What’s Trending, Sept. 21: One Series Down, Three Winner-Take-All Games on Tap

Brian Kotloff

Welcome to the Heat Wave of the WNBA Playoffs 2015 presented by Boost Mobile, when #SummerHoops give way to the chase for a championship. Here, WNBA.com will bring you what you need to know, see, listen to and/or watch each day.

What’s Trending is your one-stop shop for all things W, from which teams are making a championship push and which players are coming up clutch to the buzz going on off the court.

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Here’s What’s Trending on Monday, September 21:

#WinnerTakeAll: Three Decisive Game 3s Coming Up

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The theme entering these playoffs was that the title was as up for grabs as ever. This first round has done nothing to change that thought.

Three of the four series are headed to a winner-take-all Game 3:

#FOROURTOWN: Sky Host Game 3 Tonight (8 PM ET, NBA TV)

A dream season for Elena Delle Donne and the Sky is on the brink, but they can bank of the fact that they’ve been here before. During last season’s run to the WNBA Finals, Chicago faced two do-or-die Game 3s and won both.

The focus on Monday night at Allstate Arena will be on getting the recently crowned MVP going. Against strong defense from the vet, Tamika Catchings, EDD has been held to 25 points on 8-for-24 shooting in the first two games.

#WeAreFever: Indiana Eyeing Fifth Straight Conference Finals

Like Tim Duncan and the Spurs, Tamika Catchings and the Fever simply never go down easy. Indiana is in the midst of its record 11th straight postseason appearance and can advance to a fifth straight Conference Finals with a win on Monday night.

As always, the story has been Catchings’ play on both ends of the floor, leading perhaps the league’s most balanced team and topping 20+ points in both Games 1 and 2 — the 22nd and 23rd time she’s scored 20+ in a playoff game in her career.

#WeAreLA: Parker, Sparks Bounce Back in Game 2

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Sunday’s Lynx-Sparks Game 2 in L.A. delivered the showdown everyone wanted to see: Maya Moore vs. Candace Parker at the top of their games.

And after Moore gained the upper hand in Game 1 — scoring 33 points while Parker missed the potential game-tying shot as time expired — Parker’s Sparks responded with an 81-71 Game 2 win on their home floor on Sunday afternoon.

Moore continued her playoff surge with 27 more points on an efficient 9-for-17 shooting.

#BurnBright: Liberty Rally to Even Series in Washington

The Liberty reached their first playoffs since 2012, posted a franchise-best 23-11 record and entered these playoffs as the top overall seed for a reason: They are a tough, resilient group.

After not looking like themselves during a double-overtime, Game 1 loss at Madison Square Garden, New York went on the road and came through with an 86-68 win over the Mystics on Sunday afternoon.

#TogetherWeWILL: Griner, Mercury Dominate Shock in First-Round Sweep

While the six other playoff teams battle into Game 3, the defending champs are resting up for their seventh Conference Finals in nine years.

The Phoenix Mercury rolled through the Tulsa Shock in a first-round sweep, winning the two games by 33 and 24 points. It was two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year who set the tone on both ends, dominating to the tune of a combined 41 points on 12-of-18 shooting, 20 rebounds and 16 blocks in 52 minutes.

#NBAFamily: NBAers Show Support for Local Teams

Among the fans tuned into these #WNBAPlayoffs are their NBA counterparts, who have turned out at arenas and shown support on Twitter throughout this first round.

The highlights:

https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/644963120423636992https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/645020395561684992

#ICYMI: Two Games Go Down to Wire on Wild Friday Night

There was high drama in both New York and Minnesota on Friday night as both games of the NBA TV double-header went down to the wire.

The Mystics pulled out a double-overtime victory over the top-seeded Liberty at The Garden, staying alive on a game-tying Ivory Latta three with 27.9 seconds left in regulation and a game-tying Emma Meesseman bucket with 1.6 seconds left in the first OT.

Then the Lynx avoided an upset of their own thanks to superstar Maya Moore’s playoff career-high 33 points, including 15 in the third quarter.

#ICYMI: Recap This Year’s Award Winners

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Some of the WNBA’s top honors were handed out last week. The rundown:

Most Valuable Player: Elena Delle Donne

Coach of the Year: Bill Laimbeer

Defensive Player of the Year: Brittney Griner

Sixth Woman of the Year: Allie Quigley

Peak Performers: Delle Donne, Courtney Vandersloot, Courtney Paris

#WNBADraft: Lottery to Take Place Live on ESPN2 Thursday Night

The stakes are even higher than usual at this year’s WNBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm, with three-time NCAA champion Breanna Stewart, a rising senior, the consensus top prospect.

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