The WNBA is steaming into the second half of its season with teams vying for playoff positions. To secure their place, every team needs to focus on being in peak form come playoff time. One of the teams expected to make the playoffs are the New York Liberty, who need to keep their momentum just like the Aces did in the previous season, despite a few bad games or weeks. Injecting a little variety in terms of attacking the rim is the key improvement area for the Minnesota Lynx, who currently overly rely on three-pointers and don’t create enough pressure around the ring.
The Connecticut Sun’s strategy leading up to the postseason involves diversifying its offensive attack, as heavily relying on the big three – Alyssa Thomas, Bri Jones, and DeWanna Bonner – hasn’t helped it get over the postseason hurdle in the past. Finding a perimeter player or action that can help when defenses focus on its frontcourt is also critical for the Sun, as they currently trail behind the offensive prowess of teams like the Aces and the Liberty. The reigning champions, Las Vegas Aces, should seriously consider giving their stars some rest, as their players have logged heavy minutes this season. The team needs its players, some of whom are not far off strong showings at the Paris Olympics, to be well rested and ready for an intense playoff run.
The present strategy for the Seattle Storm centers around helping Jewell Loyd improve her efficiency and get out of her form slump, as her subpar three-point shooting performance has become a major bottleneck for the team’s offense. For the Indiana Fever, the main challenge is to reduce the frequency of sending the opposing teams to the free-throw line. This is particularly important as the Fever doesn’t force many turnovers, and any foul essentially hands away an opportunity to take the ball. The Phoenix Mercury needs to make improvements on both ends of the rebounding court, given their 11th rank in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentages.
Another team looking to make it to the playoffs is the Atlanta Dream, despite a disastrous first half. The focus for the Dream should be on optimizing its lineup combinations to make the most out of its healthy roster. For the Chicago Sky, the main goal leading into the playoffs is to give Dana Evans the opportunity to prove her compatibility with the team’s frontcourt duo of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. The Dallas Wings, meanwhile, need to address their turnover issues, often caused by a lack of a stable point guard.
With three consecutive lottery trips under its belt, the Los Angeles Sparks’ best interest might be aiming for a fourth, especially in light of rookie Cameron Brink’s ACL tear. Finally, the Washington Mystics are crucially looking to reintegrate Shakira Austin following her all-rookie season in 2022. They also need to evaluate how Austin fits alongside Aaliyah Edwards, as the team may be looking to add more power to its frontcourt during the upcoming draft. This focus on reshaping and improving will ultimately determine the positioning of these teams as they sprint towards the playoffs.
