WNBA playoffs: the new first-round format already paying dividends for the teams, the league in 3 series heads in match 3

New York-Nowadays, 1-1-1 adds to 100.

The new format of the WNBA to the best of the first three tower is the excitement, the high issues and the additional basketball that the desired league giving each team at least one home match.

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And biting nail stress hits hard for fans with a dog in the fight. Three of the four first round series go to a winner 3 match, starting with two games on Thursday evening. Indiana n ° 6 n ° 3 of Indiana and n ° 2 welcome storm n ° 7. Friday, n ° 5 Liberty and Mercury n ° 4 conclude the first round with their match 3 in Phoenix.

“It’s a bit crazy,” said the striker of the Liberty veteran, Breanna Stewart. “I hope that for fans and those who look, they can just enjoy more. They can see basketball more often.”

The fourth series missed a third pivotal match of a bucket when the n ° 1 minnesota has ahead of N ° 8 Golden State, 75-74, Wednesday evening to reserve first place in the semi-finals.

Count coach of Count Veteran Lynx Cheryl Reeve as surprised as all of us.

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“At no time did we think it was going to be a series of two games at no time,” said Reeve. “They played well enough to win. Obviously, we hung on this and made a basket more than them. ”

The change of sites evokes the tables more than keeping the first two games at Better Seed’s House. Previously, the decisive game 3 went to the court of the lower team, a problem in its own right. The four best series of three people were scales in 2024, and only some of the eight games fought close battles. A match went to match 3 in 2023 and two in 2022, the first year after the end of the WNBA with a single elimination.

“I think it is balanced,” said Mercury’s second-year head coach Nate Tibbetts, before match 1. “This gives the two teams a real chance, and the two fans melt a chance to take advantage of their team in the playoffs.”

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Five of the eight teams won their land at home during these qualifying series. Mercury were the only team not to defend their home at home in match 1. Despite the drop in the ball, the AS head coach, Becky Hammon, used them as an example on the other side of the argument.

“I don’t like it,” said ACES head coach Becky Hammon, a former player after Las Vegas won his first game. “You are looking at a team like Phoenix, dropping this one, they will have all the pressure. I mean, incredibly difficult to have to fly for New York.”

But that’s what the playoffs are talking about. There is no easy adjustment. It is not the days of the first two seeds that earn automatic Byes in the semi-finals. “Pressure is a privilege”, is that not what they always say?

“Two home games [to start] Last year is unknown in a three -game series, “said Alyssa Thomas on Wednesday.” In order to win a series, you have to win on the road. Tonight we won on the road. It was a competitive game couple. “”

Phoenix made the favor in match 2 Wednesday by defeating freedom in an amazed barclays. The real pressure will be in match 3 after each team is returned to Phoenix. There is also the match 1 of the Minnesota semi-finals to keep in mind. This advises Sunday.

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The influence of charter flights at the start of the 2024 season allowed the League to spend its format from 2-1 to 1-1-1, a change he had wanted to make since the pandemic season of COVVI-19, said Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to her final speech a year ago. While the League continues to modify its structure, it should examine the provision of the playoffs in the future.

This becomes particularly important with five other teams entering the League by 2030. The return to a conference -based format could help, although it can reduce increased competitiveness acquired by the years 2010. The first week could be extended a day or two, knowing that these games go to a third decisive. The WNBA likes a Sunday afternoon slate, but in its new agreement with the media from 2026, could the games be moved to other windows during great listening hours?

The only thing the league has classified in this area was its appreciation of fans. There are more people than ever attending games, buying goods and support players. The prices for seasonal tickets are increasing, a trajectory that will assess some of the longtime fans of the League. It will be less attractive to attend families, a long -standing pillar of this league.

These are all understandable growth pain. By insisting that each eliminatory team welcomes at least one eliminatory match, he recognizes not only the importance for a team, but for his base. It was a shame that Indiana fever was unable to organize a home game in the playoffs a year ago when they reached the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

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The fever sold almost all its regular season games while the city rallied around Caitlin Clark and the team. Companies relied on the fever and evening specialties, as for the Pacers of the NBA or the NFL colts. To continue to grow, fans’ commitment must be rewarded when it justifies.

When the buzzer struck on a sorrow on Wednesday evening, Fans of Golden State, threaded in Violet, Rose on ovation for their inaugural group. They directed the League in the presence and went to San Jose for their “home” match when Chase Center was not available to wash it Cup, which was planned before the team. The league has safely left its era of playoff matches due to Disney on the ice and the NBA.

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Not everyone sees it this way.

“I think this conversation took place last year, when the Indiana had no match, and they were upset,” said Hammon, whose ACES teams have never dropped four heads of series. “But for me, people must just get, you have to finish better. Either move it to five [games]Or it remains in the 2-1 format, because it puts the higher seed to a huge disadvantage. “”

Almost a full week after the playoffs, three games 3 will be held at houses in the upper seeds. The only drawback is the impact on everyone’s stress levels.