WNBA Qualifiers: Three Big Game 3 Questions for Fever VS. Dream and Storm Vs. Aceses

The 2025 WNBA qualifiers will continue on Thursday with a pair of match 3 in the first round that includes Las Vegas Aces, The Seattle Storm and The Atlanta Dream VS. Indiana fever. Due to changing the first round format, which is now 1-1-1 instead of 2-1, the upper seeds-you will get a 3 game at home.

Here’s a look at the table:

Thursday 18 September

• Game 3: No. 6 fever in dream No. 3, 7:30 pm – espn2//Foupo
• Game 3: 7 Storm in Aces 2, 9:30 pm – espn2//Foupo

Before the procedure, let’s look at three big questions that would decide the teams that advance to the semi -finals that are heading home early.

How much does the advantage of local courts?

WNBA has modified the best series of three of the first round this season from 2-1 to 1-1-1.

The biggest problem with the old system was that not each team guaranteed a separate match. The upper seeds got the first two games at home, giving them an opportunity to sweep the chain without having to travel. Most often, they did. From 2022-2024, the three seasons in which the best chain of three with 2-1 coordination were, the highest seeds swept nine of 12 games from the first round.

Now, according to the format of 1-1-1, each team gets at least one game, and the lower seeds make interest. On Tuesday, seed fever No. 6 crushed the work of the number 3, even for their series in 1-1, while the Seed Storm No. 7 withdrew the return of 14 points against Aces 2 to do the same. Compare this to last season, when fever and storm were also both of the lower seeds in the qualifiers, and they were eliminated by one difference on the road in the 2S game.

The other big difference with coordination 1-1-1 is that it gives the upper seed the winner game of all game 3 at home, if necessary. On Thursday, we will see how important this is.

Aces 17-5 was at home this season-a tie with the second best record at home in the league-during the winning series that was won by 17 games, which spanned both the regular season and the game 1 of this series, they got a net plus rating-18.5 in Michelop Eltra Arena. After winning 25 points at home in game 1, it will be difficult to bet against Aceses in game 3.

The dream was impressive at home this season. They went 16-6, which was the fourth best record at home, and was a classified classification of 11.8 at the Center Gate Stadium. Their general offensive performance during this series was anxious, but they should shoot better at home and get a better whistle, which will be a big boost. In game 1, he was 19 years old from the line on the way to a double -number victory, while in game 2 were only 5 out of 10.

Should Malonga be transferred to the starting lineup for the storm?

In the closing minute of game 2, the Dominic Malonga Rising Center reached a major A’Ja Wilson’s favorite A’Ja Wilson in MVP, then transformed errors and one on the other side to help the storm to complete an exciting 14 -point return and maintain its season alive.

Malonga’s defensive efforts in the fourth quarter were massive, as it helped keep Bilson without goals during the last seven minutes. Finally, Malonga ended 11 points, 10 rebound balls, three passes and two masses in 4 of 7 of the field in 23 minutes. Although the statistics of the single match are not everything and the end, they were 11 in a three -point victory.

This series, Malonga with an average of 11.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 decisive passes and 1.5 blocks and is the player’s only player in the team with a positive plus. The storm won 47 minutes by one point. On the other hand, they lost the Ezi Magbegor 47 -minute starting center.

When it is worth it, here is a look at Wilson’s attempts to have led to free throws against Magbegor and Malonga in games 1 and 2. Note: The data has been manually tracked.

• Against Magbegar: 8 out of 14, three errors drawn, which led to free throws
• Opposite Malonga: 3 out of 7, five errors drawn, which led to free throws

All of this leads us to the big question facing coach Noel Quinn: Should Malonga be transferred to the starting lineup for the storm of game 3?

Malonga’s effect on the series was not denied, and she has length and athlete to annoy Wilson. But will you achieve the same success that he starts in the big minutes? Is she ready, as 19 -year -old rising, to start a winning match on the road?

Can a dream crime return to the right track?

While the dream made the qualifiers in both the last two seasons, they have finished 0.500 and they were one of the worst league crimes every time. In 2023, they went 19-21 with an offensive ranked 99.7, which ranked ninth in the league, and in 2024 they went 15-25 with an offensive ranked 96.6, which ranked last in the league.

One of the main reasons launched by Tanisha Wright and replaced it with Karl Smesko in this season because they believed that his modern end -of -end approach could make a big difference.

Certainly, the offensive dream classified to 108.2 this season – approximately 12 points for every 100 properties last season – which was good for the second place in the league. They started to launch 3 throws, they were unable to attack offensive glass and sometimes lived in free throwing lines.

The dream defense remained strong, and thanks to its improved crime, they won 30 games and won the number 3 in the qualifiers. But now, they face the game 3 to win at home to avoid losing in the first round of the third season in a row.

To date, the dream crime has returned to the form of 2023-24 in the qualifiers. They have 88.1 offensive rating during the first two games against fever, collided with less than 39 % in both games and committed 31 transformations. 60 points in their defeat in match 2 were the third most in a separate match in the history of the concession.

The fever did a special good job on Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, prominent scorers in a dream and primary creators. These two were collected for only 59 points in 18 of 58 (31 %) of the field, and they often have to settle the disputed jumps or attempts to control the paint.

It should be noted that the success of the normal dream in the season was largely dependent on the least overwhelming teams; They went 17-3 against the Lots and 13-11 against the enemies of the Playof. Despite all its 3 -point size, they cannot really shoot. The 33.7 % mark behind the arc was seventh in the league, Tie Hina Powobo and Elisha Gray are the only players who exceeded 35 % of any type of size.

Could the dream be better in the attack than it was in games 1 and 2? definitely. Will they be the team that we saw in the normal season? Maybe not.