Can Washington Mystics, Connecticut Solar be stopped?

The WNBA playoffs proceed Tuesday (ESPN2, 6:30 p.m. ET) as the highest 4 seeds conflict within the best-of-five semifinals. Can the Las Vegas Aces cease MVP front-runner Elena Delle Donne and the top-seeded Washington Mystics? Can the Los Angeles Sparks steal a sport from the Connecticut Solar, who misplaced solely two video games at dwelling this season? What are the X components in each sequence?

Our roundtable — ESPN’s D’Arcy Maine, Kevin Pelton and Mechelle Voepel, and The Undefeated’s Sean Hurd — solutions the powerful questions.

How ought to the Aces attempt to defend Elena Delle Donne?

Voepel: The Aces might want to stroll that line between being bodily with Delle Donne and never sending her to the free throw line, the place she’s capturing 97.Four p.c (114 of 117) this summer time. The Sparks did the very best job this season defending Delle Donne, holding her to 9 factors on Four-of-12 capturing on June 18. However the Mystics nonetheless gained that sport.

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One of many greatest issues in dealing with Delle Donne is there isn’t a place on the ground she’s uncomfortable capturing. You possibly can’t power her away from her dominant hand as a result of she’s so good with each. She’s going to harm you driving to the basket, pulling up for leap pictures, coming off screens, and scoring on putbacks — identify a solution to rating, and she or he’s good at it. In the end, you attempt to deny her the ball, which sounds simpler than it’s as a result of she’s so good at dealing with the ball.

Pelton: I would not be shocked if Sixth Girl award-winner Dearica Hamby presents Las Vegas’ best choice, which might create a dilemma for Aces coach Invoice Laimbeer: Does he take one in all his frontcourt stars (Liz Cambage and A’ja Wilson) off the court docket or attempt to play all three posts collectively, which might hamper spacing? Regardless of the selection, I feel Las Vegas has to play Delle Donne 1-on-1 and keep dwelling on the Mystics’ elite Three-point shooters.

Hurd: I feel the Aces defend her by making an attempt to restrict the manufacturing of everybody else. Make it more durable for Natasha Cloud to kick the ball out in penetration. Eradicate second-chance alternatives by being environment friendly on the boards (the Aces common a league-leading 38.eight RPG). Attempt to condense Washington’s spacing. And do your greatest to maintain the Mystics off the perimeter. Simpler mentioned than performed.

Las Vegas’ lone win over Washington occurred when Delle Donne was out together with her nasal fracture. What should the Aces do to beat the Mystics together with her?

Maine: Pray? Eat a hearty breakfast? Hope she will get in foul hassle? Will probably be a tricky process for the Aces to beat a Delle Donne-led Mystics, nevertheless it’s not unattainable. Las Vegas has been the very best defensive group within the WNBA this season (with a league-leading 95.zero defensive score), so the Aces might want to do what they do greatest and discover a solution to shut down the Mystics’ versatile offense.

In fact, the Mystics produce other scoring choices, and the very best offensive score (112.7) within the league — however off nights occur. And if all else fails, simply give Hamby the ball and inform her time is expiring.

Hurd: Get Wilson and Cambage touches early as a result of their success makes the offense go. Within the first quarter towards Chicago on Sunday, Cambage and Wilson went scoreless from the sector whereas solely making an attempt a mixed 5 discipline targets. They completed the primary half a mixed Four-for-13, and Las Vegas trailed 51-45. With a Washington offense that may put up factors in a rush, the Aces might discover themselves in a first-half gap they won’t have the ability to get well from if that tandem cannot get going.

Liz Cambage is the second participant in WNBA historical past to document not less than 20 factors, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks in a WNBA playoff sport, becoming a member of Lisa Leslie (2001). Jeff Bottari/NBAE through Getty Pictures

Pelton: Few groups have been capable of beat Washington with a wholesome Delle Donne. The Mystics are 17-2 because the All-Star break, in any case. Las Vegas has to beat up on a smaller Washington frontcourt on the glass, slowing down the sport and creating second possibilities. The Aces should restrict the Mystics’ open appears to be like from past the arc — one thing Laimbeer would not usually prioritize — and hope Kristi Toliver struggles if she returns.

Voepel: Delle Donne goes to get her factors. However do not forget 6-Four Mystics ahead Emma Meesseman (55.2 p.c) has an excellent greater capturing share than Delle Donne’s 51.5 p.c. Meesseman provides the Mystics one other dynamic weapon — and that is yet another huge physique that may rating from throughout whom the Aces should defend.

That mentioned, the Aces must have faith of their offense, too. Wilson did not have an excellent sport offensively towards Chicago and at instances appeared a bit uncharacteristically hesitant in what pictures she took. Las Vegas will want Wilson and Cambage on prime of their video games offensively, they usually additionally must win the rebounding battle.

Each the Solar and Sparks have nice frontcourts. So what’s Connecticut’s reply for L.A. guard Chelsea Grey?

Maine: On the plus facet for the Solar, they held Chelsea Grey to only 12 factors of their final assembly in August. On the not-so-great facet, Connecticut misplaced the sport, and three different Los Angeles gamers scored extra factors. Grey was the star within the Sparks’ win over the Storm on Sunday with 21 factors and eight assists, and she or he’s greater than able to taking up a sport when her group wants her to. Her former Duke teammate Jasmine Thomas is the Solar’s equal. Averaging greater than 11 factors and 5 assists (and 1.Four steals) a sport, she’s the group’s emotional chief and on-court common. Very similar to Grey can flip a sport round for the Sparks, so can Thomas.

