Four series, four sweeps. There was no suspense for the first round of the WNBA playoffs, with the qualifications of Libertyof the Lynxof Sun and Aces in the semi-final.
It’s also that the format of the first round of the “postseason” of the women’s league is quite particular. The series are thus played as a best of three games, but the best-ranked team in the regular season plays the first two games at home, before a potential decisive Game 3 on the floor of the lowest-ranked team.
The advantage is thus enormous for the seeds 1 to 4, and they took advantage of it again. Since the introduction of this system in 2022, there has never been an upset in the first round in the WNBA…
This is because the women's league has experimented a lot with its formats for its “postseason”, including between 2016 and 2021 two first direct elimination rounds for the lowest ranked teams, and series only from the semi-finals. finals. The advantage was then major for the two best-ranked teams in the regular season, who started their playoffs in the last four and therefore avoided direct elimination matches which were inevitably very dangerous.
Private flights now make travel easier
For three years, the WNBA has therefore partly returned to its previous format, with best-of-three-game series in the first round. Except that the 2-1 scheme has replaced the 1-1-1 scheme.
To avoid too many trips, while the players had to take commercial flights, the franchises which face each other in the first round therefore play the first two matches of the series in the same room, before potentially moving in the event of a third round. A system which indeed limits travel.
But a system that makes surprises very complicated.
“We evolve and we change”, explained Christie Sides, the coach of the Indiana Fever. “I think there will be changes. The last time I experienced the playoffs, there were knockout games. But, in one match, you can beat anyone in this league. It's a question of luck. Now we have charter flights. We can do all this back and forth. I’m sure they’ll talk about it.”
This season, the WNBA has in fact implemented a charter flight system for all these teams, to avoid commercial flights. Enough to make life easier for female basketball players, and soon adapt the format of the playoffs?
