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Five of six Unrivaled playoff spots have been claimed.
Monday night’s second game features two clubs who have guaranteed themselves as spot in the postseason, with Mist, currently the No. 3 seed, taking on No. 4-seed Breeze (8:45 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV). The playoff futures of the clubs that will open the evening’s action, Vinyl and Lunar Owls, have yet to be determined (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV).
For Vinyl, currently in sixth place, the task is simple: Win to get in.
In doing so, Vinyl would extend their chances of following last season’s script, when a first-round playoff upset of then-favorite Lunar Owls vaulted them into the championship game, an achievement that overshadowed a subpar regular season. Vinyl, yet again, has been Unrivaled’s most frustrating team, unable to string together games, or even quarters, requisite of their talent.
To have a chance of finding their best selves, the club needs Rhyne Howard back in the lineup. The two-season Vinyl star missed the first game of her Unrivaled career on Saturday with a lower extremity injury.
The second-lowest scoring club in Unrivaled, Vinyl has been competitive in games where they’ve shot the 3 well at a high volume, and that’s one of Howard’s most valuable skills. She can catch fire from downtown because of the diversity of ways she can get off her 3-point shot. For the season, she’s shooting over 37 percent on more than seven 3s per game.
Prioritizing Howard 3s, rather than Brittney Griner post ups, has to. be game plan for Vinyl.
It seems like the 6-foot-9 Griner should be an automatic mismatch on the block, but she’s not. Aging BG’s processing is no longer quick enough to take advantage of favorable situations. Her additional limitations also make Vinyl vulnerable to a scoring burst from the opposition, as her drop defense invites opposing players to pour in wide-open midrangers, as Paige Bueckers did on Saturday night, and her lack of foot speed encourages an opponent to increase the tempo and try to run Vinyl off the floor.
Desperate for a win and strategically savvy, Lunar Owls will be ready to exploit the BG minutes. A scoring spurt from a shooting-heavy, small-ball lineup of Skylar Diggins, Marina Mabrey and Rachel Banham could be enough for Owls to steal this game—and keep their very slim playoff hopes alive.
Even if they are victorious, last-place Lunar Owls will still need help to make the final six, but an Owls win and Vinyl loss would set up an exciting final day of the regular season.
Mist is out for revenge against Breeze
Even though Mist and Breeze are in the playoffs, both clubs have plenty to play for on Monday night. Especially Mist.
At 8-4 and in the No. 3 seed, Mist can match Laces’ 9-4 record with the win, putting them in position to potentially join Phantom by securing a bye to the semifinals. The Misties also likely want to avenge their worst loss of the season, an almost 20-point defeat to Breeze.
Paige torched Mist for her Unrivaled-high 37 points, as Dominique Malonga supported her with a 16-point and 16-rebound double-double. The 83 points Breeze scored ties for the most Mist has allowed all season. Mist also had their worst shooting night of the season against Breeze.
Their recent performances suggest Mist will be ready to exact revenge.
After dropping 90 points in their final game before the 1-on-1 Tournament hiatus, Mist lit up Lunar Owls for 92 points on Saturday. When the ball is popping and the shots are falling, Mist looks almost unstoppable. Both Breanna Stewart and Allisha Gray established new Unrivaled highs on Saturday, with Stewie scoring 30 points on better than 64 percent shooting and Lish netting 37 points on almost 74 percent shooting. The two also combined to make eight 3s.
Of course, Breeze can be just as threatening when they get rolling. The club also was firing on all cylinders in their Saturday night victory over Vinyl, boosted by the 22-point return of Rickea Jackson and the seamless integration of new addition Courtney Williams, who has 11 assists to only two turnovers across her two games as a Breeze.
Although more is on the line in the night’s first game, this one might deliver more fun offensive fireworks.
