With the WNBA Playoffs in full-swing, we are down to four teams still in contention for the title. The semi-finals kicked off on Sunday with Game 1 of both the Indiana Fever vs. Las Vegas Aces matchup and the Minnesota Lynx vs. Phoenix Mercury series. Let's rank the remaining four teams after their semi-final Game 1s.
4. Phoenix Mercury
Unfortunately, someone has to be last in this ranking. I had a lot of confidence in this Mercury squad — and maybe I still do — after their series win, kicking the reigning champions, the New York Liberty, out of the playoffs. The Merc took a loss in Game 1 of that series, but bounced back. So, maybe falling to the Lynx yesterday in an 82-69 loss is just history repeating itself. But I just feel like I had to give Phoenix this spot because Minnesota simply looks too good. If they want to sneak past this Lynx squad, they will have to perform better. Dewanna Bonner was held to zero points in 25 minutes on the court in Game 1, while Satou Sabally shot 27.3 percent from the floor.
3. Las Vegas Aces
The Aces suffered a loss on Sunday to the Indiana Fever, breaking their 13-game home winning streak. They will absolutely bounce back from this, in my opinion. This squad is tough and knows what it takes to win in the playoffs. But, I feel like they will have to sit at No. 3 until they find an answer for Kelsey Mitchell's efficiency. Mitchell hung 34 on them yesterday, and some Aces players struggled — like newly-named MVP, A'ja Wilson, who shot only 27.3 percent from the floor. After barely sneaking past the Seattle Storm in round 1, Las Vegas will need to lock in for the rest of this Indiana series.
2. Indiana Fever
The Fever came into this postseason as underdogs. They have had so many brutal injuries, including season-ending injuries to key players like Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, and Aari McDonald. I put them at No. 2 because they have proven themselves to have no quit. They pulled off the upset against the Atlanta Dream in round 1, and just beat the Aces in Vegas on Sunday. Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down - averaging 26.0 points per game in the playoffs. Indiana has an energy that I think will keep them going through this Vegas series.
1. Minnesota Lynx
I don't think anyone is beating this Minnesota Lynx squad. They were the only team to sweep their opponent in round 1, and yesterday they beat Phoenix 82-69 to go up 1-0 in the semis. They have so many weapons, with 4 different players putting up double-digits in Game 1 on Sunday, and it seems like a new player steps up every matchup. Courtney Williams recorded 23 points yesterday after a slower playoff start. This makes it very difficult for the opposing teams to defend them. Now, while I think we are heading towards a Minnesota championship, I also thought Napheesa Collier was a lock for MVP, so I could be proven wrong.