WNBA semifinals tip off on Sunday

The GIST: In the midst of the above, the game plays on — the WNBA’s semifinals tip off on Sunday, meaning it’s time to level up from three-game sets to five-game series. More hoops, more drama.

No. 1 NY Liberty vs. No. 4 Las Vegas Aces at 3 p.m. ET: It’s the superteam showdown we’ve been waiting for, but one round too early. Still, this 2023 Finals rematch — led by the Aces’ U’nanimous M’VP A’ja Wilson and the Liberty’s two-time Finals MVP Breanna Stewart — is what hoop dreams are made of.

No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 3 Connecticut Sun at 8:30 p.m. ET: Though it lacks the history of the first series, don’t let that fool you. Both teams can score in bunches: the Lynx’s Napheesa Collier is the postseason’s leading scorer, while the Sun’s Alyssa Thomas and fiancée DeWanna Bonner continue to drop buckets.

• Plus, with two of the league’s most fearsome defenses going head-to-head, it’s giving spicy on the Scoville scale.