In the WNBA's new playoff format, the first round matchups are a one game, win-or-go-home scenario. The second round is identical, with the winners moving on to the semifinals in a best-of-five series, followed by another best-of-five series for the finals.
The Storm (16-18) are led by Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, and Jewell Lloyd. The 6'4" Stewart averaged 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game during her rookie season, more than living up to her potential as the first overall pick in the 2016 draft out of the University of Connecticut. The 35-year old Bird is in her 14th season in the league, all with Seattle, and led the league with 5.8 assists per game to go with her 12 points per game. Lloyd is in her second year in the league and averaged 16 points per game while shooting almost 50% from the field and 90% from the free throw line.
The Dream (17-17) are led by top scoreres Angel McCoughtry (19.5 points per game) and Tiffany Hayes (15 ppg), while Elizabeth Williams was among the league leaders in rebounds per game (8.1) and blocked shots per game (2.3).
Seattle and Atlanta faced each other three times during the regular season, with Seattle coming away with two victories. The Storm won a tight first matchup (the only one in Seattle) in late June, 84-81. Atlanta managed a 13-point margin in their 77-64 victory just one week later. In the rubber match on Sept. 4, the Storm won 91-82. Atlanta will look to even the score (and then some) on their home floor in attempting to advance to the second round.
The future opponent for the winner of this matchup will be determined by the outcome of the other first-round game. If the #5 seed Indiana Fever win, they will travel to Chicago to take on the #4 seed Sky while the Seattle/Atlanta winner will go to New York to battle the #3 seed Liberty. If the #8 seed Phoenix Mercury win, then the destinations will be flip-flopped. As the 1-seed and 2-seed, the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks, respectively, received byes straight into the semifinals.
Tip off for Atlanta and Seattle is at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPNews and can be live-streamed on ESPN.com or on the Watch ESPN app.
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