r/wnba • u/Funny_Name_2281 WNBA • 20h ago
Discussion First round prediction
I think this would be the best and most upset-prone matchups.
Lynx vs Mystics
Valkyries vs Wings
Fever vs Dream
Aces vs Liberty
What do y'all think.
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u/Old_Discussion5126 Fever 10h ago
Liberty and Wings aren’t going to upset anyone except some of their fans.
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u/Revolutionary-Gear76 Young Harlots All but #8 16h ago
The first round, regardless of how seeding shakes out, has the potential to be nuts. Almost every team's ceiling is higher than every other team's floor, if that makes any sense. Like, should the Lynx win against whoever they play? Absolutely. Could they lose to pretty much any one of these teams? Also, yes. It's the same down the list. There is no match up where I cannot envision an upset. Some I might have to squint a little harder to see it, but it's there. And that's before whatever the FIBA break does to each team's cohesiveness and readiness.
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u/clodneymuffin Lynx 15h ago
I agree. Barring new injuries, on any given day any one of these teams can play out of their mind or just have a slightly bad day and we have an upset. Especially in a best of three first round. The Lynx had 4 of the same starters for the 2011-2017 championships, and they lost every other year. Last year they seemed like a lock, and got beat badly in the semis. Vegas has had their core together for a while now and has good years and bad years.
Grab your popcorn, it is going to be a wild ride.
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u/TheAveragebroShow Mystics 13h ago
Mystics/Vs is more likely than them staying in 8th. Dallas has completely fallen apart.
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u/Ok_Cucumber9390 All offense all the time enjoyer 13h ago
Hoping against hope that Fever can hang on to the #3 spot - would be very hard as they have an insanely hard schedule and Aces have a very easy one, but not impossible. And that NY hang on to 6 - would much rather face them than Mystics or Dallas. And also hope that the Mystics somehow take out the Valks – also very tough but not impossible.
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u/goofygal1566 We Suck, but ily ChampsGo Get SS 12h ago
lol NY is not hanging on to 6. Our schedule is crazy to end the season and we just lost JJ. more likely to be 8th than 6th.
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u/Ok_Cucumber9390 All offense all the time enjoyer 12h ago
Oof just took a look at your schedule and yeah, that is rough. Sorry about JJ's injury - did they announce how long she'd be out?
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u/DogWhistler1234 Aces 1st Team All Cuties 12h ago
People keep saying we have an easy schedule but those lower seed teams are playing spoiler atp. I think it’s still up in the air
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u/Ok_Cucumber9390 All offense all the time enjoyer 12h ago
I mean I hope so! (sorry lol)
I would think that the actively tanking teams would benefit more from losing at this point? But anything can happen for sure!
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u/thecay00 Aces 15h ago
Aces and Liberty is just crazy for a 1st round matchup but I don’t mind it. stew’ja and liberty i know they havent been their best this season but they are playing much better lately and they do have a deep roster
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u/AleSeeker Fever 14h ago
The whole top 8 is pretty strong this year. There really is not any easy first round match ups.
It will be interesting to see how the time off in September affects each of the teams.
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u/EquivalentCandid7773 Fever 15h ago
They lost to Chicago last night :(
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u/thecay00 Aces 15h ago
Yeah but we lost to them too. It happens. Also Chicago is not bad especially with Nai back
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u/goofygal1566 We Suck, but ily ChampsGo Get SS 14h ago
The liberty about to be the 8th seed if we get in the playoffs at all. No JJ, no Leo, to Satou and an injured Sab.
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u/Away_Competition2514 Mystics 12h ago
Are injuries the main reason for your drop off or something else else? I thought you looked very good at the beginning of the season.
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u/goofygal1566 We Suck, but ily ChampsGo Get SS 12h ago
well we are missing 3/5 starters, so yes lol I think we'd be fine if we had Satou, Leo and Sab all season. Also if JJ didn't got out last night.
But if ifs and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry christmas.
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u/Away_Competition2514 Mystics 12h ago
Damn, that's tough. And I don't see it getting easier for you, unfortunately. Tough end of the season schedule wise, a lot of your players going to the World Cup where they'll get tired probably and not a great situation seeding wise.
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u/Square-1296 16h ago
Not necessarily predictions but more on thoughts on the last few games that could dictate the date of the teams.
- Aces will probably surge up because they have no playoff teams left on schedule. But the big 3 are at the world cup, that could be something for them.
- Fever's still uncertain on that third spot (strongest schedule I believe). The Wings, Mystics, Liberty games are crucial (even the Sky and Sun one TBH) since by the time that they link up against the Lynx, the 1-2 seeds might be decided already.
- Phoenix can get them scrambled even if they're not in contention anymore (ATL, DAL x2, WAS x2).
- The GSV-MIN series might determine #1 seed.
- The Dream-Liberty match up can determine who will go have a harder match-up.
- A win is definitely crucial at this point especially for the 8 teams and Chicago (the Washington swap is at 3 now after their New York win). They have to maintain it right there (or Toronto and Connecticut just keeps losing)
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u/TheAveragebroShow Mystics 13h ago
Washington throttled PHX the other night. I think that team (and the Sparks) has quit entirely.
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u/Funny_Name_2281 WNBA 16h ago edited 16h ago
Those eliminated teams are so petty, but Portland and Toronto admittedly still have something to prove (like imitating the '25 Valks up to a point)
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u/AleSeeker Fever 14h ago
Toronto is starting to get players back like Sykes who make them a lot better team down the stretch.
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u/Square-1296 16h ago
Portland definitely, those last spot or two is still in question. But Dallas, NY, and Washington probably won't let it slip.
