Everything to know about the last day of the 2020 WNBA regular season
It's here.
Good morning, and welcome to THE LAST DAY OF THE REGULAR SEASON !?
It is unreal that we started this journey just seven weeks ago and we’re already at the end, but let’s enjoy every game we have left, shall we?
(I’m stealing the format I usually reserve for paid subscribers because I’m just really feeling nice today, so here we go.)
If you missed yesterday’s games:
The Mystics beat the Liberty, 75-58, eliminating the Atlanta Dream from playoff contention. (I’ll talk about Washington’s chances in a bit.) Myisha Hines-Allen continued her breakout season, scoring 25 points with 11 rebounds and four assists. Kia Nurse and Kiah Stokes both scored 15 points in the loss.
The Aces beat the Sparks, 84-70, securing a double-bye in the playoffs. (I’ll expand on this in a bit, too.) The Sparks are now the No. 3 seed. A’ja Wilson scored 19 points with eight rebounds in the win, and Angel McCoughtry scored 18 points with six rebounds. Nneka Ogwumike scored 24 points with seven boards in the loss.
The Lynx beat the Fever in a game that had no playoff indications, 98-86. With Crystal Dangerfield resting, Rachel Banham scored 29 points on 14 shots, including 7-of-8 from deep. Kelsey Mitchell scored 20 points in the loss.
Here’s today’s games:
Game 1: Dallas Wings vs. New York Liberty at 12:00 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network
What’s at stake: If the Liberty beat the Wings, Dallas will be eliminated from playoff contention, and the Mystics will be the No. 8 seed. If the Wings beat the Liberty, they will only make the playoffs if the Mystics lose to the Dream later on in the day.
Who’s out? Uhh, a lot of players. For the Wings, Satou Sabally (concussion protocol), and Allisha Gray (knee) are both OUT, and Katie Lou Samuelson (foot) and Astou Ndour (knee) are both QUESTIONABLE. For the Liberty, Layshia Clarendon (back) is OUT.
Game 2: Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm at 3:00 p.m. ET on ABC
What’s at stake: The literal No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Winner gets it. Loser get No. 2.
Who’s out? On Saturday, the Storm listed both Sue Bird (knee) and Breanna Stewart (foot) as QUESTIONABLE. Both had the same listing and did not play on Friday.
Game 3: Washington Mystics vs. Atlanta Dream at 5:00 p.m. on Facebook/League Pass
What’s at stake: If the Mystics win this game, they’ll definitely be the No. 8 seed in the playoffs regardless of how the Wings finish earlier in the day. But if they lose this game and the Wings win earlier, Dallas will get the last spot.
Here’s my picks:
CHAOS. I PICK CHAOS.
But actually:
Game 1: The Wings. Arike Ogunbowale is going to score so many points that we may have to invent a new number. She lives for these moments.
Game 2: The Aces. I’d be very surprised if Sue Bird plays in this game based on how her collision with Sabally earlier in the week looked, and I have no read on Stewie’s status. Regardless, even on a back-to-back, I’m taking Wilson, McCoughtry, and the lightning-quick Aces.
Game 3: The Mystics. The Dream are going to badly want to spoil Washington’s miraculous comeback from a 1-12 stretch in the heart of the season, but I think Myisha Hines-Allen will be the best player on the court, and take over when her team needs her to.
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Ok, back to the newsletter.
To recap, here’s the playoff seedings as we know them before tip-off on Sept. 13:
Aces or Storm (double-bye)
Aces or Storm (double-bye)
Sparks (single-bye)
Lynx (single-bye)
Mercury
Sky
Sun
Wings or Dream
Here’s a quick thread on how the playoff format/schedule looks
Let’s talk DraftKings:
Guards to pick
Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings ($10,700) - If you don’t pick her you are just not good at this.
Chennedy Carter, Atlanta Dream ($8,300) - It’s her last game of the season, and final chance to snag Rookie of the Year votes. Expect Atlanta to give her green light to try and spoil the Mystics’ season.
Ty Harris, Dallas Wings ($5,900) - The Wings are super injured, and Harris will probably see more minutes than usual. She’s a good boom-or-bust budget option coming off a game she played 32 minutes in.
Guards to avoid
Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm ($8,900) - The Aces really had Loyd’s number in their first matchup, holding her to 1-of-11 shooting.
Forwards to pick
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces ($11,700) - She’s the priciest player of the day, but will be worth every dollar, playing with the top seed on the line. She scored 47 fantasy points in her first matchup against Seattle.
Myisha Hines-Allen, Washington Mystics ($10,900) - There’s a better-than-not chance that her season will be on the line, and she’s been SO damn good this year. She’s scored more than 50 fantasy points in three of her last four games, and in the fourth game, she scored 42.75. She scored 23 points on 14 shots in her first game against Atlanta.
Monique Billings, Atlanta Dream ($7,000) - My budget forward pick is Billings because she scored 38 fantasy points against D.C. in their first matchup. She’s also played 28 minutes or more in four of her last six games.
Forwards to avoid
Emma Meesseman, Washington Mystics ($9,900) - I’ve said it all year and I’ll end the regular season on the same note. She’s a great player, but not a great fantasy player. For almost $10k, you should be getting a player with a much higher ceiling.
Ok, that’s it from me. Enjoy the shit out of today.
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