WNBA Semifinals Update: Who Is Going to the Finals?

With Friday night’s WNBA Playoff games scheduled to get underway at 7:30 PM EST and 9:30 PM EST, the picture is getting much clearer as to who is going to represent the league, which is coming off one of its most successful seasons, in the WNBA Finals.

Even though Rookie of the Year, Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever have already been eliminated, there is still some incredible basketball being played.

After the first two games in each semifinal, one team is on the verge of elimination, and two teams have essentially turned their series into a best-of-three after splitting the first two matchups.

Find out more about the WNBA Semifinals, how to watch them, and which teams are poised to represent their conference in the finals.

Minnesota Lynx (2) @ Connecticut Sun (3)

7:30 PM EST, ESPN2

You’ve probably heard it said that defense wins championships, and if that’s the case, one of these two teams may be on their way to hoisting the WNBA Championship Trophy to close out the season. They’re the two top defensive teams in the league, and that was on full display in game one, when both teams struggled offensively, especially from deep.

The Lynx went 5-20 from three while the Sun only made six of their shots from behind the arc. The Sun did manage to win the first game of the series, which resulted in the Lynx losing their home-court advantage, but Minnesota bounced back in game two, picking up the win by a score of 77-70.

Now, we know that we’re going to get at least four games out of this series with it being tied up 1-1. The biggest question is what type of offense are we going to see from two teams that pride themselves on stifling defense.

Game two of this WNBA semifinal matchup also saw the teams get a bit chippy, making it look like a postseason matchup between Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and the “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons from the 1980s.

Shockingly, the officials seemed to swallow their whistles for the night, allowing both teams to play their physical brands of basketball. Things took a physical turn early when Napheesa Collier and Marina Mabrey got into a bit of a scuffle before being backed up by teammates.

Defense was once again the story in game two, as the two teams combined to miss their first 14 shots. Is that going to be the trend going forward, or will one side figure out how to exploit a defensive weakness of the other, if any such thing exists between these squads?

If you’re a fan of old-school basketball, this is a great series for you. These two teams don’t like one another, at least not when they’re on the court, so we should assume that there are going to be more fireworks for game three.

New York Liberty (1) @ Las Vegas Aces (4)

9:30 PM EST, ESPN2

The Las Vegas Aces are the two-time defending WNBA champions, but they find themselves on the ropes heading into game three on the cusp of being eliminated, as the New York Liberty currently holds a 2-0 series lead. It would be sweet revenge for New York, which was eliminated by the Aces last year.

The Liberty came into the playoffs with the best record in the league after posting a 32-8 record on the season. Led by Breanna Stewart, who has positioned herself as one of the best players in the league, the Liberty have won the first two games in the best-of-five series, but game three means a trip to the western US where they’ll face the Aces on their home court.

Along with the two playoff games, the Liberty are 5-0 on the season against the Aces. While Aces’ head coach, Becky Hammon is presenting an optimistic front, the history isn’t on her side. WNBA teams are 18-0 in best-of-five series after going up two games to none.

Both of these teams play a high-octane, fast game, and the Aces shockingly outshot the Liberty from the three-point line in game two, but it wasn’t enough. Will they be able to turn things around when game three gets underway in Las Vegas?

It’s quite possible, but if the past is any indication of the future, it looks like the Liberty are the ones holding all the cards in this semifinal matchup.

With names on the roster like A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, who combined for 45 points in game one, the Aces can’t be ruled out, but they’ve got an uphill climb in front of them. Is history going to repeat itself with the Aces knocking the Liberty out of the postseason? If so, they’re going to have to stave off elimination with a game-three victory.

The Road to the WNBA Finals

There’s no denying that this has been one of the most successful WNBA seasons in the league’s history, thanks in large part to rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

However, with both of their teams eliminated, there is still some great basketball to watch. With names like A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, and Brianna Stewart still fighting for a championship, the pair of game threes which will take place on October 4, 2024, are sure to be great.

We know that the Lynx and Sun series is going to continue on Sunday, but we may be just hours away from the Las Vegas Aces being eliminated, which one certainly be one of the biggest stories of the season.