Guard Courtney Williams is second on the Solar at 13.2 PPG. M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire

Pelton: The Solar’s beginning backcourt of Jasmine Thomas and Courtney Williams provides up dimension to the 5-11 Grey, who will in all probability get alternatives to run the offense by the publish along with bombing away from the perimeter. Connecticut will wish to make Grey work defensively and attempt to power her into turnovers — she averaged Four.zero towards the Solar throughout the common season.

Voepel: Grey was the glue for the Sparks within the common season, main them in minutes performed (32.6) and assists (5.9), and following chief Nneka Ogwumike in scoring (14.5). Grey’s court docket imaginative and prescient is spectacular, her passing has a flare like the nice Ticha Penicheiro’s did, and her pull-up leap shot has been the dagger within the coronary heart of many an opponent.

However as Kevin identified, generally turnovers can damage Grey and the Sparks. Solar coach Curt Miller has been pleased with how his group has improved on protection this season, they usually’ll must channel that towards creating issues for Grey. As a result of if she’s controlling the sport, the Solar can be in hassle.

What or who’s the opposite X issue for the Sparks towards the Solar?

Pelton: Getting offensive manufacturing from wings Tierra Ruffin-Pratt and Alana Beard. L.A. coach Derek Fisher will wish to use them to quiet Williams, and that turns into a lot simpler when Ruffin-Pratt and Beard are offering one thing on offense — significantly 3s from Ruffin-Pratt, who shot a career-best 34 p.c from past the arc throughout the common season.

Voepel: Candace Parker performed in simply 22 of the 34 video games within the common season on account of accidents, and, sure, she’s now 33 years previous. However Parker has an extended historical past of rising to the event when the stakes are at their highest. Plus, she impacts the sport in so some ways. Sunday towards Seattle, she had 11 factors, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. In her previous 5 video games, she’s capturing 50 p.c (30 of 60) from the sector.

Maine: Nneka Ogwumike. Within the three conferences between the 2 groups this season, she averaged 18 factors and 11 rebounds. Clearly she’s among the finest gamers within the league and a former MVP for a motive, however count on her to carry her A-game on this sequence and be an element each time she touches the ball.

How a lot does the storyline of Chiney Ogwumike dealing with her previous group influence this semifinal sequence?

Voepel: The Solar have among the greatest chemistry within the league, together with the Mystics. It is a part of the explanation they’re the highest two groups. Connecticut adjusted to taking part in with out Chiney Ogwumike in 2015 and 2017, when she was out with accidents. And whereas they did properly together with her final season, they’d an excellent higher document this 12 months.

Dropping somebody of her expertise degree is not simple, however led by Jonquel Jones (14.6 PPG, 9.7 RPG), the Solar have been good all season, particularly at dwelling. Plus, animosity simply is not actually an element on this scenario, although the Solar basically felt not less than considerably compelled into buying and selling Ogwumike to Los Angeles. That is nonetheless Chiney we’re speaking about. Holding a grudge towards her could be like being mad at a ray of sunshine. It is fairly arduous to do.

The Connecticut Solar drafted Chiney Ogwumike with the No. 1 decide in 2014. She was traded to Los Angeles in April. AP Picture/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Maine: For followers and members of the media, it is a tantalizing storyline. However Ogwumike is such a professional, as are her former teammates, I do not assume it is going to have an excessive amount of of an influence on something basketball-wise as soon as the ball is tipped on Tuesday night time. If something, it simply means she’ll should reply a number of questions on it throughout her media availability, however principally she’ll simply have the very best suggestions for her Sparks’ teammates about the place to eat at Mohegan Solar.

Pelton: I feel it is in all probability extra of a pre-series speaking level than one thing that may matter on the court docket. Bringing a 2018 All-Star off the bench can be an enormous enhance for the Sparks, who have been plus-29 in Ogwumike’s 17 minutes of motion on Sunday. However that might be true towards any opponent, not simply Connecticut.

Hurd: I am undecided that storyline impacts the semifinal sequence, nevertheless it additionally won’t be a coincidence that Chiney has performed extraordinarily properly towards her previous group all season. Of their three regular-season video games, by which Ogwumike has averaged 24.6 minutes performed, she’s additionally averaging 14.6 factors. Exterior of the Liberty, that is her highest factors per sport common towards a group within the common season.

Do the Mystics and Solar want to fret about being rusty having not performed since Sept. eight?

Pelton: The proof usually means that the worth of relaxation is stronger than the draw back of rust within the playoffs, and the WNBA’s double-byes appear to suit into that. Because the league went to the present playoff format in 2016, dwelling groups are 5-1 in Recreation 1 of the semifinals, with a mean margin of plus-12.zero PPG — even higher than their plus-9.Three common margin in sweeping six Recreation 2s of the semifinals.

Voepel: Let’s return to the chemistry factor. It was so apparent that the Mystics and the Solar clicked this 12 months. Even in losses, these groups did not fragment into 5 folks on court docket doing their very own factor, which their semifinal opponents, the Aces and the Sparks, generally did. The day off is not prone to have created any rust in any respect; it has simply given the highest two groups extra of probability to relaxation and put together. Plus, they do not should take cross-country flights the day earlier than Recreation 1.

Maine: I am undecided if rust is way of a priority, however I feel the Mystics and the Solar must be barely fearful concerning the momentum of the groups they’re dealing with. Profitable an elimination sport is a confidence-builder, and particularly the varieties of video games the Aces and Sparks gained on Sunday. Nonetheless, even when rust or momentum is a think about Recreation 1, neither must be too consequential in a best-of-five sequence total.