Legendary showdowns up subsequent in WNBA’s second-round playoff video games

Candace Parker is a lot from express material. The Chicago Sky celebrity had preferrred helped her team advance to the second round of the 2021 WNBA playoffs, but she became unhurried to glean fun after Thursday’s 81-64 victory.

“What’s there to be grateful for?” Parker mentioned. “We won one playoff game.”

And things most effective net more difficult for Parker’s sixth-seeded Sky — as well to the No. 5 seed Phoenix Mercury, who additionally won Thursday to reach the second round. Each groups hit the road for but every other single-elimination game.

The defending champion Seattle Storm, the No. 4 seed, host Phoenix on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC) in a game that could pit WNBA legends Sue Chook and Diana Taurasi. The Sky play on the third-seeded Minnesota Lynx (5 p.m. ET, ESPN2), a game that additionally aspects a matchup of two of the preferrred all-time players in WNBA historical previous, as Parker squares off in opposition to Sylvia Fowles.

Taurasi (ankle), who has been restricted to 16 video games this season attributable to accidents, sat out Phoenix’s game Thursday, wearing a boot on the sideline. And we’re monitoring the residing of Seattle’s Breanna Stewart (foot), who has been out since suffering the rupture on Sept. 7.

The tip-seeded Connecticut Sun and No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces, meanwhile, wait for Sunday’s winners in most effective-of-five semifinals.

We snatch a glean a study what to predict and what could impact Sunday’s second-round video games, and predict which groups will care for.

What player impressed you most in Thursday’s first-round wins and is any person that will impact the second round?

Voepel: Kahleah Copper became 10-of-14 from the self-discipline for Chicago and the head defender for the Sky. She had a convincing efficiency and could aloof be a indispensable facet if Chicago is to upset Minnesota.

Nonetheless Candace Parker became preferrred so omnipresent in Thursday’s game with 11 aspects, 15 rebounds and 7 assists. And she or he’ll need but every other immense game to investigate cross-take a look at to net Chicago into the semifinals.

The Sky and Lynx met twice within the sensible season, with Chicago winning 105-89 on June 15, and Minnesota winning 101-95 on Aug. 21. Parker had 12 aspects and seven rebounds within the first game and became out with an rupture for the second.

Sophie Cunningham became the a form of player who stood out Thursday. The Phoenix guard made 6 of 7 3-pointers and scored a career-high 21 aspects. With Taurasi (ankle) out, the Mercury mandatory offense and Cunningham became in a position to offer it, alongside with the identical outdated aggressive fireplace she brings.

Cunningham wore No. 3 up till her WNBA career, as that quantity belongs to Taurasi in Phoenix. Now No. 9, Cunningham did her most effective Taurasi impersonation Thursday, taking pictures from lengthy differ (and picking up a technical).

The Mercury now hope that Taurasi will be motivate to face Seattle. Nonetheless with or without her, getting extra immense 3-pointers from Cunningham could well lend a hand Phoenix a lot.

Cohen: Courtney Vandersloot impressed me the most. She’s the best level guard within the league and proved that Thursday. Her ability to gash through defenders became simply fantastic, in particular within the third quarter when the Sky regarded uninspired and struggled offensively on the boards. Vandersloot achieved with 17 aspects, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Vandersloot’s ball circulate would be the biggest in opposition to Minnesota, which has a salvage defense.

What’s the predominant matchup that can pick the Chicago-Minnesota second-round game?

Voepel: Two of the preferrred players in WNBA historical previous — the 1-2 picks within the 2008 draft — meet once more. That is Parker and Sylvia Fowles, whose rivalry goes the total capability motivate to their SEC days at Tennessee and LSU.

While the 6-foot-6 Fowles is the classic low-block heart and Parker is a cell 6-4 forward/heart, they are going to cope with every a form of within the paint. Fowles had 14 aspects and 9 rebounds within the first meeting with the Sky and 15 and 6 within the second.

Parker turned 35 in April, and Fowles will be 36 in October. While every are aloof two of the most feared players within the WNBA, we don’t know exactly how a lot longer we’ve left to survey them, so delight in every opportunity (this theme will be repeated within the a form of second-round matchup).

Cohen: I’m going with a key stat in place of a key matchup: turnovers. The Sky and Lynx every sensible about a connected quantity of giveaways. Each groups sensible across the identical in aspects off turnovers. So whichever team takes better care of the ball will care for.

With Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart nursing accidents, what’s going to grab the Phoenix-Seattle matchup?

Voepel: Taurasi became forced to gaze the Mercury stroll a tightrope in maintaining off an upset are attempting by Contemporary York on Thursday. Will she net to face off in opposition to longtime preferrred friend and UConn/USA Basketball teammate Sue Chook on Sunday? With Taurasi at 39 and Chook turning 41 in October, we do not glean to grab as a right them matching up once more. Especially since the Storm and Mercury glean this kind of playoff historical previous in opposition to every a form of that has helped outline a pair of of the preferrred moments of their WNBA careers. No one who saw it will omit the groups’ account fight in Game 5 of the semifinals in 2018, when Chook took over the fourth quarter.

If Seattle has Stewart, that gives the Storm the threshold. Nonetheless without her they’ve to play a special capability, relying a lot extra on their perimeter taking pictures and hoping second-year heart Ezi Magbegor can provide them loyal, quality minutes. She did that in two of the Storm’s final three video games, scoring 15 aspects in every.

The Mercury don’t essentially glean to play in some other case within the occasion that they do not glean Taurasi. They preferrred glean to depend upon a form of guards hitting ample photography, which they did Thursday.

Cohen: I’m having a await two matchups. Phoenix’s Skylar Diggins-Smith and Seattle’s Jewell Loyd are reasonably conscious of one but every other’s game, not preferrred because they were on the United States Basketball gold-medal winning Olympic team this summer season, but because they overlapped as stars at Notre Dame. They every ended the sensible-season on sizzling streaks, and their matchup within the backcourt will be intense and thrilling.

The matchup within the paint between Phoenix’s Brittney Griner and Seattle’s Mercedes Russell needs to be but every other X facet. Griner had a unhurried originate up in opposition to the Contemporary York Liberty, struggling in opposition to their lickety-split double groups and swarming defense. Nonetheless she achieved with a double-double and added three blocks. When the Mercury were struggling early, they regarded their most effective offensively when the ball became operating through Griner.

The final time these two groups performed, on Sept. 17, neither Griner nor Russell performed loyal defense in opposition to one but every other. Griner became 10-of-16 from the self-discipline and Russell became 7-of-9. This submit matchup needs to be a loyal one.

Which team are you picking to care for every game, and why?

Voepel: Minnesota became the favourite for a entire lot of years with its dynasty groups. Now, the Lynx in most cases tend to investigate cross-take a look at to embrace the “not renowned underdog” role, even supposing they’re the No. 3 seed. No one’s buying it, despite the proven truth that; the Lynx are a truly loyal team and obtained a enhance when injured guard/forward Aerial Powers returned Aug. 21. In eight of the 10 video games since she returned, she has scored in double figures, including a career-high-tying 27 aspects within the sensible-season finale.

The Lynx potentially glean a little better thought what they are going to net from everyone, the place the Sky glean the Diamond DeShields facet: Will she be extra love the player who scored 30 in their typical-season finale or the one who became 1-of-8 for four aspects Thursday?

All of it adds as a lot as me giving the threshold to Minnesota on this game.

As for Phoenix-Seattle, a lot depends on Taurasi and Stewart and whether or not they play. Nonetheless even within the occasion that they do not, we are going to survey if Griner can will her team to victory, because she can be this kind of predominant phase of the Mercury trying to care for in Seattle.

Indirectly, I lean a little toward the Storm to grab this one, but it can drag trusty down to the wire love the first-round game between the Mercury and Contemporary York.

No. 1 seed Connecticut and No. 2 Las Vegas will be gazing to survey who’s subsequent for them. The Sun and Aces earned the double bye, so every will be balancing their relaxation with their preparation for the remainder of this week.

Cohen: I predicted the Lynx to reach the convention finals in ESPN’s playoff predictions heading into the postseason, but the Sky and Lynx are a lot extra evenly matched than I realized — in particular through their bench players. Nonetheless Minnesota has a closer defense — despite the proven truth that it be by a slim margin — and is my purchase to beat Chicago.

Initially of the week, I became obvious Phoenix became going to upset Seattle could aloof they meet, in particular with out a fully healthy Breanna Stewart. The Mercury needed to pull out some dull-game heroics Thursday to care for their first-round elimination game. That might in general reason discontinue, but after this kind of gutsy care for, I feel they stagger that high neutral into a Storm upset.