In Case You missed It with Christina Williams is an iheartwomen's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Welcome to a special playoff preview of In Case you missed It with Christina Williams. Today, we're gonna be talking to a couple of my favorite people who are actually friends to the show, and we're gonna break down the WNBA playoffs. We're gonna be talking about postseason awards, we're gonna give our predictions, and we're gonna talk about w
NBA expansion news. So, without further ado, I want to welcome my two friends friends to the show, Winsider reporter Miles Erlick and New York Post Sports dexter Henry. What's up, guys, what's up.
Hey Christina? Thanks for having us.
Big three back together again. I love it.
Glad to be back.
So, guys, I want to get right into the headlines for this week. This week we received the breaking news that the WNBA will be expanding to Portland. So this is the third franchise that has been announced over the last year and a half. I want to say, so, what are your thoughts about the WNBA moving back to Portland.
I'm excited about this. I think that there's already kind of a built in rivalry between Portland and Seattle, and we've seen that this is just a community that really embraces women's sports. From twenty thirteen to twenty twenty one, the Portland Thorns, the NWSL team, led the league in attendance, and this is an area that's really excited. And it was great to see Jenny Wynn, who started the sports Bra, kind of in the middle of all of it, because she kind of helped show how deep that love for
women's sports runs in Portland. And obviously, as we know by the non stop Sabrina mentions that ur I know the tampering, there's a lot of excitement from the college pipeline to the pros also, So I think it's kind of a no brainer destination and I'm excited about it.
Yeah, I think it's a no brainer too. Christina love seeing another team in the Pacific Northwest. As Miles said, they've supported women's sports tremendously there, you know, bringing back a franchise there, I think it's fantastic, makes a ton of sense. So that community, I think is going to be fired up. I think you're going to see a lot of the same interest that you saw around the Valkyries once they announced their ticket sales are through the
roof their pre ticket sales. I think you're going to see that same sort of level of interest. And this is just another good addition for the w as it continue to expand.
Yeah, when I heard the news, I was really excited, in part because that means that this goes from one point forty four to potentially one hundred and eighty plus jobs through twenty twenty six for these women athletes who are so deserving of being in the number one basketball league in the world. And so I'm excited on that front to see more athletes get an opportunity to play
in the WNBA. And so with the news that the WNBA was expanding to Portland, it got people fired up to think about some other cities that they would like to potentially see the WNBA. What are some cities that you want to see the WNBA go to next.
So Miles and I were talking about this a little bit before, and Philadelphia seems to make a lot of sense. Another Northeast market team, very hungry basketball city, very rabid sports fan base. Some of us in New York don't really care for those people down in the city of Brotherley Love because they don't show brotherly love. But I think it's a really good market that could use a w team. I think it would be well supported. I
think they make a lot of sense. I think if you want to maybe look a little bit further south, you could think about some cities Charlotte, Nashville. Maybe those could work. I think Nashville might be a little bit better than Charlotte in terms of fans support. They're hungry for another professional team, so those are two cities I would be interested. Listen. I'm also on this train too. I'd love to bring back the comments. I would love the comments to come back. I've been riding that can
bring back the comics train. Hopefully they could be well supported in h Town, but I'd love to see the comments come back.
To Dexter named every city in America, so it didn't make that easy for me.
Couple of years ago, I had a chance to interview Natasha Cloud, and she revealed to me that there was an ownership group spearheaded by comedian Wanda Sykes, who was preparing a proposal to the WNBA to bring a team to Philly. So I think that that would be so dope because you know, there are players in Philly. I think that you know, you have the seventy six ers out there already, the fandom, you have players like Kalia Koppa and Natasha Cloud or from Philly, So it would
be dope to get another East Coast team. And I totally agree, why not take advantage of that huge women's basketball fandom in the South and I had another team. I think that athletes unlimited. Right now, they're kind of testing the Nashville market. In twenty twenty five, they are
relocating their professional women's basketball league to Nashville. So I think the w will definitely be taking a look at what's happening there next year to see if that can potentially be you know, a city to add a team to. And we know that this is not it for expansion in the WNBA. Commissioner Kathy Engelberg has hinted time and time again that the WNBA is looking to add sixteen to eighteen teams I think through twenty twenty eight, so we never know, like if those cities you know, will
be the next up on the list. For the WNBA's expansion agenda, but I want to move right along. So the WNBA season just concluded, and it feels so weird to say that we went through an entire WNBA season. I feel like just yesterday we were at the WNBA Draft and now we're prepping for the postseason. But as the WNBA season has just wrapped up, what stood out to the both of you about this season?
