🥊 Layup Lines: Coupla Game 2s

Happy Tuesday and welcome back to Layup Lines, your quick recap of what’s going on in the WNBA.

• The schedulers never deliver like this, but two semifinal games on a Tuesday after a long weekend of football is the best.

This 494 word newsletter should take about 2 minutes to read.

📺 Tonight’s games

• The Mercury should have more in the tank than they did on short rest on Sunday. Whether or not that’s going to matter is sort of up to the Lynx, who are 20-2 at home this season and have made a habit of starting slow in games that turn into blowouts.

  • Minnesota will miss Dijonai Carrington’s perimeter defense, but they were also doing just fine before trading for her.

• It’s hard to imagine waking up tomorrow with the Fever up 2-0 on the Aces with two road wins, but I also still can’t really believe they beat Atlanta in the first round. If Indiana can keep up the tempo with the defensive intensity it has shown so far in the playoffs, this game could be close.

• In terms of bets, we’re 5-7 in the playoffs and taking:

  • Mercury first half +4

  • Minnesota / Phoenix under 159 total points scored

  • Indiana +9

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🎠 Coaching carousel hits New York

• The big news of the morning is the Liberty firing Sandy Brondello, the winningest coach in franchise history who led New York to its first-ever title last year, after four seasons in charge. Even with this year’s first round loss and some questionable playoff rotations, it’s a shocking decision.

• New York joins Seattle, Toronto and Portland as the four teams looking for head coaches this offseason. That might be the full list, as the Sky and Wings are for some reason both running it back, per Annie Costabile.

  • If she wants it, Brondello will get one of those open jobs.

🗞 Good reads from around the league

• 6 potential WNBA coaches who could replace Sandy Brondello, Noelle Quinn (Yahoo)

• WNBA has no Black woman head coaches after Seattle fires Noelle Quinn (Front Office Sports)

• For the Lynx, Bridget Carleton’s playoff contributions are quiet, until they’re not (The Star Tribune)

• Kelsey Mitchell continues to fuel Fever's playoff run (ESPN)

🎤 Take of the day

• The Liberty aren’t doing exit interviews with media, which is lame and silly. Fans have a right to get player’s thoughts at the end of the season, even if it was a disappointing one.

  • It also creates a dynamic where reporters have to ask awkward postgame press conference questions about whether the head coach is coming back that now look … prescient.

🏀 Unrivaled to go

• The winter 3-3 league is announcing its roster for Season 2, including new players like Paige Bueckers.

Layup Lines is written 100% by a human being. I very much appreciate you reading and will see you back here tomorrow.

— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor