Let’s dive in to the WNBA 2020 Playoffs Storm vs. Lynx Best-of-Five Series.
No. 2 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Minnesota Lynx
Seattle Storm
Storm have been impressive the whole season long in their 2020 campaign. They were the early favorites to win the title and still, might be the most favored to win it now. Their lineup is pretty close to the 2018 championship team parading the same starting five. The only hiccup in their game so far is the injuries. More so with their leader Sue Bird. Bird has missed 11 out of 22 games this season and with her in the lineup, their record is 10-1. Storm won seven of their last eight games to close out the regular season, dropping the regular-season finale to the Las Vegas Aces. They flat-out dominated the WNBA bubble for most of the season, winning 11 of their first 12 games, most of them by double-digits.
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota barely escaped the red-hot Phoenix Mercury in their elimination game last Thursday winning it by just a point. It was Damiris Dantas and Crystal Dangerfield who paced Lynx in their scoring. One key factor that did not have any impact on the last game is the return of Sylvia Fowles in their lineup. She only played 18 minutes with just six points, shooting 2-of-8 from the floor. However, it is always the next man up mentality for the Lynx as they find a way to still win their games even being shorthanded. Napheesa Collier also was not a huge contributor in the scoring department but impacted the game with her defense.
Players to watch
Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd
They were the fourth scoring duo in the league to wrap up the regular season. Breanna Stewart, who was the runner up for this year’s MVP award, is averaging 19.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. On the other hand, Jewell Loyd‘s averages 15.5 points and 3.2 assists.
It is not only their offense that makes this duo a force to be reckoned with, their defense has been a standout for their team. Stewart and Loyd are second and third on the Defensive Win Shares category, only behind their teammate Alysha Clark.
Clark would also be in the spotlight in this match up. She is Seattle’s best perimeter defender who could shut down the best scorer in the league. In their last game, she held Lynx’s top scorer Dangerfield to only 11 points. It would be interesting to see which player will she guard in this series because she could also matchup with Napheesa Collier, second top scorer of the Lynx, at the post or perimeter.
Napheesa Collier and Damiris Dantas
Dantas has been impressive in her last few games. More so in the elimination game with Phoenix scoring a team-high 17 points. Her stepping up for the Lynx is a huge boost as they are still easing Fowles back in her game shape. Dantas could easily space the floor as she drains the three as good as anyone in the league. Her face-up game in the post is also what makes her a deadly offensive weapon.
Even though Collier had a tough shooting night in her last game, she could easily impact the game in different ways. The way she could match up with the guard with her length is a nightmare. She also grabs offensive rebounds which often translates to points. A Collier-Stewart match up might be interesting to see.
Prediction
The storm had swept the Lynx in their two meetings this season. Not only did they win those two games but only handed Minnesota their worst loss with a 24 point advantage at the end of the game. But clearly the players were in a different headspace back then. Dangerfield was still off the bench and the other game was when Fowles was out with her injury. Even though with these differences, Seattle has remained the team that puts the pressure.
Even with Fowles back again in the Lynx’s lineup for this series, it would be the adjustment of the whole team in the way Storm would defend them. Collier, Dangerfield, and Damiris would all need to have a big game simultaneously in order to pace with the Storm.
However, with the eventual return of Bird and Stewart in the line-up, Seattle would be at their full strength to start the series. A complete Bird, Loyd, Clark, Stewart, and Howard lineup would be a pretty high task for any team this year. If Seattle plays their cards right, the WNBA 2020 Playoffs is theirs to lose.
Pick: Seattle Storm
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