Are Caitlin Clark and the Fever Ready for a Playoff Run? (Video)

The WNBA playoff field came together in the final hours of the regular season Thursday night, just in time for a league that often does nothing until the very end. No. 1 New York, No. 2 Minnesota, No. 3 Connecticut and No. 4 Las Vegas rounded out the top four, while Caitlin Clark led the Indiana Fever to a No. 6 seed and their first playoff appearance since 2016.

The first round is a best-of-three series, with all four series starting Sunday. Teams play roughly every other day for the next month before the final begins on October 10.

Here are Yahoo Sports’ picks for each series, plus some analysis on the biggest postseason topics.

#1 Freedom vs. #8 Dream

Negley: Freedom in 2
New York has looked a little shaky lately, but that was against the league’s best. Managing the Dream shouldn’t be a problem if you have bigger goals in mind.

Laase: Freedom in 2
The Dream snuck into the playoffs, but that’s where their season will end. The Liberty are too good and the Dream have been disjointed all season. Sure, Atlanta beat New York in the season finale, but the Liberty benched their starters in the fourth quarter while the Dream gave it their all to secure a playoff spot.

No. 2 Lynx vs. No. 7 Mercury

Negley: Lynx in 2
The Mercury don’t have enough offense to overcome Minnesota’s stout defense. It could be a frustrating end to a legendary career for Diana Taurasi.

Laase: Lynx in 2
Minnesota went 3-1 against the Mercury this season, and all four games were relatively close. We’ve seen smart, composed basketball from the Lynx all season, so I don’t expect the pressure of the playoffs to be much of a challenge. Plus, they finished their season on an eight-game winning streak, including wins over New York and Connecticut. Phoenix, meanwhile, has been inconsistent all season, never winning more than three games in a row and finishing the season losing seven of their last 10 games.

No. 3 Sun vs. No. 6 Fever

Negley: Fever in 3
I want to see an upset somewhere in this category, and this is the most reasonable. The Sun have played three games each year in the best-of-three format and both times were as the No. 3 seed. Expect history to repeat itself, but this time Indiana’s offense will come out on top (with just (enough defense to finish the job). If the Fever can steal a game from Connecticut — and this team has shown it can do that in the last month — it will be a very loud Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and Clark has mastered the art of drawing his crowd. Indiana is 12-8 at home and 6-3 at home since the All-Star/Olympic break.

Laase: Sun in 3
This series could get interesting. The Fever are in great shape right now and Caitlin Clark has a knack for getting the crowd going in the playoffs. Indiana will give the Suns a run for their money, but Connecticut should be able to hold their own. The Suns have been powered by their defense all season and they’ll need to bring some extra intensity against Indiana to contain Clark and Kelsey Mitchell. But the Suns have been in this situation before and their veteran group will have an advantage over the inexperienced Fever.

No. 4 Aces vs. No. 5 Storm

Negley: Ace in 3
It’s the same starters who won back-to-back championships, and they’ve looked more like themselves lately than at any point this season. It often felt this season like Las Vegas was preparing specifically for the playoffs and wasn’t overly concerned with standings, seeding or regular-season dominance.

Laase: Ace in 3
The Storm are on the verge of putting it all together, but I don’t think this is their year. Meanwhile, the Aces know exactly what it takes to win a title — they’ve won two in a row — and A’ja Wilson is doing everything she needs to win. There’s no way she’s going to ruin her historic season by making an early playoff exit. But this is a good Seattle team, and I expect Jewell Loyd, Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith to win a game in the series.

SEMI-FINALS

Negley
Liberty vs. Aces: Liberty in 5
Lynx vs. Fever: Lynx in 4

To leave
Liberty vs. Aces: Liberty in 5
Lynx vs. Sun: Lynx in 5

FINALS

Negley
Liberty vs Lynx: Liberty in 5

To leave
Liberty vs Lynx: Liberty in 5

Who will be the artists who stand out?

Negley
Two former teammates, accustomed to leading teams in the playoffs, are still chasing their first title, this time with the two leading contenders.

Liberty forward Jonquel Jones has yet to win a championship despite three Finals appearances and was the most emotional player for Liberty after they were eliminated in Game 2 of the Finals last year. She has often been relegated to the background of Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, but expect Jones to be more dominant with a title on the line. That’s why she requested a trade to New York and re-signed as a free agent last winter.

Lynx guard Courtney Williams was also part of the Sun teams that reached the Finals in 2019 and 2022. She averaged 17.9 points in the 2019 playoffs, tied with Jones and up from 13.2 in the regular season. Williams is one of the game’s strongest midrange players.

To leave
Napheesa Collier is already a star, but she still manages to stay under the radar. If the Lynx are to succeed, she will be front and center, showcasing her all-around skills. Collier has put on a show, anchoring Minnesota this season and averaging 20.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, but she has been overshadowed by A’ja Wilson’s record-breaking season. The playoffs are Collier’s chance to shine, officially stepping into her role as Minnesota’s next franchise player.

Which team has the most to lose?

Negley
The Liberty. General manager Jonathan Kolb put three names on his whiteboard in the fall of 2022 and delivered them in free agency to create the first true superteam in league history. The addition of All-Stars Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot to Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Sabrina Ionescu, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick touted as the franchise’s savior, made them immediate title contenders. After falling short to the mighty Aces, it’s time to finally bring the trophy to one of the league’s biggest markets.

To leave
It seems like every season is a make or break for the Connecticut Sun. And this year is no different. Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones, DeWanna Bonner and DiJonai Carrington are all set to become free agents. If the Sun don’t get a championship this season, it might be time for a total rebuild.

What is your dream match in the final?

Negley
Liberty vs. Fever. This is a game that will almost certainly generate the most excitement among casual fans and break TV ratings records to cap a historic year. There are established superstars on one side and youngsters on the other. They also both play in NBA arenas, creating incredible atmospheres with 17,000-plus fans each night. And it’s fun to see (and watch!) Clark and Ionescu hit deep dagger shots that elicit ear-shaking roars.

To leave
Lynx vs Liberty. This might not be the most dramatic matchup, and while I love upsets, there’s something special about the best teams going head-to-head for the title. Minnesota and New York have been the two best teams in the WNBA this season. Plus, it would be a complete clash of styles. New York entered free agency and signed established stars, while the Lynx opted to find role players who fit into their system around Napheesa Collier.