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Who will win the 2024 WNBA championship? There are several teams with a legitimate shot.
Experts are divided on whether or not the Aces can manage a three-peat, the Liberty can avenge last season’s finals loss or some other contender will emerge. What does artificial intelligence think?
Elon Musk has lauded Grok, Twitter’s AI bot, for its “massive advantage” over other AI models. This advantage stems from Grok’s real-time access to information via the X platform. Given Musk’s confidence, I decided to put Grok to the test and see how it would fare in predicting the winner of each WNBA playoff series.
Here are Grok’s picks along with explanations and my own opinion of its analysis.
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WNBA playoff predictions 2024
FIRST ROUND
(1) Liberty vs. (8) Dream
Grok points out that the Dream have had some wins against good teams, including the Sun twice and Aces once. Ultimately, it’s taking the favorite.
“I would predict the New York Liberty to win a playoff series against the Atlanta Dream. This prediction is based on their superior regular-season performance, higher seeding and the advantages that come with it, despite recognizing the Dream’s capability to occasionally outperform expectations.”
Pick: Liberty win 2-1
(2) Lynx vs. (7) Mercury
Grok praised the Lynx’s “strong defensive game” and believes that Napheesa Collier is the best player in this series. It also said that “players like Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Kahleah Copper have been performing at a high level, suggesting that Phoenix has the firepower needed to challenge any team.”
Grok likes the Lynx in three games, though, citing “the overall balance of defense, home advantage and resilience in crucial moments.”
Pick: Lynx win 2-1
(3) Sun vs. (6) Fever
Grok says that Indiana has “shown significant improvement and momentum, particularly highlighted by Caitlin Clark’s record-setting performance in scoring.”
The Sun could counter that with “a team-oriented defensive strategy, possibly involving traps or double-teams when Clark has the ball.”
Grok believes that the Sun will take the first game, the Fever will take the second and the Sun will win the closeout game in Indiana.
Pick: Sun 2-1
MORE: How Caitlin Clark’s Fever can upset Sun in first round of WNBA playoffs
(4) Aces vs. (5) Storm
Grok likes A’ja Wilson’s dominance, who “provides them with a significant edge in any game due to her scoring, rebounding and blocking ability.”
Pick: Aces 2-0
SECOND ROUND
(1) Liberty vs. (4) Aces
This would be a rematch of last year’s finals, which the Aces took down in four games. This time, the Liberty would come in as the higher seed.
Grok respects the Liberty and Breanna Stewart, “who’s also capable of MVP-level performances.” But it gives “a slight edge due to A’ja Wilson’s form and the team’s championship pedigree.”
Pick: Aces 3-2
(2) Lynx vs. (3) Sun
Grok likes Collier to carry the Lynx past the Sun in a close matchup. It cited the momentum that the Lynx have gotten by winning 14 of their last 16 games, along with an edge in personnel.
“Collier’s performance, especially her ability to lead the team against tough competition, could be the difference-maker. Her health and scoring prowess, alongside contributions from other key Lynx players, provide a robust challenge.”
Pick: Lynx 3-2
MORE: WNBA playoff picks, predictions for 2024 bracket
FINALS
(2) Lynx vs. (4) Aces
Grok loves the Aces’ depth, citing “A’ja Wilson’s impact on both ends of the court, combined with Kelsey Plum’s scoring ability from the outside and Chelsea Gray’s clutch performance in crucial games.”
Grok also thinks that the Aces have a coaching advantage that has manifested in previous finals series. “Their ability to adjust in-game strategy and the depth of their bench have been crucial in playoff scenarios.” Becky Hammon is widely considered one of the best coaches in the league and won the 2022 Coach of the Year award, so Grok certainly isn’t wrong there.
What makes this matchup particularly interesting is that the Lynx have one of the best defenses in the league. Collier, Bridget Carleton and Kayla McBride should all get All-Defensive consideration.
“Paired with the Lynx’s historical playoff experience, they could pose a formidable challenge with a strategic focus on defense and transition offense.”
MORE: How does the WNBA playoff format work?
The Lynx have also played very well against the Aces this season, going 3-1 and winning all three of those games by double-digits. Grok pointed out that the Aces’ rebounding was an issue in those games. Collier outrebounded the entire Aces team by herself, 18-17, in one of those Lynx wins.
Despite that regular season dominance, Grok picked the Aces “due to their championship pedigree and consistent performance.”
“Their depth, experience and the sheer talent of players like Wilson could be too much for most teams to handle over a series. The Aces’ ability to adapt and their consistent performance in high-stakes games might see them through.”
Pick: Aces 3-2
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