I think that it's the energy, the energy that is here that has been building and building and building, but has hit a point that we haven't seen in decades, since the early years of the WNBA. And to have that happen in a season with an Olympics built into it.
On one hand, yes, that adds to the national stage, but on the other there could have been a loss of momentum and they're really hasn't been in the second half, and I think that's in part due to the rookies putting on such a show and breaking all these records, but also the stars putting on a show night in
and night out. There are teams at the top. You're looking at the Liberty and the Links, and then there's what Asia has done in terms of just breaking all these singles, the scoring record, the rebounding record, and then obviously Caitlin and Angel. It's just been awesome. It's just been terrific. And for so long we've been saying the W's coming, the W's coming, and now we're like, the W is here, and it's just been refreshing really to just see how it's kind of built itself into the culture.
Yeah, I'm kind of going to build off for what Miles said there. I think for me, you know, when you look at it, it's also the star play. You know, the star play has elevated even so much and just how recognizable now these women are at the forefront. You're seeing more opportunities for them in terms of commercials. It really starts with the play on the court, right and there's just so many women who are super stars in this league, playing at an extremely high level and doing
this for consecutive years. That's the thing. You're seeing these names that we're seeing where there's Asia, whether it's Stewie, where there's no Visa Collier, You're seeing these women play at such a high level time and time again. And I think that's what's really dope about the league and what people are really attaching themselves to They're seeing these stars and they're continuing to play at a high level and show out every night.
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I mean, we're all three here in the New York market, so we get a little bit of a treat to get to see the New York Liberty night in and night out, and just the fandom that is in Barclays Center, sellout crowds and arenas game to game. Seeing that crossover and intersection of sports culture, fashion, beauty, et cetera, I think that we are in a really good place when it comes to women's basketball. Okay, so we know the season ended and
you know there are w NBA End of Season Awards. Now, I am a media voter, so I personally will not partake in this little game that we're gonna play here because I'm gonna reveal who I've voted for after the awards are announced. So I want to ask you, Dex and Miles who you would have voted for. All Right, So starting with the MVP, if you had a vote, who would be your MVP pick?
So I'm going to take Asia Wilson off the board. What Asia has done this year has just been phenomenal in terms of setting the scoring record, the most counting rebounds, and really just keeping an ace's team that was trying
to find themselves. She's spectacular. She's a superstar. Any league would be lucky to have her fronting there and just representing their brand and what Asia is doing to continue to level up after she's already a multi time MVP, after she led Team USA to a gold medal this summer. It's unlike anything we've seen in the W but also sports at large. Really, so just Asia all the way over here.
Look, I'm stealing Miles's answer. Lets this is easy. I mean, like, if you're not saying Asia Wilson, you weren't watching the W right, like becoming the first thousand point scorer in the league, arguably the greatest season we've ever seen in the W by a player. I mean, the efficiency, everything's up from Asia Wilson. There's a case to even be made, and I know we'll get to some of this later that Asia Wilson her game even improved to another level.
I'm not saying she's the most improved player, but her game improved so much that she's even better than the greatness we saw before she was the best player in the league, hands down, incredible two way player. She's MVP.
