WNBA playoffs: Semifinal previews
August 25, 2018 at 9:03PM
Game 1: 4 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2
Season series: Seattle won 2-1
Seattle update: The Storm's 26 victories were the second-most in franchise history. … Associated Press WNBA Player of the Year Breanna Stewart averaged 21.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game during the regular season. … The Storm set a franchise record for road victories (13) and a WNBA record for three-pointers made in a single season (307). … Seattle is the No. 1 seed for the second time in team history.
Phoenix update: The All-Star trio of Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and DeWanna Bonner combined for 77 points in a second-round victory at Connecticut. Bonner also had 18 rebounds. The Mercury defeated Dallas in the first round. … Since the league's new playoff format went into effect in 2016, the Mercury is 6-0 in single-elimination games, including 4-0 on the road. … Phoenix is 5-3 all-time against Seattle in the postseason.
No. 2 Atlanta (23-11) vs. No. 3 Washington (23-12)
Game 1: 2 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2
Season series: Atlanta won 2-1
Atlanta update: The Dream has won 15 of its past 17 games, the last five without star player Angel McCoughtry. McCoughtry suffered a season-ending knee injury in early August. … Tiffany Hayes' 17.2 points per game paced the Dream, while five others who will play against Washington, including former Lynx guard Renee Montgomery (10.3), averaged at least eight points.
Washington update: The Mystics are the only team in the final four that has never won a league championship. They lost to the Lynx in the semifinals last season. … Six Washington players scored in double figures in a second-round victory over Los Angeles. Elena Delle Donne had 19 points and 12 rebounds. The Mystics also had a franchise-high 28 assists, led by guard Kristi Toliver's game-high nine.
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The Vikings let go of one of the few remaining players from their 2022 NFL draft class on Saturday morning, cutting cornerback Akayleb Evans after his role on defense had dissolved. He could return to the practice squad.
