept their respective first-round series. Minnesota prevailed over the Phoenix Mercury and Connecticut over the Indiana Fever. In the Lynx’s clinching game over the Mercury, Napheesa Collier poured in 42 points on 14-of-20 shooting and also hit 12-of-14 free throws. In the Sun’s six-point victory over Indiana five different players reached double digits in scoring.
What’s on the line? This is the first game of the semifinal series between both teams. A win would give that squad significant momentum in the best-of-five series.