Yeah, I'm gonna say Asia Wilson as well. I think that she really took that fourth place vote to Art last year and she came back and she completely dominated. Its Asia Wilson and then everybody else. But I do want to recognize other potential candidates, and no, Fisa Collier, Caitlin Clark, Nekka Gumakay has also had a really good season, and some can even make a case with Sabrina and Rescue and the way she's been Start Stuart and Brianda Stewart,
who is the current reigning MVP. So it just speaks to how great this season has been in terms of the parody. But Asian Wilson has just been on a completely different level, all right, moving right along Rookie of the Year And I don't think there's much of a debate here either, But what do you guys think?
I don't think there's much of a debate here either. I think at a point there was between Kaitlyn Clark and Angel Reese, and I thought that maybe a quarter through the season, I was like, oh, maybe we'll have a co Rookie of the Year, but obviously with Angel getting injured and being out for the season, and the way Caitlyn played, especially post Olympic break right, we saw the turnovers go down, we saw the shooting numbers increase, and just what she's meant to this Indiana Fever team.
She's been set all the records in terms of scoring for a rookie assist. She's the Rookie of the Year. I think these are the two easiest awards to vote for this year in the w the MVP and Rookie of the Year. So I'm giving it to Kaitlin Clark. The question is, I don't know, be unanimous. I would say no, I think that's a big question around Asia for MVP, but Caitlyn Clark definitely in my book Rookie the Year.
I agree, and I think she should be unanimous there too.
What the expectations that Caitlyn had when she was coming into the pros for her to meet and exceed those in her rookie year are spectacular, and I think that it shouldn't be lost that there are some years where there is a Rookie of the Year by default, right where nobody is getting the time and the minutes, and Christina alluded to it where we need more roster spots because there are so many rookies that are cut out of camp just because there's no room for them, and
I think that's a big thing that expansion is going to help with. But this year there's a real competition for that those five spots in the All Rookie team because this has just been such a deep class. So for Caitlyn to come in and excel beyond that because so many players are already so far ahead of the timeline that was expected of them, including Angel who has the single season rebounding average record as a rookie, which
is phenomenal. For Haitland to come in and then set all these other rookie records is just so cool and the sport is in great hands right now.
Yeah, absolutely, I agree on that front. With this being a really deep and talented rookie class. Some would argue Rokia Jackson, if she would have gotten more minutes at the first half of the season, she could have been and that running for the Rookie of the Year race. But you know, I think about players like Kamla Cardoso, who has adapted really well. Cam and Brinck pre injury,
how great she was playing Julie van Leoni Phoebich. You know, this is a huge rookie class and you know, I'm excited to see where all of these players go in the future. Don't go anywhere. We have more with Miles Erlick and dex to Henry when we return on in case you missed it, with Christina Williams. All right, let's move on to Defensive Player of the Year.
But you got this was a tricky one for me because for most of the year I had Asia Wilson as my Defensive Player of the Year and in the last post Olympics it shifted over to Nafisa Collier. And that's not a knock on what Asia has done at all. She's been a premier defender. She would still be on my first team All WNBA Defensive team. But it's just what Fee has done within the context of that Minnesota defense and leading that Minnesota defense, and just how they communicate,
how switchful they are. She's the hub of everything that they're doing there. And also I think part of it is we talked about Asia's offensive efficiency, but they had to lean on her so much on that end of the floor that she's not maybe as elite as she was last year where she was the defensive player of the Year, but still you know, top two in this in this category, but by the smallest margins. I'm leaning Fee here.
Yeah.
I don't know if this was one that Miles and I would have disagreed on here, but we don't. And it was sort of for the same reason Christina. I looked at this and I said, I usually like, when it comes to defensi player of the year, who's the best defensive player on the one of the best, if top two or three defensive teams in the league. And you know, when you look at points per possession in terms of defense for the Minnesota Links, you know Fee is right there at the top of that. She's also
fourth in steel rate. A tremendous defensive player. She is the hub of everything they do. Her bid lead to switch one through four is absolutely amazing. So when I looked at the defensive season she had and when you look at how good the Links are defensively, yeah, it had to be her for me, I think, and I agree Miles. I think that was a great point. You brought up the slippage if you want to say that with that we saw with Asia, I think a lot is because of how much more she had to do
on the offensive end this year. I think they're spot on with that. And so while she had a fantastic season and this is no shade to Asia, fee to me as a defensive Player of the Year.
