The Las Vegas Aces might be seen as the most dangerous team heading into the WNBA playoffs, cruising on a three-game win streak with a 27-13 record. But don’t tell the Seattle Storm they’re a speed bump. Our team, eliminated from playoff contention, gets two immediate shots to completely disrupt the Aces’ chase for the No. 2 seed, starting Thursday right here at Climate Pledge Arena.
The Aces Think They’re Cruising, But The Playoff Picture Is Shifting
Las Vegas currently holds the No. 3 seed, but they’re eyeing that coveted second spot. They trail the Golden State Valkyries by two games with only four left to play. Here’s the kicker: the Aces already own the head-to-head tiebreaker, sweeping all three regular-season matchups against Golden State. That means if Las Vegas can snag two more wins than Golden State in this final week, they leapfrog into second. Their closing schedule looks “favorable” on paper, as they won’t face another playoff team before the postseason officially kicks off. They hit the road for a Sunday game against our Storm in Las Vegas, then host Los Angeles before finishing up at Phoenix. Seattle, Los Angeles, and Phoenix are all out of it, which should make for an easy ride, right? Not so fast. The stakes are also high from below: Atlanta and Indiana are only one game behind Las Vegas, meaning a bad finish could actually drop the Aces even further down the standings.
A’ja Wilson’s Break Could Be A Wild Card
This push for the No. 2 seed got an interesting wrinkle with A’ja Wilson’s extended break. She withdrew from Team USA before the World Cup, giving her more than two weeks off from WNBA action before the Aces return on Thursday. Before the pause, the four-time WNBA MVP was putting up insane numbers: 26 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Wilson is the player every opponent has to build their defense around, controlling games on both ends of the floor. The Aces’ core, including an experienced backcourt of Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, plus proven perimeter scorer Jewell Loyd and late addition 6-foot-7 center Kalani Brown, knows how to win. But will the long break affect their timing and rhythm? It’s a real question, and something our Storm can exploit.
Our Storm have absolutely nothing to lose in these final two games against Las Vegas. And for a team playing with that kind of freedom, they can be dangerous spoilers! We’ll be without Katie Lou Samuelson, who had a procedure on her left knee and is out for the final four games, which is a bummer. But the Aces *must* avoid playing down to eliminated opponents. Moving to the No. 2 seed means potentially avoiding a first-round matchup against the sixth-seeded New York Liberty, who boast tournament MVP Breanna Stewart. Instead, that second spot could line them up against Washington or Dallas. So, you better believe the Emerald City is ready to bring the noise on Thursday at Climate Pledge Arena, and then again on Sunday in Vegas. Let’s see if our Storm can throw a wrench into their playoff plans!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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