WNBA Playoff Schedule 2015: Dates, Matchups, Game Times and TV Coverage Info
With Sunday's final regular-season contests now in the books, the 2015 WNBA postseason is fully set for action as four teams from each conference are ready to battle for a spot in the WNBA Finals.
There's been little doubt over the season's final few weeks as to who will hold the home-court advantage throughout each conference, as the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx effectively ran their respective divisions. But with a number of competitive teams to worry about in the playoffs, things are sure to get interesting.
Whether it's superstar players or back-and-forth affairs, the WNBA should deliver one of the more memorable postseasons in its 19-year history over the coming weeks. Let's break down what you need to know for the first round.
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2015 WNBA Playoffs: First-Round Schedule
| Los Angeles vs. Minnesota | |||
| Fri., Sept. 18 | Game 1: Los Angeles at Minnesota | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Sun., Sept. 20 | Game 2: Minnesota at Los Angeles | 3 p.m. | ESPN |
| Tue., Sept. 22* | Game 3: Los Angeles at Minnesota* | TBD | ESPN2 |
| Tulsa vs. Phoenix | |||
| Thu., Sept. 17 | Game 1: Tulsa at Phoenix | 10 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Sat., Sept. 19 | Game 2: Phoenix at Tulsa | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Mon., Sept. 22* | Game 3: Tulsa at Phoenix* | 10 p.m. | NBA TV |
| New York vs. Washington | |||
| Fri., Sept. 18 | Game 1: Washington at New York | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Sun., Sept. 20 | Game 2: New York at Washington | 1 p.m. | ESPN |
| Tue., Sept. 22* | Game 3: Washington at New York* | TBD | ESPN2 |
| Chicago vs. Indiana | |||
| Thu., Sept. 17 | Game 1: Indiana at Chicago | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Sat., Sept. 19 | Game 2: Chicago at Indiana | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Mon., Sept. 21* | Game 3: Indiana at Chicago | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
Schedule courtesy of WNBA.com
On the heels of the team's most productive regular season ever, the New York Liberty look poised for a run at their first WNBA title in more than a dozen years.
There's no reason to panic after the Liberty conceded a 27-point blowout to the Washington Mystics, with the team resting some of its top players with the top seed already locked up. The leadership of 13-year veteran Tina Charles—still fresh in her second stint in the league that began with the Liberty in 2014—looks to have revitalized a roster that already has playmaking potential.
As expected, the crew is ready to open things up on its home floor of Madison Square Garden and hopes to bring some postseason success to the building that another professional basketball club has failed at:
Having Charles at center—who's fourth in the league with more than 17 points per game—has given the Liberty the size to punish opponents down low, but it's the ability of Epiphanny Prince on the perimeter that has taken them to the next level.
The five-year veteran out of Rutgers has only played in 23 games this season, missing 10, but has made the most of them. She's averaging 15.5 points per game, good for seventh in the league, to give the Liberty two top-10 scorers.
Prince is fresh off a Player of the Month award in the WNBA, which isn't surprising when you take a peep at her highlights:
Of course, the Liberty are just one of many teams in the league to bring some notable star power into the playoffs. In fact, they don't even have the stars that are the most buzzed about.
That moniker likely goes to the Chicago Sky, who have enjoyed a career-best year from superstar do-it-all player Elena Delle Donne. The scoring maestro leads the league in scoring by nearly three points at 23.2 points per contest, getting it done every which way.
Conrad Kaczmarek noted her insane rate at the free-throw line this year:
Delle Donne and Chicago figure to give New York the most trouble out in the Eastern Conference, but it's hard to envision them mustering enough of a fight to top the Liberty in a three-game series. The star power of Delle Donne may be able to steal a game away, but not two out of three—not with Charles and Prince dominating as well at the moment.
Minnesota holds the top spot out West, but it isn't peaking entering the postseason like the Phoenix Mercury are. They put together an impressive winning streak late in the season, which included consecutive 20-point wins.
In a battle between Phoenix and New York in the Finals, don't expect this one to go three full games as the Liberty's muscle up front will be too much to handle.
Prediction: Liberty win 2015 WNBA title
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