Now, a lot of people or a lot of conversations that I've been here around the Defensive Player of the Year is that you know, it tends to go to a lot of the bigs and some of the guards don't really get love when it comes to this particular award. And I've heard even cases for Djna Carrington, who has had a great defensive year for the Connecticut Sun. What do you guys think about Djna?
So that's a little tricky for me because I love a campaign for a wing or a guard being put into that conversation because they don't get the counting stats that people look at the rebounds in the blocks like that's a lot of what casual fans are kind of looking at counting stats wise when they're trying to figure out who's the most impactful on the defensive end. But where I come back to is this is still a forward dominated league when you're going to talk about the
MVP candidates year in and year out. Caitlin has worked into that conversation, which is awesome. But it's Asia, it's Stewie, it's Fee, it's at it's Neca. These are big This is a big league. So I think that when it comes to stop those front court players, it's just that's where the defensive player the year has to come from.
I definitely agree with that as well. And listen, I'm the same as Miles. I'm all here. I think the guard should get more love. I say this around when I'm on NBA shows or podcasts. I kind of advocate for some guards too. But that's even why I brought up steel rate with Fee, because I think that's something that sometimes can get overlooked, but in the context of a truly good team defense, that does matter. And she's so great at that. And so I'm with Miles. It
is a Biggs league. You have to be able to stop the primary bigs who are the best two way players in the league right now, and Fee is somebody who can actually do that right. She can give age of fits if she's on her she can give Stewie fits if she's on herself. While I love to see more love for the guards, I don't think it's crazy to have Djna in your top three or four for Defensive Player of the Year. I don't think that's crazy at all. Yeah, I still got to go with fee here.
I like that. I like that, all right? Moving on to six Women of the Year? Who do you have for this award? And Miles I already think I know who you're going to say.
Yeah, I see. This was another one where I was like, man, I don't know where Miles is gonna go, and this one was this was tough for me. I mean, this one was tough for me. But I'm gonna go with Leoni Phoebitch of the Liberty.
Okay, that's a good choice.
Yeah.
I just think when you look at what she did, and sometimes I know, people say she started fifteen games, right, and people like, does that take away from you voting for her for six Women of the Year. No for me, because I think it's also the ability of what you were able to do off the bench and then when you were counted upon to fill in as the reserve and start, that production didn't dip off it at all whatsoever. In fact, there's some argument that you could say it
was even better. So for me, just what she was able to do in terms of knocking down the outside shot, the physicality and defense she provided in coming over, you know, to this league and playing for the first time, also as a rookie. You know, she's getting a conversation for that too. Obviously not gonna win, but I think she was the best player off the bench on one of
the best teams and a consistent contributor. So while this was close for me, I'd to go, Leoni poebitch, Miles, did you do the same?
Yere, I'm going to agree with you, but where I'm going to disagree as I'm going to say, this was not even close for me. This was Leo being the best reserve on the best team in the WNBA and as a rookie setting She's third all time in three point percentage from rookies and that's qualifying. With one hundred threes attempted, She's third by that same metric in the
WNBA this year. She had a stretch after the break, after the Olympic break that she played in and played heavy minutes where she had sixteen or twenty two threes across an eight game stretch. What she has done in terms of just spacing the floor, in terms of being that versatile switching wing for this team that they could put in plug and play into any lineup. And that's when you're talking about you could start, you can come off the bench, you could just knock down threes, but
they've continued to put her into more actions. Leo has just really lapped the field for me. And yes, all of these players that are in contention for six Women of the Year have started some time and they just hit the criteria which as they come off the bench more than they start, but it's because they're so good. These are starters that are in reserve roles. But sometimes it will be overlooked when you don't have the largest point per game average or rebound per game. But this
is the ultimate role player award. This is doing what is essential for the team. And Leo just passed Maya More for the most rookie games all time with double digit plus minus. So she comes into the game and the liberty are better. They are more than ten points better in all those instances and she set the record for seven straight games of double digit plus minus. So Lao has just been consistently and that's what this is. This is a consistency award. The most impactful reserve in the WNBA.
