There are just days remaining in the WNBA regular season. Just one playoff spot remains open with multiple teams in contention for it. Reigning champs Seattle Storm will have a lot of competition in raising that trophy again.
Seattle got a huge blow when it was announced that Breanna Stewart would miss the rest of the regular season. Stewart suffered a foot injury in the Storm’s win over Washington. She will be re-evaluated before the start of the playoffs in hopes that she can return to help her team. Without her, the team struggled significantly to score, only managing to put up 53 points in a loss against the Sparks. While the Storm learns to deal with the loss of their best player, other teams are looking to dethrone them.
Phoenix Mercury
While Seattle’s Big Three might be down a member, the Phoenix Mercury’s big three are healthy at the right time. Phoenix has been one of the hottest teams after the Olympic break. They were on a ten-game win streak, their longest win streak since 2018.
Leader Diana Taurasi attributes this to the team getting healthy. Taurasi always had confidence this team could go deep into the playoffs if they all could stay healthy. Unfortunately, Taurasi has been out for the last couple of games with an ankle injury. This isn’t the first time Taurasi has missed time this season, but it’s a bad time for her to go down. Hopefully, they are just holding her out to get her as healthy as possible for the playoffs. The team will need her leadership in the playoffs, but if she can’t go Phoenix does have enough star power to make a run.
Skylar Diggins-Smith has been a beast this season. During their win streak, Diggins was averaging over 23 points. Teammate Shey Peddy described Diggins-Smith as “having her foot on the gas pedal”. Its clear Diggins-Smith is determined to win her first title and this Mercury team could bring the trophy to Phoenix. Phoenix added Kia Nurse as a fourth option and she has really helped the team with shooting from beyond the arc. Phoenix can shoot from anywhere on the court which should make other teams nervous. The Mercury will face off against the Storm in their regular-season finale.
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun have been the best team since the Olympic break. Not only do they have the best record, but they ended Phoenix’s ten-game win streak. They also clinched the number one seed in the playoffs. This gives them a double-bye and a guaranteed spot in the semifinals. The Sun are currently on a twelve-game win streak and it couldn’t have come at a better time as they look to the playoffs. Connecticut’s final two games are against teams with losing records. Jonquel Jones has played at an MVP level all season. Alongside Jasmine Thomas, the duo has led this team offensively.
The Sun pride themselves on their defense. And what wins championships? The Sun are locking down other teams and not allowing them to score on them. Connecticut leads the league in defensive efficiency. It seems like so long ago, but Connecticut was just one win away from a championship in 2019.
