The National Basketball Association, more commonly known as the NBA, is one of the most established sports leagues in all of North America. It was founded on the 6th of June 1946, coincidentally a year to the day after the Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy in World War Two. Ever since its inception, it has been incredibly popular, not only within the United States and Canada but across the globe.
Many teams have seen periods of domination in the NBA. The 1960s and early 1980s saw the Boston Celtics as the team to beat; during this period they won 12 of their 17 championships, including 8 consecutive titles from 1959 to 1966. The LA Lakers also came to prominence during the 1980s, winning five championships during this period, then came to the forefront again at the turn of the century, with titles in 2000,2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010. Other successful teams include the Chicago Bulls, who were the strongest force in the 1990s thanks to Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin and Dennis Rodman. It certainly is a sport that lends itself to having teams dominate for long periods of time.
Given the popularity of the NBA along with all the top sports betting websites offering NBA futures odds on every single game that is played during the season. It seemed like it was only a matter of time before a similar league was set up for the women’s game. Frankly, it took far too long, but in 1996, the Women’s National Basketball Association, or the WNBA, was finally set up, with league play kicking off in 1997. Many of the WNBA sides are direct counterparts to NBA franchises and even play in the same stadium, such as the New York Liberty, the Indiana Fever and the Phoenix Mercury.
Like in the NBA, there are a few teams who have been all-conquering during a certain period. The Houston Comets were the team to beat when the WNBA kicked off, winning the first four championships. The Minnesota Lynx have made it to six of the last 10 WNBA playoff finals, winning four of them. The reigning champions are the Seattle Storm, who also picked up the trophy in 2004, 2010 and 2018.
With the 2021 regulation WNBA season complete, we are now eagerly anticipating the playoffs, which are due to kick-off on the 23rd of September.
Who are the favourites for this years’ championship? Who might be the one that surprises all the bookmakers, and comes from nowhere to steal victory from under the favourite’s nose? Let’s have a look and find out.
Before we discuss which teams are in the playoffs, it is worth explaining how the format works. Eight teams have made it to the postseason. The top two teams in the regular season have a bye to the Semi-Finals (in this race the Connecticut Sun and the Las Vegas Aces). The fifth and eighth place finishers and the sixth and seventh-placed teams compete in one-off matches, going through to the second round, which is also single elimination.
From there, the teams who finished third and fourth join in the fun. The winners of these two matches then go through to the Semis, where they’ll meet either the Sun or the Aces. These are the best-of-five ties, beginning on the 28th of September, Once these have been decided, the final two teams will go through to the WNBA finals, which are also best-of-five. This means that fans will get to see at least six gripping matches if their side makes it all the way to the final.
When looking at the current odds for the WNBA, it appears Las Vegas are the bookie’s favourites for glory. They have only been known as the Aces since 2018, but have been in the league since 1997, first as the Utah Starzz, then the San Antonio Silver Stars, following that the San Antonio Stars, before moving to Las Vegas in 2018. Their regular-season record has been excellent, as they finished at the top of the Western Conference with a record of 20-8.
The other top contender has to be the Connecticut Sun, who won the Eastern Conference with ease, with a record of 22-06, including a ten-game winning streak. They have faced off against the Aces three times in the last four months, and have come out on top each time. So, if it is these two sides who make it through their Semi-final ties, then momentum would appear to be with the Sun, even if the bookies don’t currently agree.
Will it be either of these two teams to lift the trophy? Or will one of the other sides in the playoffs, such as the Seattle Storm, the Chicago Sky or maybe the Phoenix Mercury? At this stage, it could be any of them, and that is the really exciting part. Strap in to find out!