I like that choice. Shout out to Laoni Pepitch all right, most improved player.
Man, this was scoop was. This was the award for me and I do not envy you as a voter on this one. And what's interesting is the three of us talked about this earlier in the season.
In first I think was all yeah for Sabrina.
And this is an interesting award to me in terms of how you view either improvement and the value of that to a team. I ended up through a lot of thinking and number crunching and all this, I ended up going with DJ Carrington. She was the leader for me most of the year. I think that the fact that she got thrust into the start and role career highs this year in points, rebounds, assist minutes played the
big thing for me with her. We know how good of an on ball defender she is, but her foul rate went down, which was impressive to me because that also is allowing you to stay on the floor and have more of an impact to your team. So I
think what she did and improvement of her game. We always knew she was a good player on that side of the ball, but seeing the scoring, the assist, the steels go up career highs and all of that, her impact on the sun and handling the role of becoming a starter and still being productive and being able to stay on the floor. For me, it was DJN Carrington.
But I'm going to be honest whatever. I don't know if Miles is going to agree with me on this, but even if Miles goes somebody different, I think there's a strong argument for other players, and I don't think it's crazy if someone tells me somebody else is the most improved player this year.
So you didn't need to have both of us on the show if we were just going to chalk it up. But I did want to show some love to some other candidates because I agree. We've talked about this a lot about how this is my least favorite award because of the way that it's phrased. You don't know if this is a comeback player award or someone has done.
They are very specific as saying that it's not a comeback.
Player, yeah, but they're not specific in saying somebody like Kennedy Carter, who was really great a couple of years ago but then was in the league. If that means that she's eligible for this or not. But I want to show love to Kennedy because what she did given the opportunity. We've already known she was a hooper like this, but to see her put this together with such consistency was awesome and I think in a lot of years
she would have won this award. Bridget Carlton made a really big late push for me what she's done for the Links, and you cannot show enough love to this Minnesota Lynks team. But at the end of the day, it was Djna for me. And last week I spoke to Stephanie White, the head coach of the Sun, and steph presented her case for why she thought DJA should be and something she said that was interesting was last year they needed Djna off the bench because she was
this spark blood for them. She just had this energy and they would bring her in to take on whatever player was killing them that night and put Djna there and try to stop the bleeding. And they challenged her this year by moving her into that starting lineup and said, can you keep that energy for an entire game? And she responded by not only working her way into Defensive Player of the Year conversations, but by all of these
career highs. So for Djna to be able to do that, for them to have her as a Downhills, which they needed so badly as a transition scorer. We've seen some games where she's just completely taken over, right, We've seen three steals in a row and these these pick six fast break layups. Djna has just upped her game in every every way. And I think that that is the spirit of the award, if not the weird wonky definition.
Miles, real quick, did you have Alana Smith? Was she in consideration for you as well too? Because she was in consideration for me?
Yeah, every year and she was also up there if not for fee right, she was up there for Defensive Player of the Year. Yep, she would be on my on my first team All WNBA defense because Alana Smith just every year keeps on climbing and climbing and climbing. This is why we need more roster spots. Because Alana Smith was almost out of the double yep, and she was she was looking for new opportunities, and last year she really took off in Chicago, and then this year
to see her continue that upward trajectory. I think last year she probably had an even better case than this year because that was kind of her breakout. I feel like with her she kind of unlocked defensively, that she could be this three to four and just be a mismatch on both ends the floor. But her health defense is tremendous, absolutely.
All right, last one Coach of the Year, I think that it's a tight race between two coaches. But what do you guys think?
