Four first-round Game 1s. Four wins for the higher-seeded teams.
The 2024 WNBA playoffs began with a sweep for the higher-seeded squads:
No. 1-seed New York Liberty 83, No. 8-seed Atlanta Dream 69
No. 3 seed Connecticut Sun 93, No. 6-seed Indiana Fever 69
No. 2-seed Minnesota Lynx 102, No. 7-seed Phoenix Mercury 95
No. 4-seed Las Vegas Aces 78, No. 5-seed Seattle Storm 67
Here’s how the Liberty, Sun, Lynx and Aces got the jobs done:
Liberty, Leo lap Dream
Head coach Sandy Brondello showed she was not messing around on Sunday afternoon, making a surprise change to the starting lineup. To the bench went Courtney Vandersloot, the championship-winning point guard who has lost a step or two over the past season, and into the first five was Leonie Fiebich, the Sixth Player of the Year candidate who offers more size on defense and a greater willingness to shoot on offense.
Fiebich made Brondello look quite prescient. The 6-foot-4 first-year wing from Germany turned in a historic playoff debut. After making her first five shots, Fiebich was on her way to a career-high 21-point afternoon, going 7-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 from 3. She also added two steals.
The urgent mindset Brondello communicated with the starting lineup shift was reflected throughout the roster….
