Bleacher Report
The WNBA semi-finals are set after a first round that included four sweeps and no upsets.
The top-seeded New York Liberty handled the No. 8 seed Atlanta Dream in two games, dominating Game 1 83-69 before winning Game 2 by nine points. The No. 2 seed Minnesota Lynx also swept the Phoenix Mercury to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
The defending champion Las Vegas Aces are looking to three-peat this season, and they appeared to be in championship form as they swept the Seattle Storm.
Many questioned whether rookie phenom Caitlin Clark and No. 6 Indiana Fever could pull off the upset against the No. 3 seed Connecticut Sun, but the Sun's veteran presence proved too much for the young team.
Ahead of the start of semifinal matchups on Sunday, here's a look at the matchups along with the TV and streaming schedules.
No. 1 New York Liberty vs. No. 4 Las Vegas Aces
Fans couldn't ask for a better matchup as the Liberty square off against the Aces in the semifinals.
There are plenty of storylines heading into the series. It will be a rematch of the 2023 WNBA Finals and a battle between the current MVP A'ja Wilson and the 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart.
The Liberty have been the best team in the WNBA all season and seem poised to finally win their first championship, but Las Vegas is looking to be the first team to win three championships in a row since the Houston Comets did it in the late 1990s.
The key matchup in this series will be Wilson vs. Stewart. Wilson has had one of the best seasons in WNBA history, averaging 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, and her play is only going to get better in such an important matchup. Stewart put up 20.4 points and 8.5 boards per game this season, but we've seen her get better in the playoffs before, so it won't be a surprise to see her step up against Wilson.
But Wilson and Stewart are far from the only impact players on their respective teams. Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu averaged 26.5 points and seven assists in the first round. New York will need that kind of play out of its backcourt in this series to advance to the Finals.
Going up against Ionescu will be Aces guard Kelsey Plum, who put up 15.5 points per game in Round 1. Whoever wins the backcourt matchup could be the team to advance.
Here's a look at the series schedule and TV information for the exciting semifinal matchup.
No. 1 Liberty vs. No. 4 Aces Series Schedule
Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 29 at 3 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 1, time and TV information is TBD
Game 3: Friday, Oct. 4 at 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Game 4: Sunday, Oct. 6, time and TV information is TBD (If necessary)
Game 5: Tuesday, Oct. 8, time is TBD, ESPN2 (If necessary)
No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 6 Connecticut Sun
While the series between the Liberty and the Aces takes the cake for interesting storylines, expect a competitive matchup as the Lynx take on the Sun.
Connecticut and Minnesota were the two best defensive teams this season, with the Sun posting a 94.1 defensive rating the Lynx recording a 94.8 defensive rating. Connecticut won two of the three regular-season matchups, but all three contests were very close.
The Sun are getting the best from their stars so far this postseason. Marina Mabrey put up 22 points per game in Round 1, including a 27-point outing. Alyssa Thomas averaged 18.5 points, 13 assists and 7.5 rebounds in the first round, doing it all for Connecticut.
On the other side, Napheesa Collier had an out-of-world performance against the Phoenix Mercury in Round 1. She had 38 points in Game 1 before posting 42 points in Game 2, tying the WNBA playoff scoring record. While it seems like nobody will be able to slow down Collier, the team with the best defensive rating in the league would likely be the team to do it.
Coming into the playoffs, it was evident how good these two teams' defenses were. This matchup will ultimately come down to which team can out-defend the other in three games.
Here's a look at when each game in the matchup will take place.
No. 2 Lynx vs No. 3 Sun Series Schedule
Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 1, time and TV information is TBD
Game 3: Friday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Game 4: Sunday, Oct. 6, time and TV information is TBD (If necessary)
Game 5: Tuesday, Oct. 8, time is TBD, ESPN2 (If necessary)