Many sports fans want new, innovative, original, and for sure exciting.
Maybe I am showing my age but in many cases, I will settle for old, boring, and mundane as long as it is proven.
I am not an avid follower of the WNBA even though it is a credible league with plenty of talented players.
What grabbed my attention this week was the start of the WNBA playoffs but not necessarily because of the games themselves.
The league is now into its 26th season and the top eight teams are in the postseason.
Top-seeded Las Vegas is up against #8 Phoenix, #2 Chicago is facing #7 New York, #3 Connecticut is battling #6 Dallas, and #4 Seattle is taking on #5 Washington.
The opening round that began on Wednesday is a best-of-three series.
Las Vegas, New York, Connecticut, and Seattle all won their opener to grab a 1-0 lead.
So far nothing is out of the ordinary, but wait this is far from a routine layup.
In a change that was made for this season, the first-round series games will include a 2-1 format in which the higher seed will host Games 1 and 2 and the lower seed will host Game 3 if necessary.
Can you repeat that, please?
This is as bizarre as it gets.
What this means is if the series needs a 3rd and deciding game it will be played at the home of the team that had fewer wins in the regular season.
Here’s an example:
If #2 Chicago (26-10 on the season) splits the first two home games against #7 New York (16-20), the third and deciding elimination game with the most on the line would be played in New York.
This is now a best-case scenario for Chicago since New York won Game 1.
The Liberty trailed 91-85 with 3:31 remaining in Game 1 against the Sky before going on 13-0 run, tied for the 3rd-largest to end a playoff game in WNBA history.
New York won the game 98-91, setting a new franchise record for points in a playoff game. pic.twitter.com/wbacBVb5XH
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 18, 2022
I am not sure I can explain the logic other than the possibility of trying to save money on travel should it go two straight.
Normal would be that the higher seed is home in game 1 and if necessary game 3.
A different slant that may be a bit controversial but reasonable would be game 1 would be played in the home of the lower seed with games 2 and if needed 3 in the home of the higher seed.
But this?
Last year the league’s first round was a single-game elimination so I understand why they would want to try a best-of-3 to give some room for error.
I never heard of any best-of-3, in any league whether it be professional, amateur, men, or women using a 2-1 format.
Here’s another twist.
Both Seattle and Washington finished with the same record (22-14) but Washington will not get a home game unless there is a split of the first two.
Seattle barely won on Thursday night 86-83 to get the 1-0 lead.
Shouldn’t every team that makes the playoffs get the comfort of playing at home at least once in every series that is a best-of-3 (or longer)?
Don’t think for a moment all the coaches were in favor of this.
“We worked all year to have home-court advantage,” Chicago Sky coach and general manager James Wade told ESPN. “If you have a bad game, then the home-court advantage goes to the lower seed.”
“You always want the deciding game, if there’s a Game 3, to be at the higher seed’s home,” Wade added. “I’m not a fan of it at all; I don’t think any coaches are.”
I’ve been asking about this for a week finally someone else is saying how stupid this WNBA playoff format us
— Ricky G (@jrichardgoodman) August 17, 2022
As the Chicago Sky prepared for the first round of the WNBA playoffs, and the start of their title defense, coach/GM James Wade said he was “not a real big fan” of the new playoff format of the first-round series. https://t.co/4KAOOPrDF5
— ESPN Women’s Hoops (@ESPN_WomenHoop) August 16, 2022
Sue Bird, asked by @AlexAzziNBC about the WNBA’s first-round series this year (Games 1/2 at high seed, 3 at low): “I don’t think this is a playoff format I would like to see long-term. … I think we’re on the right path but figuring this 3-game series out would be important.”
— Kevin Pelton (@kpeltonWBB) August 16, 2022
Hey @WNBA how is it that a team makes the playoffs and potentially won’t have a home playoff game? Single elimination wasn’t the answer and neither is this. Either go 1-1-1 or best of 5 in first round
— Olden Polynice (@OldenPolynice1) August 16, 2022
While the league is going outside of the box in round one they will go back to basics in the next two rounds with the semis and WNBA Final remaining in a best-of-five series with the traditional and fair 2-2-1 format.
This year in the WHL playoffs the Kamloops Blazers swept the Spokane Chiefs 4-0, with the first three games in Kamloops.
The Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-2 in the league championship series with four of the six games in Edmonton.
(A 7th game was scheduled for Edmonton but was not needed)
The WHL stated the league had no choice in the matter because of building availability or lack thereof in Spokane and in Kent, Washington (south of Seattle).
I bet there aren’t many that remember that the WHL Western Conference (starting in 1983-84 and going for seven seasons) had its playoffs with a best-of-9 series.
The CFL isn’t sure what to do so they invented the cross-over position (where, for example, if the 4th place team in the West has more points than the 3rd place team in the East they will make the playoffs having to go against eastern opposition).
I am not sure if I am in the majority but a gimmick format is not appealing or in many cases the right and fair thing to do.
Stealing one on the road and getting a split of the first two games takes on a whole new meaning in this year’s first round of the WBNA playoffs.
FROM THE QUOTE RACK:
ESPN reports Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is frustrated with drops, and inconsistency by young receivers. How long until he screams at them to get off his lawn?
*Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers says he felt himself “merge with the ocean” when he:
a) jumped in the jacuzzi
b) got sacked by Khalil Mack
c) tried hallucinogenic mushrooms on a 2020 trip to Peru
*Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times http://www.seattletimes.com/author/dwight-perry/
With a 10-23 record heading into this season, Matt Rhule of the Carolina Panthers is in the hottest coaching seat in the NFL. In fact, the buzzard swarm circling over him is so huge, that it is visible from orbiting spacecraft.
*Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
In Case You Missed It:
Gisele Bundchen, the wife of Bucs QB Tom Brady, graces the front of the June 2022, British Vogue. Even Brady can’t beat that coverage.
*Western Canadian comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com
Hartley Miller is the news and sports director/supervisor plus morning news anchor for 94.3 the GOAT and Country 97fm. He also is the radio colour commentator for P.G. Cougars’ home games. Hartley has been on the Prince George airwaves since 1979 and is the author of You Don’t Say (sports quotes).
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