All good things come to an end, and we have reached the final weekend of regular season WNBA action.
Friday has five games on deck, with four starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. All games will be on ION. So, you’ll have to pick between the Washington Mystics heading south to take on the Atlanta Dream, the Indiana Fever facing the Las Vegas Aces, the Minnesota Lynx at home against the Chicago Sky and the Dallas Wings hosting the Seattle Storm. The final matchup will be at 10 p.m. ET, featuring the Phoenix Mercury at home against the Connecticut Sun.
With all games having some playoff implications, there are plenty of great options on what to watch, but the must-see game has to be the Aces versus the Fever.
Are the Fever cooling down?
Indiana has been on an absolute tear since returning from the Olympic break, but recently, they’ve started to come back down to earth. They lost a rough game against Minnesota, needed overtime to beat Atlanta and are coming off a defeat at the hands of Las Vegas.
It appears that the Fever, while being a fun team to watch, are in sixth place for a reason. When they are at their best, they look like a sleeper team that could upset a higher seed in the playoffs. At their worst, they look like a non-playoff team. Add it up, and you get a good—but not great—team that seems destined for a two-game stint in the postseason.
If they want to prove that assessment incorrect, a win against the No. 4 seed Aces would help. That’s easier said than done. When they played on Wednesday, A’ja Wilson was as dominant as ever, scoring 27 and pulling 12 boards in the Vegas victory. No player on either team had more points or grabbed as many rebounds.
To pull off the upset, the Fever need more from Caitlin Clark. That shouldn’t be too hard to accomplish, as she had an awful game in Wednesday’s loss, scoring 16 points, but on 6-for-22 shooting, including going 1-for-10 from 3-point range. Such a poor shooting night is unlikely to occur again. If she can play up to her standard, while Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell also bring it, Indiana can get the statement win and all but officially secure the No. 6 seed.
The rest of Friday’s games
The Dream and Mystics have the same record and are fighting to knock off the Sky and earn the eighth and final playoff spot. These teams will face each other twice in back-to-back games, so if one team can sweep these matchups, it just might decide who goes to the playoffs and who enters the lottery.
Seattle versus Dallas won’t be as exciting standings-wise, given that the Wings are eliminated and the Storm seem pretty much locked in at the No. 5 spot. The Storm can try and push to catch the Aces at No. 4, but it’s unlikely, given how well Las Vegas has been playing recently. The Lynx against the Sky is a fun game on paper. Yes, Chicago is struggling massively with Angel Reese out for the rest of the season, but they are fighting for their playoff lives, and Minnesota wants to keep their No. 2 spot; expect fireworks.
If this is Diana Taurasi’s final season, then the White Mamba is going out swinging, fighting for another title. The Mercury will compete against the Sun and, if they want to have a chance of passing the Fever for the No. 6 seed, they must put a W on the board.
Game information
Atlanta Dream (12-24) vs. Washington Mystics (12-24)
When: Friday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Gateway Center @ College Park in Atlanta, GA
How to watch: ION
Dream injury report: Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (out; ankle), Ariel Powers (out; calf)
Mystics injury report: Shakira Austin (out; left ankle)
Indiana Fever (19-18) vs. Las Vegas Aces (23-13)
When: Friday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
How to watch: ION
Fever injury report: none
Aces injury report: none
Dallas Wings (9-28) vs. Seattle Storm (22-14)
When: Friday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: College Park Center in Arlington, TX
How to watch: ION
Wings injury report: Stephanie Soares (out; knee)
Storm injury report: none
Minnesota Lynx (27-9) vs. Chicago Sky (13-23)
When: Friday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Target Center in Minnesota, MN
How to watch: ION
Lynx injury report: none
Sky injury report: Elizabeth Williams (out; knee), Angel Reese (out; wrist), Diamond DeShields (out; ankle)
Phoenix Mercury (17-19) vs. Connecticut Sun (26-10)
When: Friday, September 13 at 10:00 p.m. ET
Where: Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ
How to watch: ION
Mercury injury report: Kahleah Copper (questionable; back), Rebecca Allen (out; right hamstring), Charisma Osborne (out; left lower leg)
Sun injury report: Tiffany Mitchell (out; illness)
