Tag: WNBA Playoffs

Duke basketball alum Chelsea Gray overcome with emotions after reaching WNBA semifinals

Duke women’s basketball alum Chelsea Gray let out some emotion once she reached the WNBA semifinals despite a foot injury early in the year.

Former Duke women’s basketball star [autotag]Chelsea Gray[/autotag] advanced to the WNBA semifinals on Tuesday night when the Las Vegas Aces took down the Seattle Storm, and Gray made it visibly clear how important this postseason run is to her.

Gray was seen sharing emotional embraces after the 83-76 victory, emblematic of her trying season.

The three-time champion hurt her foot in last year’s WNBA Finals, an injury that kept her out of the first 12 games of this season. She didn’t see the court until mid-June and only played 26.0 minutes per game, her lowest total since her sophomore season in 2016.

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The former Blue Devil averaged 14.0 points and 8.0 assists in Vegas’s two games against the Storm, playing more than 30 minutes in both contests. The emotional victory comes weeks after she became the first Duke women’s basketball alum to win multiple Olympic gold medals with Team USA earlier this summer.

Gray and the Aces now face the top-seeded New York Liberty in a best-of-five series with a spot in the Finals on the line.

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1838789019733291091

The semifinal series begins on Saturday.

Former Duke basketball star Chelsea Gray advances to WNBA semifinals

Chelsea Gray moved one step closer to her fourth WNBA championship on Tuesday night when the Las Vegas Aces advanced to the second round.

Former Duke women’s basketball star [autotag]Chelsea Gray[/autotag] took a big step toward another WNBA championship on Tuesday night when the Las Vegas Aces beat the Seattle Storm 83-76.

The victory gave the Aces, who have won the previous two league titles, a 2-0 sweep in the best-of-three series to advance into the league semifinals.

Gray scored 12 points and dealt nine assists during Tuesday’s victory, a familiar stat line for the ‘Point Gawd’. She finished the first game of the series with 16 points and seven dimes.

While she recently won her second consecutive Olympic gold medal, becoming the first Duke women’s basketball alum to do so, 2024 has been a trying season for Gray. She injured her foot during last year’s WNBA Finals, missing the first 12 games of this season before finally returning to the court on June 19.

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Gray also won a WNBA championship with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016, and she won Finals MVP honors in 2022 when Las Vegas started its dominant run.

The Aces face the New York Liberty, who finished with a league-best 32-8 record, in the second round. That best-of-five series begins on Saturday.

Chelsea Gray’s WNBA playoffs surge rightfully reignites Point Gawd nickname

There’s a reason they call Chelsea Gray the Point Gawd.

Chelsea Gray is doing Chelsea Gray things again, and we love to see it.

When Gray returned from injury in June, the hope was that she would return to the level of play that earned her the Point Gawd nickname from Candace Parker. But Gray didn’t quite look like herself for several games. The chatter surrounding her only grew louder when the Olympics arrived, and the veteran guard looked anything but stellar.

“With all due respect, [expletive] them,” Gray told Katie Barnes of ESPN. “My résumé and what I’ve done at this point speaks volumes, and what I bring to a team is why I was on the team.” And Gray’s right. She’s not a volume guard, per se. You don’t expect a 30 points and 10 assists outing every night. But she has three WNBA championships, a Finals MVP, six All-Star selections, one of the league’s best court visions and a killer signature fadeaway jumper that vouches for her being a top-notch floor general.

Gray exploded against the Indiana Fever on September 13 (21 points, six assists and one steal) and hasn’t looked back. In the last five games, she’s averaging 14 points, six assists and one steal, including a clutch performance against the Storm that set up an Aces-Liberty rematch.

Gray’s teammates, Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson, recognize how much she’s needed on the floor. Plum recently told reporters, “Chelsea impacts winning…ask any player in the league…I guarantee they want Chelsea Gray on their team with five minutes left, tie game…”

Wilson echoed those thoughts, saying, “Chelsea is a pass-first point guard…It seems like all of her shots are like the back-breaker ones that we need — right on time, right on target…when the game [is] on the line, put the ball in Chelsea Gray hands.”

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A Liberty-Aces WNBA playoffs rematch has fans so pumped

Grab your popcorn, folks. It’s gonna be a MOVIE.

