Headed Into the Matchup
It is the best time of the year. After a very eventful season, the WNBA playoffs are here. The WNBA playoffs are unique. While the WNBA and NBA have many similarities the playoffs are different. In the earlier rounds of the WNBA playoffs, the games are single elimination. The Minnesota Lynx has been excellent all year. Minnesota entered the playoffs as the #3 seed. However, the Chicago Sky were not the typical #6 seeds. Chicago had high expectations heading into the season. Although, they managed to fall short of those expectations during the regular season. Despite this, they were able to get a playoff appearance. Apparently simply getting into the tournament is all the Sky needed to turn the WNBA world upside down.
Too Fast to Handle
The WNBA playoffs are dangerous because it is single elimination. No matter how good a team is, anyone can be defeated on any given day. That’s what happened in today’s matchup. Despite having the home-court advantage as the higher seed the Sky defeated the Lynx 89-76. The Sky winning did not come as a complete surprise. The Sky was extremely overqualified to be a 6 seed. What was surprising was the fashion in which Chicago won. Early on both teams were evenly matched. The teams finished with an even first quarter at 23 apiece. However, after that, the Sky ran away with the game literally and figuratively. Chicago’s fast-paced offense proved to be too much for Minnesota. Chicago finished with 22 points in transition on the night. Their up-tempo style of play was the key factor in separating themselves from Minnesota and gaining the win.
Key Contributors
The Chicago Sky held the lead at halftime and never gave it back. Chicago won the game in convincing fashion. However, a lot of different people deserve credit for this impressive victory. The first standout is Courtney Vandersloot. She was everywhere on the floor helping her team out in a variety of ways. Vandersloot finished with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. The scoring came from everywhere for the Sky in this matchup. Kahleah Copper made her presence on the court felt by finishing with 16 points. The Sky had 5 different scorers in double figures. Azura Stevens finished with 15 points, Diamond DeShields had 14, and Allie Quigley scored 11 points. The Chicago Sky is a force to be reckoned with when they play like this. The Sky finished with an incredible 106.9 offensive rating.
Looking Ahead
The Minnesota Lynx did not end their season the way they wanted to. However, Lynx fans still have a lot to be proud of. The team saw star player Sylvia Fowles win WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. The Lynx also hosted their first playoff game since 2017. While Minnesota’s season is over Chicago’s could just be getting started. The Sky will face off in a best of 5 series against the #1 seed Connecticut Sun. This series begins Tuesday night at 8 pm EST.
