WNBA Playoff Preview 2024: #4 Las Vegas Aces Vs. #5 Seattle Storm

WNBA Playoff Preview 2024: #4 Las Vegas Aces Vs. #5 Seattle Storm

Welcome to the first year of WNBA playoff preview coverage here at Vendetta Sports Media. This matchup is between the No. 4 Las Vegas and the No. 5 Seattle Storm. This series features some star power like unanimous 2024 MVP A’ja Wilson. The Aces are looking to 3-peat for the first time since the Houston Comets won 4 championships in the first 4 years of the WNBA. The Seattle Storm are back in the playoffs after a rare season of not making the playoffs in 2023. In 25 years, the Storm have only missed the playoffs 6 times. The Aces won the regular season series against the Storm 3-1. The Storm won the first matchup and then the Aces won the last 3 matchups.

This 2024 WNBA first-round series will get underway on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 10:00 PM EST on ESPN. Let’s check out the details of this WNBA playoff preview and what makes this such an interesting series.

GAME	DATE	MATCHUP	TIME	TV
Game 1	Sunday, September 22nd	Seattle @ Las Vegas	10:00 PM EST	ESPN
Game 2	Tuesday, September 24th	Seattle @ Las Vegas	9:30 PM EST	ESPN
Game 3*	Thursday, September 26th	Las Vegas @ Seattle	TBA	ESPN2

* – if necessary

What to know about the Las Vegas Aces:

Notable starters:

• G: Kelsey Plum
• G: Jackie Young
• G: Chelsea Gray
• F: Klah Stokes
• C: A’ja Wilson

Rotational players:

• G: Tiffany Hayes
• G: Sydney Colson
• G: Kate Martin
• F: Alysha Clark
• C: Megan Gustafson

First off, we have the Las Vegas Aces in this WNBA playoff preview. This team is one of the best in the WNBA. While they haven’t dominated as much as they are used to in the last two years, this team should still be feared going into the playoffs. Anytime you have the best player in the WNBA on your roster, you should be feared as a title contender. A’ja Wilson is unstoppable. Averaging about 27 points and 12 rebounds, she often elevates her team to victory.

The guard play on this team (Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young) is elite. Both of them can score and distribute the ball with ease. Chelsea Gray also helps facilitate the ball. With those 3 on the court, you’re not sure who’s getting the ball. All will look to A’ja Wilson to score, but Plum and Young are also buckets themselves. When Young, Plum, and Wilson are hot, no one is stopping this team, as the last two years have shown.

With Tiffany Hayes coming off the bench, her veteran presence can be beneficial especially when Plum and Young need a break. Her ability to get a few buckets and hold her own while the others rest is crucial for this team. This team’s weakness is the lack of depth on the frontcourt. After Wilson, Stokes, Clark, and Gustafson are the team’s bigs. This doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence. Those 3 together only average about 10 PPG and 10 RPG. Stokes starts and usually helps clean up on the glass to help this team and Wilson, Clark and Gustafson get their minutes by giving Wilson a rest. Seattle will try to exploit them every chance they get.

Kate Martin is a team favorite and a fan favorite for the Aces. Other than being a great locker room player for Las Vegas, she helps stretch the floor for the Aces and can be streaky from 3, especially the corner. She can also defend well and brings grit on the defensive end as she showed at Iowa. There might be a few games this playoffs where she catches fire on a few 3s.

What to know about the Seattle Storm:

Notable starters:

• G: Jewell Lloyd
• G: Skylar Diggins-Smith
• F: Nneka Ogwumike
• F: Gabby Williams
• C: Ezi Magbegor (when healthy, out for Game 1)

Rotational players:

• G: Sami Whitcomb
• G: Jordan Horston
• G: Victoria Vivians
• F: Joyner Holmes
• C: Mercedes Russell (Possibly starting Game 1)

Next, we have the Seattle Storm for this WNBA playoff preview. This team is a little bit more even on the scoring front, conversely of the Aces. However, this team doesn’t have any A’ja Wilson’s on the team and is missing Ezi Magbegor for at least game 1. This team does have Jewell Lloyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith that can go toe-to-toe with Plum and Young though. This Storm team also has Gabby Williams and Nneka Ogwumike that are immensely better than the rest of the wings on the Aces.

