For the third-consecutive season, the New York Liberty are headed to the WNBA playoffs after a 22-12 season earned them the third-overall seed.
After receiving a bye in the first round, the Liberty will meet the Washington Mystics in what is basically the league’s quarterfinals, a single-elimination game.
While the Liberty had a bye for just one round, the top two seeds in the league — the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks — have byes to the WNBA semifinals. The winners of the Liberty, Mystic and Connecticut Sun, Phoenix Mercury tilt will then meet the top two seeds for a chance to go to the finals.
New York will be paced by star Tina Charles. The UConn product was tied for third in the league this season with a 19.7 points per game average and fourth in the WNBA with 9.4 rebounds:
That player she was tied with in points? Well, that’s one of the most explosive scorers and all-around players in the league, Mystics superstar Elena Delle Donne.
At 6-foot-5, she can play any position and score from anywhere on the floor. She shot 38.8-percent from three-point range this season and also averaged almost 1.5 blocks per game:
During Washington’s first-round game against the Dallas Wings, she went off for 25 points and 11 rebounds.
Needless to say, New York will have their hands full with the No. 6 seeds in what should be an immensely entertaining series.
Here is the single-elimination schedule and how you can watch:
Washington Mystics vs. New York Liberty
Date: Sunday, Sept. 10
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden
TV: ESPN2