Could the winner of the 2022 WNBA playoff's most intriguing first-round series between the Seattle Storm and Washington Mystics be more of a threat than its record indicates?
The Storm and Mystics, who finished tied for fourth in the WNBA standings at 22-14 — with Seattle earning the right to host the series by winning two of three head-to-head matchups during the regular season — haven't played at the same level over the course of the season as they did while winning championships in 2018 (Storm), 2019 (Washington) and 2020 (Storm again).
Yet a closer look at the two teams' seasons suggests reason to believe both of them could be better in the postseason. Seattle has quietly leveled up since adding former MVP Tina Charles, who led the WNBA in scoring last season while playing for the Mystics.
And Washington has naturally been far better with 2019 MVP Elena Delle Donne in the lineup, something we can expect throughout the playoffs after the team carefully managed her schedule in the regular season.