Yeah, I think it's a tight race between Cheryl Reeves and Sandy Broundello. I think that's the race here. I think a lot of how you vote this award would be do you value somebody coaching the team with the best record in the league as much and being dominant throughout right to a degree, or do you value the coach that maybe lifted a team up from where most people didn't think they were going to be. Now, I did think the Links were going to be good this year.
I liked some of the way they were playing towards last year, some of the additions they made, I thought they'd be better, not sure. I had them as number two in the league right going into the playoffs. I gotta go with Cheryl Reeve. I think when you look at what she's done with this team, like I said, getting them to the two seed, having one of the best defenses in the league, loving the style of the way they play, how versatile they are, I think she's done a great coaching job if you give it to
Sandy Brondelo. Not mad at you either, but my vote would go to Cheryl Reeve.
With the links before the season started, the links were being set up at sportsbooks at over fourteen and a half wins per game. They doubled that this is a team that has just excelled in every way. So Cheryl Reeve's going to win this award. What I want to use your platform to do is just shout out Sandy Brondelo, because Cheryl's going to win this. But what Sandy Brondelo did is going to be overlooked because the expectations were
already there. But I think a lot of what faltered for the Liberty last year was that they didn't have this depth, they didn't manage these minutes and by the time they got to the postseason, players were more run down. So in an Olympic year for her to be more trusting of the second unit and Jonathan Cold found these players like Kennedy Burn, like Leoni Fievish, like Evonadutskinch that were able to come in and spell those starters, so
that near Savoli. Her development this year has been tremendous so that Sandy Brondella didn't have to lean on those stars so much. What she was able to do to then get the liberty to these back to back thirty plus win seasons, which is the first time in WNBA history. I think it's going to be overshadowed because of expectations, but the coaching job she's done has been better this year than last year.
I like that you both made it case and I myself, I think it is between coach Sandy Brundello and coach Cherrol Reeve. But one could also make a case for coach Christy Sides, who in the beginning first half of the season everyone's calling for her job, and then there was that turn with the team in the second half of the season where the Fever have now clinched a playoff berth for the first time since twenty sixteens. But I think by far it is going to be Hirol Reeve.
But yeah, I think that it's those two and then coach sides you can make a case for as well. All right, we're going to take a quick break and when we come back, we're going to have some playoff predictions and I'm going to see who Dexter and Miles will predict to be the twenty twenty four WNBA champions. Now it's time for some first round WNBA playoff predictions. So we know the New York Liberty have secured that number one seed and we'll have home court advantage in
the first round. What doll we expected to see from this New York Liberty team?
One word, Christina, expecting to sweep. That's what I'm expecting. Liberty is dominated all year. I expect them to sweep. They're not going to play with their food. Well yeah, sorry, that is three words. But yes, I'm expected to sleep. But look, I don't expect them to play with their food at all, whatsoever. I think they will take care of business. This is a team that has been focused on a mission. I think they know what time it is right now. Like I said, I don't see them
playing with their food. Give me a sweep by the Liberty in the first round.
I like that.
I'll say that too. To nothing. The Liberty have played so well at home all season, regardless of who's coming in. This is Ellie's house that you're coming into. The howd's going to be allowed, It's going to be sold out. They work this hard so that they could create this standard, and I don't see them dropping a game, and just I see them just moving on easily to the second round.
I like it. You said it's Ellie's house, because when you come to Barclays, you've got to check in with my girl Ellie before we know that you're good in the Barclays Center. All right? Moving on to Seed two versus Seed seven, the Minnesota Leaks and the Mercury. Diana Tarazzi is this it is?
This?
It for Diana Tarazzi. We don't know yet, but what are you liking to see with this matchup?
