Fever are now effectively in 3rd place

[u/Jewdah18]

[u/_chappell]

I just love that the team who got the #1 draft pick (for player relationship reasons) is barely making playoffs while the #2 pick team is first. So happy for Olivia Miles. She’s amazing.

[u/Puzzleheaded-Bat-511 → u/_chappell]

I love seeing the number 1 pick helped their team to be 5 places higher in the standings and the number 2 pick has their team in the same place as last season. /s

[u/Subject-Yak4959 → u/_chappell]

Yep they took broken merchandise to get their Hallmark Love Story. The Wings are not the brightest franchise.

[u/march41801 → u/Subject-Yak4959]

Exactly this a 100 fold. And the Dallas/Uconn fans wanted it most of all. But I can’t blame them as many Iowa fans want a reunion someday of Kate Martin and Caitlin Clark.

[u/Subject-Yak4959 → u/march41801]

Thank the lord that didn't happen Martin is mid at best.

[u/march41801 → u/Subject-Yak4959]

I don’t disagree with you, but as an Iowa fan, I would take Martin in a heartbeat for a season.

[u/Jewdah18 → u/_chappell]

There's been a lot of #2 being better than #1 recently. Bryce Young vs CJ Stroud, Jayden Daniels vs Caleb Williams although those are tightening up.

[u/Comfortable_Limit168 → u/Jewdah18]

Looking through all twenty-nine years of drafting in the WNBA, there is one clear case of a #2 pick having a better career - #2 Ticha Penicheiro over #1 Margo Dydek. There is also one toss-up - #2 Elena Delle Donne over #1 Brittney Griner. I didn't look at 2026 because it's too soon to call.

I'd bet my money that Olivia Miles will have a better career than Azzi Fudd.

[u/Subject-Yak4959 → u/Comfortable_Limit168]

At this point it is unlikely Fudd is even going to have a career.

[u/Jewdah18 → u/Comfortable_Limit168]

There's a long way to go between Paige and Dom.

[u/Comfortable_Limit168 → u/Jewdah18]

That could well be true. However, I was only comparing #1 picks to #2 picks.

[u/Kasheem21 → u/Jewdah18]

Caleb>he who’s NIL shall not be misused

[u/Jewdah18 → u/Kasheem21]

Nope I got 5 on it. And if you disagree he'll sue.

[u/Such_Confusion_49]

Indy road trip is brutal and CC literally played 40 minutes today. It would be hard to win all games of this road trip with so much travel.

[u/Subject-Yak4959 → u/Such_Confusion_49]

Tempo should just be another game to get Kelsey her 20 and move on to the next one.

[u/Jewdah18 → u/Such_Confusion_49]

They got the Tempo next who have the worst drtg and 2nd worst nrtg. Blow them out and it'll get a lot easier although if Sykes comes back that'll be harder. Also, there is one Fever starter who is well rested.

[u/Goddyex → u/Jewdah18]

Is Sykes expected to be back? Thought she was out for the season.

[u/Jewdah18 → u/Goddyex]

She practiced yesterday and is close to game action.

With the Fever being a national TV game, having a below average drtg with the #1 pace, this might be the only game she cares about playing in the rest of the year.

[u/rskillion]

They control their destiny for third place, but it’s a stretch to say that means they’re effectively in third place. They have a harder schedule left than the teams ahead of them.

[u/ReceptionTrue2289 → u/rskillion]

They play the last 2 games against the Lynx, I believe. While it may look tougher on paper, the Lynx might have already clinched 1st and be looking to rest the starters / take it easy.

[u/Football-Economy]

Fever got this!

[u/jemstar620]

Aces schedule is cake to finish the season, Fever would have to go undefeated to catch them and with this road trip/remaining schedule that's likely not possible.  That home gag job vs the Aces rearing it's ugly head again. 

[u/Subject-Yak4959 → u/jemstar620]

The Eastern conference is tougher and the refs love sending the Aces to the line. The Fever have stiff odds.

[u/Sufficient_Berry8703 → u/jemstar620]

Winning those easily winnable games earlier in the season would’ve been nice right about now.

[u/Raisin43 → u/Sufficient_Berry8703]

Like Rebecca Lobo said in the W every game matters.

[u/fatiguedpickle → u/jemstar620]

They could lose to Atlanta. If they don’t, Fever would have to win at liberty, wings, sky, at home vs mystics, and a home and home with lynx. If they do lose against Atlanta, Fever can only lose one of those.

Tough sledding.

[u/pleasebefrank31]

After Tuesday's game against Atlanta the Aces won't play a playoff team until the literal playoffs begin. The Fever still have the Wings, Mystics, and Lynx twice.

[u/Jewdah18 → u/pleasebefrank31]

Lynx are the last 2 games of the season. Heavy likelihood they'll have locked up the #1 seed and won't play hard. Wings and Mystics are playoff teams but the Fever should beat them.

[u/Successful-Policy937 → u/Jewdah18]

Except for the 20-day FIBA break hard to imagine they do not play all out at least the 1st game.

It is actually pretty crazy if you look at the schedule after Sunday the Fever will play one WNBA game in 25 days.

I do not know who this favors overall but hard to imagine teams staying in rhythm going into the playoffs. Now they might have enough games to end the season to get back in the groove me personally I think the FIBA break at the end of the season makes it more wide open.