The moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived.
After a thrilling regular season that saw a number of records broken, the 2024 WNBA Playoffs begin on Sunday.
There will be no shortage of storylines this postseason, headlined by Fever rookie Caitlin Clark making her playoff debut to A’ja Wilson and the Aces looking to become only the second WNBA team to three-peat. The stars will be out in full force in what has the potential to be a historic month.
Ahead of the playoffs, The Sporting News’ WNBA experts share their predictions for how the next few weeks will play out.
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WNBA playoff picks, predictions 2024
Which team is most likely to pull off a first-round upset?
Steph Noh: There’s really only one choice here. The Fever have been way better than an average No. 6 seed, going 10-4 after the All-Star break. They already beat the Sun three weeks ago, and Caitlin Clark has been playing out of her mind during this stretch.
David Suggs: It’s gotta be the Fever. Clark and Kelsey Mitchell are as frightening a backcourt as there is in the W, while Aliyah Boston has come into her own in the past few months. Expect a competitive series between the two Eastern Conference standouts.
Kyle Irving: The Fever. They’re going to be a common answer, but the praise is earned.
Indiana looks like a different team coming out of the Olympic break and Clark is the head of the snake. She averaged 24.3 points, 8.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in that span, solidifying her place as one of the best players in the WNBA already. With Mitchell and Boston also playing the best basketball of their careers, the Fever will be a tough out.
How far will Caitlin Clark take the Fever?
Steph Noh: While the Fever have a chance to pull off the upset, don’t discount this Sun team. They have the No. 1 defense in the league, and Alyssa Thomas has led them deep in the playoffs for five consecutive years, including two finals appearances. I don’t feel great about it, but I’m picking the Sun in that first-round series.
David Suggs: Clark could very well lead Indiana past Connecticut in Round 1. I just don’t see it at the moment.
The Fever have been as good as anyone since returning from the Olympic break, with Clark, Mitchell, and Boston showcasing a level of consistency that eluded them during the first half of the season. Nevertheless, experience is king in the postseason. Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, and the Sun have that in abundance. Couple that with an Indiana defense that can look porous at times and it’s hard to pick against Connecticut. At least at the moment.
Kyle Irving: Even if the Fever are the “most likely” to pull off a first-round upset, I don’t think the Sun will let it happen.
Connecticut is an experienced team that has not been stopped short of the semifinals since 2018 and made two WNBA Finals runs in that span. Thomas, Bonner, and Brionna Jones lead the way but no player has given Clark more trouble than defensive ace DiJonai Carrington. Marina Mabrey has injected life into their offense since being acquired at the trade deadline, too.
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Who’s your pick for playoff MVP?
Steph Noh: I’m going with Breanna Stewart. A’ja Wilson is the best player, but the Liberty have been better than the Aces this year and have the best chance of winning the championship. Stewart is the league’s reigning MVP and has made four consecutive All-Defensive teams. She’s already won two finals MVPs. Why not make it a third?
David Suggs: I’ll go with Napheesa Collier. She’s arguably the second-best player in the world and plays for a side that went 3-1 against Las Vegas and 2-1 against New York this season.
Collier can do it on both ends of the floor and is coming off the best season of her career. I think that could propel her to postseason MVP glory when it’s all said and done.
Kyle Irving: A’ja Wilson. She’s the best player in the WNBA by a significant margin and she’s ready to prove that — again — this postseason.
What under-the-radar player will become a star in the playoffs?
Steph Noh: Alanna Smith. The Lynx center plays hard, hits big 3s and is in contention for Most Improved Player for the second straight season. She’s been a great developmental story for one of the league’s best teams.
David Suggs: Leonie Fiebich. The Liberty wing has impressed off the bench in her maiden WNBA season, sinking 42.9 percent of her 3-point attempts this year. At 6-4, Fiebich has center-like height, but it’s at the perimeter where she can wreak the most havoc. New York has two of the W’s best playmakers in Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot. Expect both of them to get Fiebich involved time and time again.
Kyle Irving: DiJonai Carrington. No player has disrupted Clark more than Carrington and she’ll be in the spotlight as the star rookie’s primary defender in the first round. Carrington stepped into a full-time starting role after finishing runner-up for Sixth Woman of the Year last season and has been one of the best perimeter defenders in the W. She’s also averaging a career-high 12.7 points per game to round out her skillset.
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Which team is the biggest threat to an Aces threepeat?
Steph Noh: The Liberty. They were ousted in four games in last year’s finals. This team is better, and the Aces are worse. Las Vegas had six of its players participate in the Olympics, and that fatigue is going to make their path much harder this season.
David Suggs: The Lynx. Minnesota has bested Las Vegas in three of its four matchups this season. Cheryl Reeve’s side has the best defense in the West and more depth than the Aces. Wilson is the best player in the world, but Collier isn’t too far behind, having put forth a season that will likely result in a top-three finish in MVP voting.
Kyle Irving: The Liberty. Everyone expected to see a WNBA Finals rematch between New York and Las Vegas. Instead, we might see the matchup unfold in the second round. That could be bad news for the Liberty’s best regular season in franchise history, but it could also spell the end of the Aces’ three-peat hopes.
Who wins the 2024 WNBA title?
Steph Noh: The Liberty. They have homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, they have the talent and they have the playoff experience. Jonquel Jones and Ionescu have grown as passers, Stewart continues to be a two-way force and Sandy Brondello is looking like one of the top coaches in the league.
David Suggs: The Lynx. Reeve’s side might not have the star power that the Aces and Liberty have. It’s a damn good roster, though, spearheaded by Collier and Kayla McBride. Courtney Williams, Bridget Carleton and Alanna Smith are as good a supporting cast as there is in the W, while Myisha Hines-Allen — acquired at the trade deadline from Washington — has offered the Lynx a bruising presence in the paint.
Minnesota has been efficient and effective through 40 regular season games. A similar showing in the postseason could bring a championship to the Great Lakes.
Kyle Irving: I’m still riding with the Aces. Even with a bumpy road in the regular season, the back-to-back reigning champions will know it’s time to flip the switch. Wilson is having a historic MVP season and she has plenty of help around her to finish the job a third consecutive time.