The New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces will meet again in the WNBA playoffs, and it will be absolute cinema.

New York has likely had a bad taste in its mouth for nearly a year after watching the Aces celebrate a championship on its home floor. By all accounts, the Liberty haven’t likely forgotten that Kelsey Plum said they weren’t exactly a team, either.

On Vegas’ side, the Aces didn’t look like a championship team for much of the year. Shaky defense and inconsistent offense plagued the back-to-back champs despite an otherworldly season from A’ja Wilson. However, the Aces went 9-1 during the last 10 games of the season and swept Seattle in the opening round of the playoffs, setting up a Liberty-Aces Finals rematch.

Not having both of these teams in the Finals feels like a cruel joke. But fans have totally embraced the chaos.

Here’s how they reacted:

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Napheesa Collier jokingly said she wants to ‘end’ Diana Taurasi’s career

Napheesa Collier from the top rope.

Napheesa Collier made a funny Diana Taurasi retirement joke Sunday after the Lynx outlasted the Mercury in a playoff thriller.

I hope you were watching Game 1 of the Mercury-Lynx playoff matchup. IT WAS GOOD. Minnesota had a 23-point lead before the Phoenix came STORMING back. Then, a lifetime of buckets was traded until Minnesota’s Bridget Carleton slammed the door with a gritty fadeaway 3-point bucket. It was everything you hoped playoff basketball would be.

So many people were HOOPING, including 42-year-old Diana Taurasi, who dropped 21 points on 50 percent shooting. WHEW. But, it seems that was too much for Phee Collier because she jokingly said during a Lynx postgame presser that she hopes Minnesota could send Taurasi into retirement. This is what Collier shared with the media:

“It seems like it’s her retirement tour. I don’t know. She’s been pretty quiet about it. But, she’s obviously, like I said, a UConn great, a league GOAT.”

“So, I feel lucky to have been able to play with her on Team USA and against her, and hopefully, we can end her career on Wednesday.”

However, Phee later clarified that she didn’t want any smoke with DT or the Mercury. She just wants to win.

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A’ja Wilson cleverly used her MVP trophy as an outfit accessory before Aces playoff game

What a top-tier FLEX.

A’ja Wilson dropped one of the biggest flexes of 2024, and we’re not mad.

On Sunday, Wilson was named WNBA MVP, becoming only one of four players ever to win the award three times and just the second in league history to have their selection be unanimous. That’s pretty wild stuff.

In pretty A’ja Wilson fashion, the award was less about her and more about her team. She secretly wrote her Aces teammates thank you letters for the season, sharing them shortly after earning MVP honors. But, she did save just a little bit of limelight for herself. A’ja walked the Aces tunnel ahead of a WNBA playoff matchup with the Seattle Storm holding a very shiny accessory — her MVP trophy.

WNBA fans totally loved the move and her dazzling red suit. Here’s how they reacted:

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Caitlin Clark refused to blame underwhelming game on DiJonai Carrington’s accidental eye poke

“I felt like we just played a crappy game.”

Caitlin Clark had the most Caitlin Clark response ever to accidentally being poked in the eye by DiJonai Carrington.

As playoff basketball goes, things get intense and physical. That includes Clark accidentally knocking out Carrington’s contact lens during a first-round Fever-Sun playoff matchup and Carrington accidentally hitting Clark in the eye during the same game.

But Caitlin knows that it’s part of basketball and postgame, she didn’t make any excuses when asked about it. (Clark finished the game with just 11 points and eight rebounds on 23 percent shooting and 2-of-13 from distance.) This is what she told the media about the accidental eye poke:

“Obviously, got me pretty good in the eye. I don’t think it affected me. I felt like I got good shots; they just didn’t go down. Obviously, a tough time for that to happen…”

“I felt like we just played a crappy game. The flow of the game was really bad…Overall, it didn’t bother me. Obviously, it didn’t feel too good when it happened. But it is what it is.”

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DiJonai Carrington grossly put her dirty contact lens back in after accidental Caitlin Clark smack

This was SO GROSS. I think I’m gonna hurl.

Caitlin Clark and DiJonai Carrington matchups have become must-see television. But fans probably DON’T want to see either of them do something gross — like put a contact lens back in after it fell on the floor.

