Post by pilight on Sept 30, 2020 19:31:26 GMT -5
We were talking about the Aces having swept the Storm in the regular season. How often does this happen that one finals team swept the other in the regular season? Does the team that swept usually win again in the finals? This calls for research!
As it turns out, we've had 10 previous finals in which one team had swept the regular season series with the other. All but one had played twice in the regular season.
The first came in 2001. The Sparks won two close games over the Sting in the regular season. Both came during Charlotte's 1-10 start. The finals were different in that the games weren't close.
In 2003 the league was using a schedule heavily weighted towards conference play so the Shock and Sparks met only once in the regular season, an 87-78 Detroit win early in the season. The Shock also took the finals in three close games.
In 2005 the Monarchs and the Sun played twice in five days in late July, with Connecticut winning both. The finals went the other way as the White Line prevailed in four games.
In 2007 the Shock topped the Mercury twice, including a 29 point blowout in Detroit (a game Diana Taurasi described as the worst she ever played). The finals went the other way as Cappie Pondexter's heroics led Phoenix to a five game win.
In 2008 the Silver Stars won both games against the Shock, including Detroit's first home game after The Brawl. The finals were an entirely different story, as the Shock won in an easy sweep. This is the only series where the team that swept the regular season got swept in the finals.
In 2010 the Perfect Storm beat the Dream twice by comfortable margins. Seattle also swept the finals, albeit in three close games.
In 2011 the Lynx beat the Dream twice by comfortable margins. Minnesota also swept the finals, despite Atlanta holding halftime leads in all three games.
As if the 2012 finals weren't ridiculous enough, the Lynx beat the Fever with Katie Douglas twice in four days just over a week before the playoffs began. Against all odds, Indiana took the finals in four without Douglas.
The 2014 Mercury rolled over the Sky in two regular season games much like they did to everybody. The finals were no different as Phoenix rolled to an easy sweep.
In 2015 the Lynx again swept the Fever in the regular season. This time they were able to prevail over the upstarts from Indiana in five games.
If you're counting, the team that swept the regular season won six and lost four. Not much of an advantage. Bill Laimbeer has been on both sides, losing the final after sweeping his opponent in the regular season in 2007 then winning the title after being swept by his opponent in the regular season in 2008.
As it turns out, we've had 10 previous finals in which one team had swept the regular season series with the other. All but one had played twice in the regular season.
The first came in 2001. The Sparks won two close games over the Sting in the regular season. Both came during Charlotte's 1-10 start. The finals were different in that the games weren't close.
In 2003 the league was using a schedule heavily weighted towards conference play so the Shock and Sparks met only once in the regular season, an 87-78 Detroit win early in the season. The Shock also took the finals in three close games.
In 2005 the Monarchs and the Sun played twice in five days in late July, with Connecticut winning both. The finals went the other way as the White Line prevailed in four games.
In 2007 the Shock topped the Mercury twice, including a 29 point blowout in Detroit (a game Diana Taurasi described as the worst she ever played). The finals went the other way as Cappie Pondexter's heroics led Phoenix to a five game win.
In 2008 the Silver Stars won both games against the Shock, including Detroit's first home game after The Brawl. The finals were an entirely different story, as the Shock won in an easy sweep. This is the only series where the team that swept the regular season got swept in the finals.
In 2010 the Perfect Storm beat the Dream twice by comfortable margins. Seattle also swept the finals, albeit in three close games.
In 2011 the Lynx beat the Dream twice by comfortable margins. Minnesota also swept the finals, despite Atlanta holding halftime leads in all three games.
As if the 2012 finals weren't ridiculous enough, the Lynx beat the Fever with Katie Douglas twice in four days just over a week before the playoffs began. Against all odds, Indiana took the finals in four without Douglas.
The 2014 Mercury rolled over the Sky in two regular season games much like they did to everybody. The finals were no different as Phoenix rolled to an easy sweep.
In 2015 the Lynx again swept the Fever in the regular season. This time they were able to prevail over the upstarts from Indiana in five games.
If you're counting, the team that swept the regular season won six and lost four. Not much of an advantage. Bill Laimbeer has been on both sides, losing the final after sweeping his opponent in the regular season in 2007 then winning the title after being swept by his opponent in the regular season in 2008.
