For the first time in the three seasons of this WNBA playoff format, all four first-round series ended in a sweep. But the beauty of the early decision is that all four remaining teams are legitimate championship contenders. The league couldn’t have planned a more closely contested series in the semifinals.

As a reminder, the second rounds of the WNBA playoffs are five-game series in the standard 2-2-1 format, with the home team hosting a potentially decisive Game 5. Here’s a reminder of how to view these games and how these teams performed against each other during the regular season and what to look forward to when they meet for a chance to advance to the WNBA Finals.

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Regular season meeting: Liberty went 3-0 against Aces

Game 1 in New York: Sunday, 3 p.m. (ET), Fubo, ABC

Game 2 in New York: TBD, Tuesday, Fubo

Game 3 in Las Vegas: 9:30 p.m. Friday, Fubo, ESPN2

Game 4 (if necessary) in Las Vegas: Fubo, TBD, Sunday

Game 5 (if necessary) in New York: TBD, Tuesday, Fubo, ESPN2

Regular season meeting: Sun went 2-1 against Lynx

Game 1 in Minnesota: 8:30 p.m. (ET) Sunday, Fubo, ESPN

Game 2 at Minnesota: TBD, Tuesday, Fubo

Game 3 in Connecticut: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Fubo, ESPN2

Game 4 (if necessary) in Connecticut: TBD, Sunday, Fubo

Game 5 (if necessary) at Minnesota: TBD, Tuesday, Fubo, ESPN2

Freedom vs. Aces

The 2023 WNBA Finals rematch will take place a round earlier in 2024, as the Aces sputtered through parts of their regular season while the Liberty had the same record (32-8) as a year ago. New York dominated the series during the regular season, although Las Vegas was without Chelsea Gray in the first meeting and A’ja Wilson in the final meeting. Still, the Liberty won by 12 on the road in August while the Aces were at full strength. As Kelsey Plum said when the postseason matchup was decided: “It’s no secret they took care of business. … They were the best team all year. They played like a team that was annoyed off the edge.”

What influence does Leonie Fiebich have on the Las Vegas offense?

At the start of the playoffs, New York changed its starting lineup, benching veteran Courtney Vandersloot in favor of 6-foot-11 freshman Leonie Fiebich. Considering how difficult it was for the Liberty to defend the Aces on the perimeter last season, adding another big wing alongside Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is an important adjustment.

Laney-Hamilton has defended Gray in the past, which meant Jackie Young was able to get away. But Fiebich was up to the challenge against the three-time All-Star. Young, who was named Finals MVP in 2023, has averaged 8.7 points while shooting 29 percent from the field in this season’s three losses to New York. A rejuvenated Gray will make life easier for Young as the “Point Gawd” can find Young in his spots off the ball, especially as a cutter. The Aces need an All-Star performance from Young against the WNBA’s best offense.

Leo got into playoff mode yesterday and settled in 🔒🦁 pic.twitter.com/fXxsqI687I

– New York Liberty (@nyliberty) September 23, 2024

Can Jonquel Jones get started?

Jonquel Jones was New York’s best and most consistent player in the 2023 postseason, scoring 17 points and 10 rebounds per game on nearly 60 percent shooting from the field in the Finals. Their success often forces the Aces to play Kiah Stokes so Wilson doesn’t have to defend Jones on every possession, even if Stokes hurts Las Vegas’ offense because the Liberty aren’t protecting her.

Jones had a quiet second half of the season, averaging 8.4 field goal attempts per game. This number must be in double digits compared to the Aces. Jones needs to command attention at all times so Wilson can’t roam around as a backup defender, where she can be devastating. Jones is also New York’s best hope to control Wilson one-on-one so the Liberty don’t have to rely on doubles and miss elsewhere on defense.

The choice: New York in four

Minnesota vs. Connecticut

The semifinal round undercard is no less interesting, as the league’s most modern offense meets the most modern defense.

No team finished the regular season better than the Lynx, who had four wins in their last 15 games against the other three semifinalists. And the Lynx continued that success into the postseason, helped by Napheesa Collier, who became the first player in league history to average 40 points in a playoff series. But Minnesota lost twice to Connecticut this year and needed a deeeeeeep Bridget Carleton 3-pointer to get its only win in the final week of the regular season and give the Lynx the home game in this round.

Which bank will have a greater impact?

Coach Cheryl Reeve has said throughout the season that the Lynx are not a superteam, but rather a collective that needs to work together. Similarly, Connecticut coach Steph White said Wednesday: “We’re not a team built to be carried by two or three players.” … We’re a team that needs everyone who steps on the field to to be productive and make successful plays.”

Myisha Hines-Allen brings championship experience as a reserve for Minnesota (in a finals series against Connecticut) and her speed is an advantage in the Sun’s frontcourt. White praised Olivia Nelson-Ododa for her discipline against Indiana, and that will be even more important against the ball-turning Lynx.

Natisha Hiedeman, who played for Connecticut last year, was Minnesota’s best point guard in their closeout game, and Veronica Burton added a new element for the Sun with her rim pressure. Potential X-factors shape the lineups of both teams. Expect the winner to be the one who gets more contributions in their squad.

Does Connecticut have answers for Collier?

Over the past two seasons, Collier has averaged more than 25 points against the Sun despite Connecticut’s roster of outstanding frontline defensemen. Her versatility makes her difficult to play a single coverage against, and she may be in the best spot of her career after winning her first WNBA playoff series.

80??

Yes, 80. 👑 pic.twitter.com/5uv0Fj2CEt

– Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) September 27, 2024

Alyssa Thomas’ aggressiveness as a scorer who can put opposing bigs in foul trouble was crucial for Connecticut in the first round. Perhaps the Sun’s best course of action is to attack Collier on defense while Thomas advances to the rim. On the other hand, the Lynx forward is the presumptive Defensive Player of the Year and has struggled all season with players like Thomas, Breanna Stewart and Wilson.

The choice: Minnesota in five

(Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The athlete)