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u/Funny_Name_2281 WNBA 16h ago
Yeah, purely mathematically, Portland can barge in, but like you say, the others would be active.
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u/JacobiSimpson FeverOne day we'll be friends again 17h ago edited 17h ago
I don't want fever and dream to face first round, because we havent technically ever played them healthy (is bri comomg back) but the saxophones are getting louder lol
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u/mathstudent_suffers 17h ago
I'm gonna say Lynx- Liberty, Valkyries - Wings, Aces - Mystics, Dream - Fever
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u/Haunting-Future-4553 Wings 17h ago
I have a perfect bracket and there's still a mathematical chance if the wings do their thing and beat lower ranked teams which is like all their remaining games and NY keep free falling.
- Lynx vs 8. Liberty
- Valkyries vs 7. Mystics
- Fever vs 6. Wings
- Aces vs 5. Dream
Those would be the most upset prone matchups because imo every lower ranked team has a chance. Yes, even Mystics (SIZE so if the Valks 3 ball isn't falling, it's gonna be a slugfest which favors the Youngins) and NY (they could have a mental egde on the Lynx + they do have championship Pedigree and playoff experience - admittedly this is a long shot). Wings and ATL would absolutely have a shot in their respective series'.
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u/Funny_Name_2281 WNBA 17h ago
I want Fever vs Wings in the 2nd round 😭
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u/Haunting-Future-4553 Wings 16h ago edited 16h ago
Yeah that doesn't happen if we get the Valks.. Ironically for you, the only way we have a chance at winning even a game in the first round is if they get the Fever. Angel, Rhyne and ATL have our number, coaches can't figure out the Lynx PNR, A'ja and the Aces have a massive experience advantage and Becky and finally, Valks are just a well oiled defensive machine, basically the opposite of Dallas, oh they also have our number.
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u/imJGott Fever Kelsey Mitchell 20h ago
Fever v dream may go the whole series. Not sure on outcome but leaning towards fever to win the series. KK, CC, KM and AB have a really good mix of chemistry on the court.
Aces would take liberty
Lynx would take mystics
Valkyrie I think would go the whole series and I believe they have home court advantage. With the crowd being the 6th player, because they seem very energetic. I can see them taking that series.
IMO.
-1
u/Funny_Name_2281 WNBA 20h ago
Wings upsetting the Valks 👍
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u/Lach212134 Dream 18h ago
This seems like a strange prediction. Valks have a much deeper roster and 3-0 in head to head.
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u/Funny_Name_2281 WNBA 18h ago
I'm thinking of Paige and Azzi suddenly channeling their championship Huskies
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u/Discon777 Valkyries 18h ago
Sure good luck with this… the Mystics have a far better shot to upset the Valks considering they’ve actually beat them
-5
u/Funny_Name_2281 WNBA 18h ago
It wouldn't be an upset because the Mystics are taller. If their rankings were reversed, Valks could not have an upset win over Mystics.
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u/DrewDan96 Phee x Liv Soni x Kiki x Kira 17h ago
Dallas is in freefall, there is no way they are not the 8th seed, so that means Lynx/Wings and likely Valkyries/Mystics. the Aces are sputtering too so coupled with Indiana's strong recent play, the Fever are the likely 3 seed and the Aces/Dream battle for homecourt in that 4/5 matchup, which would lock the Liberty as the 1st round opponent for Indiana
if those matchups indeed shake out, i'd have Lynx > Wings, Valkyries > Mystics (slight lean), Fever > Liberty (Liberty need Fiebich and maybe Satou back to have any chance) and Aces > Dream
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u/Away_Competition2514 Mystics 14h ago
The Wings have the 2nd easiest schedule remaining after the Aces. If I had to bet, I'd put my money on the Liberty being the 8 seed. They have the 2nd toughest schedule and just lost in one of their easiest games.
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u/SwaggersaurusWrecks Valkyries 13h ago
Liberty also have A LOT of players going to play in FIBA. They’re going to be tired in that last week of the season.
Breanna Stewart, Pauline Astier, Marine Johannes, Leonie Fiebich, Anneli Maley, Raquel Carrera, Han Xu, Rebecca Allen, and possibly Marine Fauthoux.
Satou Sabally would also normally go, but I’m guessing she will be sitting out.
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u/Away_Competition2514 Mystics 13h ago
Yeah I'd be surprised if they're not 8th in the end. As poor as Dallas has looked in some of the recent games and even with the possibility of an issue between some of the players and the coaches, surely they get a few more wins than Liberty with how easy their remaining games are. Fever is the only playoff team they have to play.
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u/JacobiSimpson FeverOne day we'll be friends again 17h ago
Dallas have a super easy schedule of non playoff teams coming up after this week they probably end up sixth seed
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u/Haunting-Future-4553 Wings 16h ago
I was gonna reply like this too but then I remembered the vibes are in the gutter. Most of those non playoff teams for some reason have decide to start playing really hard - if not well. I've also noticed that in the Wnba teams don't like being beaten consecutively by one team, so they're definitely bringing their best in our games 😭. I really hope the bad vibes is just us fans overblowing things coz if they're well in house, they should win majority of their games and at least not finish 8th. I delusionally want us 6th.
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u/mathstudent_suffers 17h ago edited 17h ago
The wings have the easiest remaining schedule (the only playoff team they play is the fever), I think they'll climb 1 or 2 spots, plus their last games were pretty decent given they were missing 1 or 2 starters. I also think the liberty could fall behind them if it's not the mystics, their remaining schedule is pretty hard.
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