South Carolina women's basketball: Gamecocks in the WNBA - Semifinal round preview

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After all four first-round series ended in sweeps, the second round of the WNBA playoffs begins Sunday and a trio of Gamecocks are still alive.

Atlanta Dream (15-25)
Laeticia Amihere (17 games, 4.9 minutes, 1.1 pts, 1.6 rebs)
Amihere played well in the Game 1 blowout loss, but didn’t get off the bench in the elimination game.

Last week:
At New York (83-69 loss): 10 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds, block
At New York (91-82 loss): DNP-CD

Allisha Gray (40 games (40 starts), 33.2 mpg, 15.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.1 spg)
Gray did everything she could to keep Atlanta’s season alive, but her 26 points in Game 2 weren’t enough.

Last week:
At New York (83-69 loss): 27 minutes*, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
At New York (91-82 loss): 40 minutes*, 26 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, block

Upcoming games:
Atlanta’s season is over after losing 2-0 to the Liberty in the first round.

Connecticut Sun (28-12)
Ty Harris (39 games (38 starts), 28.8 mpg, 10.5 ppg, 3.0 apg, 1.8 rpg, 1.0 spg)
Harris appeared to roll her ankle when she stepped on another player’s foot on a closeout. The injury limited her to just four minutes in game one and she did not play in game two. The Sun shared a picture of Harris practicing on Friday, so hopefully, she will be available on Sunday.

Last week:
Vs Indiana (93-69 win): 4 minutes*, no stats 
Vs Indiana (87-81 win): DNP-Right Ankle

Tiffany Mitchell (24 games, 16.3 mpg, 4.9 ppg, 1.5 RPG)
On her 30th birthday on September 23, Mitchell revealed that earlier this summer she had developed sepsis due to six abdominal abscesses. It is still unclear when she will be able to play again, but that is a secondary concern after a life-threatening illness.

Last week:
Vs Indiana (93-69 win): DNP-Illness
Vs Indiana (87-81 win): DNP-Illness

Upcoming games:
Sunday, September 29 at Minnesota (8:30 ET, ESPN) – Game 1
Tuesday, October 1 at Minnesota (TBD, TBD) – Game 2
Friday, October 4 vs Minnesota (7:30 ET, ESPN2) – Game 3
Sunday, October 6 vs Minnesota (TBD, TBD) – Game 4 (If necessary)
Tuesday, October 8 at Minnesota (TBD, ESPN2) – Game 5 (If necessary)

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Indiana Fever (20-20)
Aliyah Boston (40 games (40 starts), 30.9 mpg, 14.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.2 bpg)
Against Connecticut, Indiana looked like a young team with limited playoff experience. That makes sense because it was the first playoff appearance for most of the key players. Boston had two big games (although since she shot 7-12 maybe the Fever should have gotten her a few more shot attempts). Boston’s 19 rebounds were a career-high and the second-most in a playoff game in franchise history, and she and Tamika Catchings are the only Fever players in the past 10 seasons with multiple double-doubles int he playoffs.

Last week:
At Connecticut (93-69 loss): 33 minutes*, 17 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks
Vs Indiana (87-81 loss): 32 minutes*, 16 points, 19 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, steal

Victaria Saxton (9 games, 2.5 mpg, 0.9 ppg, 0.3 RPG)
Saxton made a brief appearance and scored her first playoff points.

Last week:
At Connecticut (93-69 loss): 2 minutes, 2 points
Vs Indiana (87-81 loss): DNP-CD

Upcoming games:
Indiana’s season is over after losing 2-0 to the Sun in the first round.

Las Vegas Aces (27-13)
A’ja Wilson (38 games (38 starts), 34.4 mpg, 26.9 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.6 bpg, 1.8 spg)
Wilson had a couple of modest games by her standards, but the Aces looked as complete as they had all seasons. Las Vegas cruised to a Game 1 win, and then when Seattle made a late push in Game 2 to pull within 71-70 midway through the fourth, Wilson grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Jackie Young for a three that sparked the decisive 7-0 run. Up next is a rematch of last season’s Finals against New York.

Last week:
Vs Seattle (78-67 win): 36 minutes*, 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 assists
Vs Seattle (83-76 win): 37 minutes*, 24 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists

Upcoming games:
Sunday, September 29 at New York (3:00 ET, ABC) – Game 1
Tuesday, October 1 at New York (TBD, TBD) – Game 2
Friday, October 4 vs New York (9:30 ET, ESPN2) – Game 3
Sunday, October 6 vs New York (TBD, TBD) – Game 4 (If necessary)
Tuesday, October 8 at New York (TBD, ESPN2) – Game 5 (If necessary)

Phoenix Mercury (19-21)
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (31 games (3 starts), 10.8 mpg, 3.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.4 bpg, 0.5 spg)
Herbert Harrigan barely played in the Mercury’s two losses, but it was still a productive return to the WNBA.

Last week:
At Minnesota (102-95 loss): 2 minutes, no stats
At Minnesota (101-88 loss): 1 minute, no stats

Upcoming games:
Phoenix’s season is over after losing 2-0 to the Lynx in the first round.

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