During Sunday’s opening round of the playoffs, the Sun and the Fever were locked in a tense battle. Part of that matchup included DiJonai Carrington guarding Caitlin Clark. As previous history has shown, the two go at each other, often trading buckets and being physical.

During the first quarter, DiJonai inadvertently hit Caitlin in the eye while attempting to defend a made shot. In the fourth quarter, DiJonai was defending Caitlin again when Caitlin accidentally hit DiJonai in the head, knocking out a contact. Most fans assumed she would get some saline solution on the sideline and return to the game. However, DiJonai did not. She popped the contact lens back in, grossing out everyone.

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Caitlin Clark scored her first career WNBA playoff points on a tough reverse layup

Caitlin Clark has her first points of the WNBA playoffs.

Fresh off being named the unanimous AP Rookie of the Year and finishing fourth in MVP voting, Caitlin Clark scored her first career playoff points Sunday.

With the Indiana Fever visiting the Connecticut Sun in Game 1 of their first-round series, Clark connected on a tough reverse layup near the end of the first quarter for her first bucket of the postseason.

https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1837936487851053213

The score wasn’t all that different from Clark’s first career regular-season bucket, which also came on a drive from the right.

Though the points tied the game for the Fever, Connecticut eventually pulled away for a 24-point win. The under cashed on all of Clark’s props for the game, as the rookie struggled in her playoff debut. She finished with 11 points on 4-of-17 shooting, including 2-of-13 from three, four rebounds and eight assists.

How to buy Indiana Fever WNBA playoff tickets, 2024 playoff schedule

Limited tickets still remain to see Caitlin Clark’s WNBA playoff debut on Sunday, Sept. 22 against the Connecticut Sun.

The 2024 WNBA playoffs are set to begin on Sunday, Sept. 22 with all eight teams playing Game 1 of the quarterfinal round.

As always, the playoffs feature some great early matchups, including the defending champion Las Vegas Aces against the Seattle Storm, but the most watched game on Sunday will undoubtedly feature the Indiana Fever taking on the Connecticut Sun.

Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston are the only two Fever to start every game this season, and both stars are set to make their WNBA playoff debut on Sunday.

The Sun host the best-of-three game series at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Limited tickets remain, so act fast if you want to catch this playoff matchup in person.

Indiana Fever playoff tickets

The first round of the playoffs is a best-of-three series, meaning you need to buy a ticket to either Game 1 or Game 2 to ensure you get to a Fever playoff game this season.

As of publication, here are the cheapest available ticket prices for each game in the Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun series

Game 1 Indiana Fever playoff tickets: From $95

Game 2 Indiana Fever playoff tickets: From $83

Game 3 Indiana Fever playoff tickets (if necessary): From $70

The winner of the series will take on the winner of the No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs No. 7 Phoenix Mercury in a best-of-five game playoff series.

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2024 WNBA playoff tickets

No. 1 New York Liberty vs No. 8 Atlanta Dream: Tickets available from $11

No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs No. 7 Phoenix Mercury: Tickets available from $18

No. 3 Connecticut Sun vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever: Tickets available from $70

No. 4 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm: Tickets available from $8

Indiana Fever playoff schedule

Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m. on ABC

Game 2: Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

Game 3: Friday, Sept. 25 time TBD on ESPN2

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2024 WNBA playoff schedule – Round 1

Sunday Sept. 22

No. 1 New York Liberty vs. No. 8 Atlanta Dream – 1 p.m.

No. 3 Connecticut Sun vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever – 3 p.m.

No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7 Phoenix Mercury – 5 p.m.

No. 4 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm – 10 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 24

No. 1 New York Liberty vs. No. 8 Atlanta Dream – 7:30 p.m.

No. 4 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm – 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 25

No. 3 Connecticut Sun vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever – 7:30 p.m.

No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7 Phoenix Mercury – 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 26

No. 1 New York Liberty vs. No. 8 Atlanta Dream – TBA (if necessary)

No. 4 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm – TBA (if necessary)

Friday, Sept. 27

No. 3 Connecticut Sun vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever – TBA (if necessary)

No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7 Phoenix Mercury – TBA (if necessary)

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