The Playoffs are Near
With a few weeks left in the WNBA season, fans cannot help but think of the playoffs. The WNBA playoffs are set to start on September 11 with a last possible Finals date of October 11. The playoffs are less than a month away and teams preparing for them. Here is a look at the WNBA playoffs and where teams currently stand.
The playoffs are an exciting time for the WNBA and its fans. The format of the playoffs is different from the NBA’s format, but it still features the best teams of the league.
In the NBA, the top-eight teams of both conferences are seeded and face each other until two teams remain. The Eastern Conference champion faces the Western Conference champion to determine who wins the NBA Finals. The WNBA is a bit different.
Playoff Format
In the WNBA, the top-eight teams of the entire league are seeded by their regular-season record. Then, those teams go through a bracket, where the top-two seeds receive double byes and the third and fourth get first-round byes. This means the top two seeds do not play until the Semifinals and the third and fourth seed does not play until the second round. The first round features seeds 5-8, and the winner advances to the second round.
In the first round, the fifth seed goes against the eighth seed, and the sixth seed faces the seventh. The first round is single elimination and the winners of these games advance.
The second round is also single-elimination and consists of matchups between the fourth and fifth seed, and the third and sixth seed. After this round is over, the remaining teams face the top-two seeds. The lowest seed faces the first seed, and the other faces the second. For example, in last year’s Semifinals, the Phoenix Mercury matched up with the Seattle Storm. The Storm were the first seed, and the Mercury were fifth. The Atlanta Dream were second, and the Washington Mystics were third. The Mercury were the lowest seed of the remaining teams and had to play the first seed.
Then, the Semifinals, a best-of-five series, leads to the WNBA Finals. The Finals are also a best-of-five series and determine who wins the WNBA championship. Last year’s playoffs ended with the Seattle Storm winning the title.
2019 Playoff Picture
This year, there may be a new champion. There are teams that are playing well and have the chance to dethrone the Storm. Let’s look at the WNBA’s current standings and see who has the best chances of making the playoffs.
This week, the WNBA released a power ranking for Week 12. The ranking measures where teams currently stand (as of Week 12). They slightly differ from the standings but show what teams have made (vast) improvements.
In the Week 12 Power Rankings, the Washington Mystics are ranked first. They jumped one spot from Week 11’s rankings.
The Mystics have a record of 17-7. This gives them the best record of the league and the top spot of both the power rankings and standings. The Mystics are playing well, and look like the team to beat. But they may have competition.
The Los Angeles Sparks are second in the power rankings and third in standings. They have a record of 15-8. The Sparks are on a five-game winning streak as they climb up the ranking. Their recent performance made them jump from fourth (in a previous power ranking) to second. The Sparks are playing well and are showing why they are a team to look out for.
The Power Rankings feature other teams such as the Connecticut Sun, the Las Vegas Aces and the Chicago Sky. These teams are playoff-bound and have a good chance of being there come September 11. But things could change.
Standings
As of now, the Mystics would be the first seed of the playoffs. The final seed would be the Phoenix Mercury. The remaining teams fill in other seeds. If the playoffs started today, the eight playoffs teams would consist of the Mystics, the Sun, the Sparks and more. A list of the seeds can be found below.
- Washington Mystics
- Connecticut Sun
- Los Angeles Sparks
- Las Vegas Aces
- Chicago Sky
- Seattle Storm
- Minnesota Lynx
- Phoenix Mercury
Once the playoffs begin, these teams would be seeded in the WNBA playoff format. The Mystics and Sun would get double byes, the Sparks and Aces get a first-round bye, and the remaining teams play in the first round.
There are a few more weeks in the regular season, then the playoffs begin. If the standings remain relatively the same, fans have an idea of what the playoffs will look like. If these matchups occur, fans are in for a treat. So, let’s stay tuned and see what happens.