Mercedes plays a huge role this week with Ezi Magbegor out. She has to fill in and then try to contain A’ja Wilson. A tall task for a backup center. The guard play from Whitcomb, Horston, and Vivians should be able to offset the guard play from Tiffany Hayes, Sydney Colston, and Kate Martin. I might go even as far as the Storm’s guard play from those 3 are better than those 3 Aces. Sami Whitcomb helps stretch the floor for the Storm much like Kate Martin, Martin might be a better shooter, but Whitcomb is a better player. Horston and Vivians offset Colston and Hayes, that might be a more accurate analysis while Whitcomb puts the Storm over the Aces for backup guards.

Joyner Holmes might see more minutes until Ezi is back, if she comes back. If she doesn’t come back, much like Russell, Holmes has her work cut out for her. But, at 6’3, she’s the 2nd tallest on the team with Ezi out. Russell’s height will help her against Wilson, but height isn’t everything. That will be the main job for these 2 is just to conserve their energy to contain Wilson, while the others focus on the guards and scoring.

Biggest questions for this WNBA Playoff Preview:

1. What do the Storm do about A’ja Wilson with Ezi Magbegor out?

Honestly, some teams will try to focus too much on one player and it opens up open players for teams that have the depth to do so. With Ezi Magbegor out, the Storm don’t have a shot in hell with limiting A’ja Wilson, it’s just the way it is. So instead of trying to limit her, you limit the 2nd and 3rd option. That’s right, let Russell and Holmes be on an island with Wilson, the entire time. Trying to limit by doubling or focusing on Wilson is counter-productive. Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young WILL pick up the slack and will be open if you focus on Wilson. Instead you do the opposite. You let a player on an island with Wilson and force her to score 80 points by herself if you limit the 2nd and 3rd options. It’s the opposite of what teams will expect. Let Wilson get her 1 on 1s, but focus on Plum and Young, force Wilson to single-handedly beat you or someone else outside of Plum and Young.

2. How do the Aces counter Nneka Ogwumike?

This team doesn’t have clear answer for Nneka Ogwumike. The only thing I can think of is that the Aces put Wilson on Ogwumike, the Lloyd and Diggins-Smith are guarded by Plum and Young, but that leaves Gabby Williams open for big nights. Ogwumike is a tough cover for this Aces, if they guard the way I said, Gabby Williams might have some big nights.

3. If Ezi Magbegor back for Game 2 and Game 3 can the Storm win this series?

The short answer is yes. Anything can happen in this league. Is it likely that Ezi Magbegor comes back from a concussion, guards Wilson and does her part on the offensive end? Probably not, concussions can be hard to come back from, noise, lights, atmosphere can lead to mental lapses. Ezi Magbegor is going to help more than Mercedes Russell and Joyner Holmes, but unless Magbegor is 100%, it’s hard to see this Storm team win because of A’ja Wilson.

Dearica Hamby Sues Las Vegas Aces, WNBA

Prediction

If Ezi Magbegor is available for all 3 games at a 100%, I actually take the Storm on this series. Their depth puts them over the Aces for me, but without Magbegor to help contain Wilson, this team will have a hard shot at winning this series. I do think they win game 2, granted if Ezi is back or not, I think they can steal one with a big game from the wings. However, Wilson will be too much for her and I do believe the Storm will try to double her to only open up Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. Out of the frying pan into the fire for the Storm. If they let A’ja Wilson have whatever she wants on a 1v1, and focus on pressure for Plum and Young, they might have a shot.

Prediction: Las Vegas Aces in 3

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