2018 WNBA Finals preview: Washington Mystics defense key to weathering Seattle Storm

How they got here: The Storm had the best record of the regular season (26-8), by far, and clinched the top seed in the WNBA playoffs. Therefore, they’ll have home-court advantage in this series, which could provide crucial. In the semifinals, they led the Phoenix Mercury 2-0, before being the first team in WNBA history to face a Game 5 after winning the first two games of a series. They were in trouble for three quarters against Phoenix in Game 5. In Game 4, 2018 MVP Breanna Stewart elbowed Sue Bird in the face inadvertently, and broke the 37-year-old’s nose. Bird was out for the second half of Game 4, but she returned in Game 5 with her mask on, ready for business. She scored 14 points in the last 5:48 of the game to seal the win for the Storm.

Players to watch: Well, obviously, watch Sue Bird. Always watch Sue Bird. She has truly turned back the clock this season, and in her 17th season in the league, is averaging a career-high 7.1 assists per game. But Breanna Stewart is this team’s motor; in just her third year in the WNBA, Stewart won the league MVP award, averaging 21.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. She also shot an impressive 41.5 percent from beyond the arc. In the playoffs, Stewart has been even more impressive, if that’s possible. She is averaging 24 points and 7.4 boards per game. She will be matched up against Elena Delle Donne for most of the series, which will be a big task for the 2015 MVP.

Key to victory: An unsung hero. Look, Bird and Stewart are going to do what Bird and Stewart do. The Mystics can hope to slightly contain them, but you're not going to stop them. But two players alone can't beat a team as deep as the Mystics. Can guard Jewel Lloyd regain her early-season form? Will the 2018 Most Improved Player, Natasha Howard, dominate in the paint? Could Crystal Langhorn, Jordin Canada, or even Sami Whitcomb have a breakout game off of the bench? All of these players are capable of rising to the occasion, but in the Finals, it's all about execution.

Washington Mystics

How they got here: The Mystics were the No. 3 seed headed into the playoffs, which meant they didn't get a bye into the semifinals. Instead, they had to play a sudden-death game in the second round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Sparks. They passed that test with flying colors, beating the 2016 champs 96-64. Then, in the semifinals, they beat the Atlanta Dream in Atlanta in Game 1, and were neck-and-neck with them in Game 2 before Elena Delle Donne slipped and injured her knee with three minutes left to go in the game. The Mystics ended up dropping Game 2, and received a blow when Delle Donne was diagnosed with a left knee bone bruise. Despite rehabbing around the clock, she missed Game 3 in Washington, D.C., which the Mystics ended up losing by five points. Thankfully, she was able to return for the following game, and the Mystics managed to come out ahead in two must-win games, with a runaway victory at home in Game 4, and then a gritty Game 5 victory on the road, to make the franchise's first final.

Players to watch: Delle Donne and Kristi Toliver are the Mystics' two All-Stars and leaders. Delle Donne is a dynamic power forward who was an MVP contender this season. In the playoffs, even with her injury, she's averaging 21.4 points and 12 rebounds per game this postseason. But she was not 100 percent when she returned in Game 4 and 5, and her health is going to be a huge question mark, because Stewart is one of the few players who can expose a subpar Delle Donne. Toliver is capable of shooting out-of-her mind from beyond the arc, and if she finds her form the way she did in Games 4 and 5 of the semifinals, it's going to be electric. The Mystics' third most important player? Rookie Ariel Atkins. The seventh overall pick in this year's draft has been a revelation all year long, and has been in the Mystics' starting lineup since June. She has come up clutch all six playoff games so far, particularly in Game 5 against the Dream, where she led the team in scoring with 20 points, and a staggering six offensive rebounds.

Key to victory: Defense. The Storm have been the best offense in the league all season long. While the Mystics are one of the few offenses in the league that can keep up with them, they don't want to get into an old-fashioned, fast-paced shootout with the Storm, particularly on the road in Key Arena. The Mystics need to be physical on defense, try to slow down the pace, get to the line often, and try to beat the Storm on the boards. Center LaToya Sanders will be particularly important here; she's averaging 3.3 blocks per game this playoffs, and is faster and more agile than Storm center Natasha Howard. That needs to be exploited.