WNBA playoff spots still up for grabs with less than one week left in regular season
By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer
There are several playoff spots still up for grabs in the final week of the WNBA’s regular season.
Only five teams have clinched berths in the postseason and just one knows its seeding with Connecticut locked in at No. 3. The rest will be decided over the next six days.
Las Vegas and New York are battling for the top seed with the Aces having a one game lead and two games remaining: a home and home versus Phoenix. The Liberty edged Dallas 94-93 on Tuesday night. New York hosts Los Angeles on Thursday and Washington on Sunday.
The Sparks fell into a tie with Chicago for the final spot after losing to Connecticut. The Sky routed Indiana and hold the tiebreaker if the teams finish with the same record. Los Angeles caps off the season with road games at New York and Seattle.
Dallas and Minnesota have clinched playoff berths and most likely will meet in the best-of-three first round as the No. 4 and 5 seeds. The Wings hold a one game lead. The Lynx became just the second team to start 0-6 and qualify for the playoffs, joining the 2015 Los Angeles Sparks. The Sky have road games at Indiana and Connecticut sandwiched around a home game against the Lynx.
Atlanta and Washington are tied for sixth and seventh, a game in front of the Sparks.
Indiana, Seattle and Phoenix have all been eliminated from playoff contention. The Fever though have had a good season with 12 victories already. The team won just 11 combined the last two years and haven’t had this many victories since Indiana won 13 in 2019.
The WNBA regular season ends Sunday and the playoffs begin Wednesday.
SCARY INJURY
Washington guard Kristi Toliver had to be carried off the court on Sunday after suffering a non-contact right knee injury at the end of the first quarter of the Mystics loss to Los Angeles. It was diagnosed as a torn ACL on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old Toliver has only played in 11 games this year after being sidelined most of the season with plantar fasciitis. She’s only played in 30 games combined the previous two seasons because of injuries.
AP WNBA POLL
New York remained the top team in the power poll and is riding a six-game winning streak heading into Dallas on Tuesday night. Las Vegas was second and Connecticut third. Dallas, Minnesota and Los Angeles followed the Sun. Washington, Atlanta and Chicago were next. Indiana, Seattle and Phoenix rounded out the poll.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Napheesa Collier helped Minnesota clinch a playoff spot while averaging 22 points, 14.3 rebounds and four assists as the Lynx won two of their three games. Other players receiving votes included A’ja Wilson of Las Vegas, Breanna Stewart of New York, Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana and Jewell Loyd of Seattle.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Atlanta at Washington, Friday. This game could go a long way in determining seeding in the playoffs for these two squads.
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