Today’s WNBA playoff preview: Liberty face Dream, Aces battle Storm in do-or-die Game 2s

It’s WNBA playoff game day (Part 2) and we have two teams on the brink of elimination — and two who are just a win away from advancing to the semi-finals. Such is the nature of the best-of-three first round series — after just one playoff loss, both the Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream find themselves in do-or-die situations heading into their respective Game 2s.

Here’s what’s in store for tonight:

In the first of two Game 2s on Tuesday, The New York Liberty will look to secure a second consecutive win against the Atlanta Dream, who they’ll again host at Barclay’s Center.

When the two teams faced off on Sunday, New York cruised to victory, taking a double-digit lead early on and blowing away the Dream 96-75.

Leonie Fiebich — the German rookie who moved to the starting lineup in place of Courtney Vandersloot — was the x-factor in the series opener, exploding for a game-high 21 points on 7-8 shooting, including 4-4 from three.

“Leo had a great game,” Sandy Brondello said of her 24-year-old rookie sensation. “We’ve bragged about her contributions all season long. It’s a no-brainer, but she always stays ready. Regardless of starting or coming off the bench, she’s always locked in.”

Vandersloot took the bench relegation well — becoming the WNBA’s all-time playoff assist leader with a dish-out to Breanna Stewart in Game 1 — and expressing to reporters postgame that she understood the move.

“She’s comfortable out there,” Vandersloot said of Fiebich. “She fits perfectly with that group. For me, my mentality didn’t change. It was the same. I just wanted to be able to be a spark off the bench. It’s definitely new to me in terms of, yeah, it’s going to take me a second to adjust to this because it is different. I just don’t have that experience, which is fine. It’s going to take some time.”

In Game 1, Breanna Stewart added 20 points and 11 rebounds, Sabrina Ionescu 17 points and 5 assists, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton 10 points and 5 assists. It was a well-rounded defeat that saw the Liberty at their best — dominating on both ends, and getting contributions from several key contributors.

Atlanta just squeaked into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season, and it looked like it. No Dream player scored more than 14 points, with Tina Charles finishing with 12 points and 7 rebounds and Rhyne Howard adding 14 points.

The keys for Atlanta tonight? For starters, Leonie Fiebich can’t get do that again. Perhaps even more importantly, the Dream’s trio of top scorers — Tina Charles, Allisha Gray, and Rhyne Howard — need to do more. Howard is more than capable of going off for 30+ points on any given night, and in a game against the league’s best team all season, that might be required if Atlanta wants to get this thing back in front of their home crowd.

The Aces are in a similar boat as the Liberty — one win away from advancing — but their Game 1 win against Seattle wasn’t quite as dominant. But, the two-time defending champions held the Storm to just two fourth-quarter points in Game 1, pulling away with a 78-67 win despite a slow start.

A’ja Wilson overcame a 1-8 FG first half shooting performance to the game to finish with 21 points (9-21 FG), 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks, while Tiffany Hayes exploded for 20 points on 8-12 shooting off the bench. Chelsea Gray continued to show signs she’s returning to her pre-injury self, adding 16 points on 5-10 shooting.

The Storm were without Defensive Player of the Year candidate Ezi Magbegor, who was out with a concussion, though Magbegor will be back in the lineup for Game 2.

Skylar Diggins-Smith led the way with 16 points (5-15 FG) and 8 assists. Nneka Ogwumike (13 points) and Gabby Williams (14 points) both addressed reporters pregame, expressing disappointment at the letdown.

Ogwumike said the team tried to catch their breath in the midst of their fourth quarter letdown, in which the Storm were outscored 14-2 — losing control of the game and the series.

“Looking back, I could have said something,” she said. “I think everybody was just trying to stay calm.”

Magbegor’s return will provide a lift on both ends for the Storm, but they’ll also likely need more from their primary scoring option, Jewell Loyd, who scored just 6 points on 2-8 shooting in her first game back from a 10-day knee-related absence. Wilson has pretty much shown she’s nearly impossible to contain, but whether the Storm can limit the others — Gray, Hayes, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young — will be crucial to determining whether or not they can extend this series. More efficient nights from Diggins-Smith and Ogwumike will also help.