For me, it's just how dominant Minnesota has been. They won the season series three to one by thirty nine points total those four games, so almost ten points a game. I think that we're just going to see this cohesive team, and unfortunately for Phoenix, the Wheels have kind of come off a bit lately. They've got some injuries, they had some players accruing technical foul limits, so there were some players in and out of the lineup. It just feels like maybe that's an appropriate way for DT to go
out with the cur in their history of text. But I respect the hell out of the fact that she is just kind of doing this her own way, that she's not being forced to do a big tour if that's not what she wants. Although we would have all loved to celebrate her, I always respect when an athlete wants that or it doesn't want that. So I just hope that Diana Tarssi feels love everywhere because she deserves it. The game is not where it is today without DT's impact.
Yeah, this is a series where, look, I think the links and we wax poetic about them on this show. They've been fantastic. I'm going to go to sweep here, but it wouldn't shock me if one of the two games here were close and Phoenix pushed them. But I think it's going to be a sweep. I'm going links to over the market.
That would be fun.
Yeah, that would be fun.
Free back at foot Print Center. Get Diana another shot to keep her career going against the crowd.
All right, let's move on. We have Seed three versus Seed six, the Connecticut Son Indiana Fever. What are we liking from this potential matchup?
Everybody wants to pick the Fever here. I feel like everybody wants to pick the Fever here. And I get it, They've been playing good basketball. Caitlin's been crazy, but I feel like it's a little bit of disrespect to the Son.
Now.
Look, the Sun have their issues. I don't trust them enough offensively, right, that's my issue with them, right, I don't trust them offensively. But I still think this is a veteran team with at with Dewana Bonner, you know, they've got Marina Mayby. Now, I think they figure out a way to get this done. I do think this is going to be the best first round series though.
I do think this one goes three. I'm gonna go yeah, the Sun is going to be in a little bit of trouble with this going to Indiana for a third game, But I think they get this done and I'm going to go with Connecticut in three games.
This is also my favorite series to look forward to because it's just such a difference in style of play and what we saw from Connecticut in terms of the ball pressure and generating turnovers and just taking over these games. There's nobody in the league that maybe outside of Minnesota, that can quite push them like that. The question will be if they're down, can they score to keep up with Indiana, and how Indiana has been playing with pace and all their outside shooting, their in and out game
now everything. Indiana has been one of the best teams in the second half in the WA So I think, I hope this goes at least three. And I don't know. There's something like when we were watching March Madness last year and you wanted Caitlin to kind of stay in and advance because you want to see how high these these ratings and these metrics can get. There's something to that effect for me here where I'm like, let's keep
on seeing how this momentum will build. So I don't know, I don't know who's going to come out of it, but we better get at least three games. Here and then see who wins and moves on.
And for what is worked. It's must see TV, right because we have Djna Carrington who will be the primary depender on Caitlin Clark in We know just how much fans love to see that. So I'm getting my popcorn ready for this matchup. Okay, moving right along to the four seed versus the five seed Aces versus Storm. Now we know in the last regular season game, the Aces decided to rest the majority of their starters ahead of the first round matchup. So what do we like from this Aces Storm game?
Potentially the Storm needs to take that disrespect handle away from Connecticut and put that chip onto their shoulder ahead of these games, because the Aces went into their building and they ran away with that game in the fourth quarter and then they're like, you know what, we could do this again. We don't mind this, And I think
the Aces are ready. They are starting to play like the Las Vegas Aces that we knew, and I think that's partially because they're starting to lean a little bit more on their second unit, not just putting all of it at Asia's feet as it was for a lot of the year and host Olympics Jackie hasn't been quite what we're used to seeing from her. Chelsea the whole year has kind of been building back, and Kelsey is
a little bit up and down. Asia has been so consistent, and anytime you enter a playoff series with the best player in the world, you've got a fighter's chance. But then to do that while they're all starting to play a little bit better together is great. The Storm are just so talented on that side too. They've got MVP talent on that end of the floor. But I just see Vegas trying to repeat here, making their way to hopefully the Liberty in the second round for that rematch.
Yeah, I'm with Miles on this. I think Vegas wins this. I do think these games will be competitive, but I think you saw in this last matchup between Vegas and Seattle. Vegas knows what it takes and how to get it done. Down to stretch, they can out execute them. I think they're CONFI into that going to this. I think Vegas knows that it's been an up and down sort of season for them. It started to look a little bit better over the final three weeks. I think they're focused here.
I think this is a sweep. I'm going to go to nothing, but I think it's a very competitive sweep.
Yeah, I do.
I think it's competitive sweep, though I do not think it'll be easy. But I just trust and like Vegas's ability to execute. You're starting to see some things get better for them, and I think it really starts with Chelsea Gray, who, like Miles said, has been trying to
work her way back all season. I think if she gets back to somewhat of what we're used to seeing from her in the playoffs, She's not going to be all the way back, but I think somewhat of that is going to be huge and taking a little bit of pressure off of Asia. But yeah, I like the Aces here. I think they sweep Seattle, but I think it's a very competitive sweep. It will not be easy.
Okay, Dexter has a very competitive suite in that four versus five matchup. Okay, last thing for today, I want to know who you both predict to be the twenty twenty four NBA champions. Who do you have holding up the trophy at the end of the postseason.
I hope that there are seven other teams that are listening and ready to clip this if this goes any other way, I stand by what I'm about to say. But the New York Liberty have been the best team in the WNBA from day one through the end of the season. They've got the depth, they've got the star power at the top, They've got that year to chemistry with this core that they are built for all of
these matchups. They're built to win this championship. They're built to bring a championship, a basketball championship back to New York City where it is long overdue. And I will say that for every single year, but especially this year. This feels like the time there's going to be a parade in New York City.
I'm with Miles on this. Yeah, I'm with Miles. You shouldn't have had both of us on the podcast. We think very similarly on a lot of things, because that's why Miles is the great writer that is. I think we saw that play out through this regular season. We also saw this stream focus from this team when they started at the beginning in training camp, and you've kind
of seen that through. There's not been a lot of downs in the season, but when there were this team of the ability to bounce back and refocus, and I think they've really been focused on the task at hand. You talked about that in terms of them getting the number one seed, getting home court advantaged throughout, but I think now they know this is the time, and I trust this team that even if they see the Aces in the second round and they are tested, that they
have the depth to get it done. I think that's a different thing. I love how Sandy Brondello's coached this year. I like how she's used the team and a rotation. I think she will lean on that in terms of her best closing lineup when it comes down to it in a tough game in the playoffs. So I love the Liberty here. I think they're going to get it done. I think it's time. I think Ellie's going to be happy. I think all of us who cover the team will
be happy. And so I'm going with de Liberty as a twenty twenty four WNBA champions.
I like that take from the both of you, and for what is worth. You know, Liberty swept the Aces in the regular season series, but we do know that
regular season wins don't translate to post in place. So hopefully the Liberty can continue to carry out that momentum throughout the postseason and play at a high level, because we've seen spurts in this regular season where this team has been complacent and just as Stuwie said, playing floating around, and they have to like turn that switch on and keep it on for all forty minutes of each and every single game, night in and night out. And I
do agree with both of you. I think that the New York Liberty and I'm saying this for every buddy who lost to clip our postseason clips in audio, I think that the New York Liberty will be your twenty twenty four WNBA champions. But the links are right there as well. May've been playing pretty good. We know how much defense means when it comes to winning basketball games, and so I think that the New York Liberty out
the gate. They can't take any game and play it lacks of days cool even in round one, even if they have the idea that they will sweep you know that number eight seed. They have to practice how they play through and through and just be aggressive through all of the rounds. And yeah, I have them taking it. I have them holding up the trophy at the end of the postseason. In October, so we're gonna run this back in October when they are holding up the trophy.
All right, Thank you guys so much for being guessed this week on the special playoff preview of In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams. As always fun the chat hoops with y'all.
Thanks so much. It's always fun, same here.
Thank Christina.
That's gonna do it for this special edition of In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams. And don't forget to follow us on social media at I See y Am I with k W across all social media. We'll see you back here next time. In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an iheartwomen's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.