Storm Playoff Watch
| Team | Record |
Pct |
GB |
vs. Storm |
Conf. |
vs. >=500 |
|
 |
1. Los Angeles Sparks | 21-10 |
0.677 |
-- |
2-2 |
14-7 |
11-7 |
 |
2. Houston Comets | 20-11 |
0.645 |
1.0 |
2-1 |
14-7 |
11-5 |
 |
3. Minnesota Lynx | 17-14 |
0.539 |
4.0 |
3-1 |
13-9 |
7-11 |
 |
4. Sacramento Monarchs | 17-14 |
0.539 |
4.0 |
2-1 |
11-10 |
8-10 |
 |
5. Seattle Storm | 16-15 |
0.516 |
5.0 |
-- |
9-12 |
8-11 |
 |
6. San Antonio Silver Stars -e | 11-20 |
0.355 |
10.0 |
2-1 |
9-12 |
9-14 |
 |
7. Phoenix Mercury -e | 7-24 |
0.226 |
14.0 |
1-3 |
4-17 |
4-19 |
Current Tiebreakers: Minnesota 3-1 vs. Sacramento head-to-head.
Recent Results:
8/15 - @ Phoenix 64, Storm 50
8/15 - @ Sacramento 75, Detroit 63
8/16 - Los Angeles 64, @ Houston 63
8/16 - Minnesota 73, @ San Antonio 64
8/16 - Sacramento 65, @ Phoenix 61 (OT)
8/17 - Detroit 95, @ Storm 86
Movement all over the place during a weekend that will go a long ways towards determining who makes the playoffs in the Western Conference, and who they are playing. The Los Angeles Sparks regained the top spot in the West by going into Houston and beating the Comets, 64-63, when Sheryl Swoopes missed at the buzzer. For all the attention paid to Lisa Leslie's return, DeLisha Milton ended up being the more important recently injured player against the Sparks, finishing with 18 points. Houston remains tied in the loss column with the Sparks, but will have to win next Monday's rematch in L.A. to have a chance at home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. Playing the same schedule over the weekend, the Sacramento Monarchs and the Storm went in opposite directions. After beating Detroit at home, the Monarchs needed overtime to beat the team nobody wants to play, the spoiler Phoenix Mercury. The Storm, meanwhile, blew double-digit first-half leads in both games to slip out of the playoff picture for the first time since June 6. Minnesota is the other beneficiary of the Storm's recent stumble. The Lynx and the Monarchs are tied for third in the West at 17-14, but Minnesota holds the tiebreaker after winning the season series 3-1.
Upcoming games:
8/18 - Houston @ New York
8/19 - Storm @ Houston
8/20 - Storm @ San Antonio
8/21 - Houston @ Sacramento
8/21 - Minnesota @ Los Angeles
 Griffith is coming off of a double-double against Phoenix Rocky Widner/WNBAE/Getty |
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Houston Comets at Sacramento Monarchs |
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Though the Monarchs and Lynx sport identical records, Sacramento is considered the Storm's best chance to catch because the teams finish the season against each other, meaning the Storm controls its own destiny despite trailing the Monarchs by a half-game entering the week. Sacramento plays two home games before finishing the season against the Storm, but this will not be an easy game. Despite losing to the Sparks, Houston is still one of the WNBA's hottest teams, 12-3 since the start of July. The Monarchs have been almost as hot, and are 9-3 since the All-Star break. Sacramento will get a break in the Comets tough schedule this week. Houston starts out on the East Coast in New York to make up the blackout-delayed game from last week. The Comets then return to Houston the next night to take on the Storm. After an off day, it's right back on the road to take on Sacramento. Meanwhile, the Monarchs have four days to rest and prepare for the Comets.
Tiebreaker Procedure:
Ties between two teams for a playoff berth or playoff seeding are broken in the following manner:
1. Head-to-head record (the record listed above is opponents against the Storm; 3-1 means that Minnesota has beaten the Storm three times this season).
2. Conference record
3. Record against teams that finish the season at or above .500 (represented as vs. >= .500 above)
4. Cumulative head-to-head point differential (not listed)
5. Coin toss
