WNBA playoffs: Indiana Fever to face veteran Connecticut Sun team in first round

WNBA playoff action begins Sunday. The No. 6-seeded Indiana Fever and No. 3-seeded Connecticut Sun will start their series at 3 p.m. on ABC.

Game 2 is Wednesday at 7:30 p.m on ESPN. If necessary, Game 3 will be played Friday on ESPN2 (time to be determined).

The Fever (20-20) started the second half of the season with a 7-1 record but have lost four of their last six games, including a  92-91 loss to the Washington Mystics Thursday in the regular-season finale for both teams. 

The Sun (28-12) are 6-4 in their 10 last games but have lost two of the last three. Connecticut was able to secure a dominant 87-54 win over the Chicago Sky in its finale Thursday.

Indiana, making its first playoff appearance since 2016, will be at a disadvantage when it comes to playoff experience. Connecticut, which started the season 13-1, is a veteran squad and will not be intimidated by the bright lights of the playoffs.

Alyssa Thomas, who was an All-WNBA selection in 2023, does a little bit of everything for the Sun, who have six players scoring at least 10.5 points per game. Thomas is averaging 10.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists. DeWanna Bonner (15.0 ppg) and Marina Mabrey (14.9 ppg) lead Connecticut in scoring while Brionna Jones (13.7 ppg), DiJonai Carrington (12.7 ppg) and Tyasha Harris (10.5 ppg) have been steady as well.

The Sun, who are led by Indiana-native Stephanie White, have the top defense in the league, allowing just 73.6 ppg. White won Indiana Miss Basketball at Seeger High School in 1995 and is in her third season as Connecticut’s head coach.

Indiana and Connecticut have met four times this season with the Fever winning the last game, 84-80, on Aug. 28. It was the Fever’s first win over the Sun since 2021. Connecticut won the previous three matchups this season -- two coming at the beginning of the season.

“These guys (the Sun) know how to take it to that next level,” said Indiana head coach Christie Sides. “They are a playoff veteran team. Their toughness and their physicality is what we had to be able to handle. We didn’t do it that first time. We are better now with understanding what it is going to feel like. We are not the team that we were early (in the season). We are looking forward on Sunday to giving Connecticut a good run. It should be a really good game.”

Indiana, third in the league in scoring at 85 ppg, will counter Connecticut’s defense with its high-scoring backcourt. The Fever are the only team in the WNBA to have two players in the top eight in scoring this season in Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark, who are both averaging 19.2 ppg.

Clark, who will likely win WNBA Rookie of the Year, is the first player in WNBA history to lead the league in assists per game (8.4) and made 3-pointers (122).

Mitchell twisted her ankle Thursday against the Mystics but will be fine to play Sunday, according to Sides.

“Yeah, Kelsey’s good,” Sides said. “(I) made the decision right then (when she went down) that she’s going to get ready for Sunday.”

Also for Indiana, Aliyah Boston enters the playoffs averaging 14 ppg and 8.9 rpg while NaLyssa Smith is averaging 10.6 ppg and 7.1 rpg. The team’s fifth starter, Lexie Hull (5.5 ppg), is second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage at 47.1%. 

Other first-round matchups

The New York Liberty (32-8) earned the No. 1 seed and will face the No. 8-seeded Atlanta Dream (15-25), who won three straight games to earn the final playoff berth. The No. 2-seeded Minnesota Lynx (30-10) will play the No. 7-seeded Phoenix Mercury (19-21) while the No. 4-seeded Las Vegas Aces (27-13) will face the No. 5-seeded Seattle Storm (25-15).

The winner of the Liberty-Dream series will play the winner of the Aces-Storm series in one of two semifinals. The winner of the Fever-Sun series will play the winner of the Lynx-Mercury series in the other semifinal.

The Aces, who are the defending WNBA champions, are the hottest team in the league. Las Vegas is 9-1 in its last 10 games and will be a tough out with A’ja Wilson and company. Wilson leads the league in scoring at 26.9 ppg.

Minnesota is 13-2 since the Olympics break and 8-2 in its last 10 games.

Second round (semifinals)

According to WNBA.com, the semifinal rounds of the playoffs will begin Sept. 29 and will be a best-of-five format. 

WNBA finals 

The WNBA finals are set for Oct. 10 and will also be a best of five format.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, New York is the favorite to win the WNBA championship at +125. Las Vegas is second at +250, Minnesota is third at +350, Connecticut is fourth at +750 and Indiana is fifth at +3000.

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