Is it time for the WNBA to expand the first round of its playoffs?
The question was being asked before the postseason even began. The Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night provided the most compelling evidence yet.
Read more The special meaning behind tonight’s game for Saints fans
The Lynx finished the regular season with a league-best 33-11 record, earning the No. 1 seed after five months of basketball. Two playoff games and three days later, their season is abruptly over. The eighth-seeded New York Liberty completed a sweep Tuesday night, making Minnesota the first No. 1 seed in WNBA playoff history to lose to an eight seed.
And Thursday night, another of the league’s biggest stars will be packing her bags early. The Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces are tied at one game apiece, meaning either Caitlin Clark or A’ja Wilson will be headed to an early offseason after a decisive Game 3 in Las Vegas.
Minnesota Coach Cheryl Reeve, notably, was lobbying for longer series before her team was eliminated.
“I just love the idea,” Reeve said before the playoffs of expanding the first round to five games. “Look at these eight teams that are in the field. Great basketball, and you should go as long as you can.”
Read more Some of the most interesting candidates of the midterms
The WNBA has already been moving in that direction. Before 2022, its first two rounds were single-elimination games. The league replaced those with best-of-three opening-round series. The Finals grew from best-of-five to best-of-seven last year, while the semifinals remain best-of-five.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert is leaving her post at the end of the year, and the league is searching for her replacement. One question awaiting the next commissioner: In a league with more teams, more games and more attention than ever, is two playoff losses really enough to send a team home?
Catch up quickly every weekday morning with a rundown of the 7 most important and interesting stories. Sign up for The 7 newsletter.
Read more Barack Obama to campaign with El-Sayed in Michigan race’s final stretch
