The 2022 WNBA regular season has come to a close, and the playoff matchups have been set. With the playoffs starting Wednesday, I decided to give my predictions for the postseason. But, before I share my predictions, here are my top contenders to win the championship.

Honorable Mention: Washington Mystics

The 2019 WNBA champions get the nod here. While some of the players from that run aren’t with the team anymore, Washington has continued to be among the league’s best, with a Big Three of 2015 and 2019 WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne, All-Defensive team candidate Natasha Cloud, and 2021 and 2022 All-Star Ariel Atkins leading the way. With a healthier Delle Donne (she only played three games in 2021) and the addition of Rookie of the Year candidate Shakira Austin, Washington rebounded from a 12-20 season in 2021 to a 22-14 record this season. They also captured the best team defensive rating (97.8) in the WNBA.

The only reason I don’t have the Mystics higher is my concern for Delle Donne’s health. After missing most of the 2021 season with a back injury, Washington managed her workload this season, as they sat her out of the second games of back-to-backs, causing her to miss 11 games. With Delle Donne on the floor, Washington was 18-7. Without her on the floor, they finished 4-7. With no back-to-back games in the playoffs, Delle Donne should be able to play each game. However, if she has to miss a game for any reason, that could spell doom for the Mystics.

3. Seattle Storm

A few weeks ago, the Storm would’ve been in the honorable mention category. However, with the acquisition of 2012 WNBA MVP Tina Charles, Seattle gets the nod here. When Charles was acquired, she gave Seattle the one thing it was missing: an offensive-minded post presence to complement 2018 and 2020 WNBA Finals MVP Breanna Stewart. While All-Defensive team candidate Ezi Magbegor has played well for Seattle, she’s not the threat offensively that Charles is.

The acquisition of Charles also makes Seattle more flexible, as they can go nine-deep (10-deep if forward Jantel Lavender gets meaningful minutes) in the playoffs. The starting lineup consists of four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird, two-time All-WNBA and four-time All-Star Jewell Loyd, forward Gabby Williams, Stewart, and Charles. The bench consists of 2012 WNBA champion and 2014 All-Star Briann January, 2011 and 2013 All-Star Epiphanny Prince, forward Stephanie Talbot, and Magbegor. With this deep rotation, defensive tenacity (the Storm finished with the third-best team defensive rating at 99.7), and a star like Stewart—who is in contention for the 2022 MVP and Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) awards—Seattle has a great chance at bringing the trophy home.

2. Las Vegas Aces

The #1 overall seed gets this spot. With 2020 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson having another career year (she’s competing for the 2022 MVP and DPOY awards as well), coupled with the growth of Most Improved Player candidates Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, along with 2016 WNBA champion Chelsea Gray and Coach of the Year candidate Becky Hammon, the Aces have as good of a shot as anyone to bring home the title.

My biggest concerns with the Aces are their depth and defense. With 2019 and 2020 Sixth Player of the Year Dearica Hamby out for 2-4 weeks, the Aces may be more reliant on their starters than before. Over 34 games (32 starts) this year, Hamby averaged 26.5 minutes per game. Meanwhile, three of her fellow starters (Wilson, Plum, and Young) finished in the top 10 of total minutes played, with Plum being #1. If center Kiah Stokes (who has filled in admirably in Hamby’s absence), 2013 Sixth Player of the Year Riquna Williams and rookie Iliana Rupert can provide valuable minutes for Vegas, the Aces should be fine in the playoffs. While the Aces generated the best team offensive rating (111.9) in the WNBA, they also had the sixth-best team defensive rating (104.0). With a potential second round matchup against the Storm or the Mystics, the Aces would have to defend well to win that series and advance to the WNBA Finals.

With the roster and offensive firepower they have, the Aces match up well against any team. Having home-court advantage throughout the postseason should help as well. This could very well be the best chance this team has to win its first ever championship.

1. Chicago Sky

While the Aces have the #1 seed and won the season tiebreaker over the Sky (2-1, 3-1 if you want to count the 2022 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game), Chicago gets the nod here due to their postseason pedigree. The 2021 WNBA champions brought back most of their roster from last season, and they added 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman and rookie guard Rebekah Gardner. Led by 2016 WNBA Finals MVP Candace Parker and 2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper, the Sky have the perfect mix of experience and youth as they look to repeat.

Predictions

These predictions are based on the WNBA’s new playoff format. The first round is a best of 3 series, with the higher seed hosting the first two games. The second and third rounds are best of 5 series, with each round following a 2-2-1 format. Under this format, the higher seed would host Games 1, 2, and 5 (if necessary). Without further ado, here are my predictions for the 2022 WNBA playoffs.

Who are your top contenders for the 2022 WNBA playoffs? Who do you have winning it all? Share your thoughts in the comments below!