This is the first-round matchup with the highest upset potential: the No. 2 seed New York Liberty vs. the No. 7 seed Washington Mystics. The two teams faced off four times during the regular season, splitting the season series 2-2. The last game of the season ended in dramatic fashion, with Brittney Sykes making a game-winning putback with only 0.5 seconds on the clock.
After just a few days off, the Mystics and Liberty return to Barclays Center for Game 1, with tipoff at 7:30 pm ET (ESPN 2).
Matchup preview
The Mystics entered this season with middle-of-the-pack championship odds. Due to injuries, the team never reached their full potential. The fear was that they would fall out of the playoffs, but the team responded. Headed into their first-round series, the team is almost fully healthy. With the exception of Shakira Austin, everyone from the team’s original starting lineup played in the season finale, including Elena Delle Donne and Ariel Atkins. Austin is not expected to play the first two games of this series after re-aggravating her hip injury.
This means the Mystics will have, at most, a nine-player rotation. Considering the stakes of this matchup, it is possible that head coach Eric Thibault shortens the rotation.
Meanwhile, the Liberty were relatively healthy…
