Swish Swish: RD1 Postseason Recap 2025
This one was a banger: the defending juggernaut Slim Sykes entered as the top seed after a near-perfect 9-2 regular season, but ran headfirst into a surging TeamBucketsJP, who may have entered the playoffs as the 4-seed but brought first-seed energy when it mattered most. The final margin was 79 points, but the matchup was tight all week — only on the final few days did Justin’s squad pull away with a tidal wave of late-week production.
Buckets rode an ultra-balanced attack: six players scored over 100 fantasy points and four cracked the 180 mark. Alyssa Thomas (232 FPTS) and Kelsey Mitchell (226) led the way, with Maddy Siegrist (209) and Skylar Diggins (189) right behind. It was a relentless onslaught. Thomas racked up 50 rebounds and 24 assists in five games, the kind of MVP stat-stuffing that’s been her signature all year, while Mitchell was unconscious as a scorer (32 FTM, 8 threes). It was the kind of depth you dream about come playoff time.
Sykes didn’t go down without a fight. This was a top-tier team all season long, and Kiki Iriafen did everything in her power to carry them to victory — dropping a league-leading 262 FPTS on the back of 75 rebounds and 16 assists across a whopping 7 games. But outside of her and Kelsey Plum (180 FPTS in just 4 games!), there just wasn’t enough consistency. Gabby Williams and Brittney Sykes had strong all-around showings, but the second unit—players like Carleton, Paopao, and Zandalasini—just didn’t produce when needed. Attrition, minutes limits, and some bad variance bit this top-seeded squad at the worst time.
It’s worth noting that Sykes used all 10 of their available acquisitions and squeezed 51 total games out of their roster, compared to Buckets’ 48. They did everything right on the margins—but ultimately ran into a team that simply got hotter. You can’t really point to any single roster decision as the reason; the Bucketheads just rolled out a squad that peaked at exactly the right time.
For Sykes, this is a disappointing end to a dominant season—but not one without pride. They were consistently elite, made savvy adds all year, and led the league in team cohesion and good vibes. It’s just a cruel twist of fantasy fate that they posted the third-highest score of the round…and still went home.
For TeamBucketsJP? They’re on to the semis, oozing confidence and armed with a dangerous combination of volume, health, and stars firing on all cylinders. The league should be very, very afraid.
#3 Phoenix’s Order def. #2 On Cloud 9 in NYC, 1406 to 1269
If the first playoff showdown was a thunderous upset, this one was a subtler burn — a slow, steady outpacing where Phoenix’s Order stayed calm and methodical while Cloud 9 stumbled through turbulence at the worst possible moment. Both teams entered with matching records, but Phoenix’s Order left no doubt who deserved the spot in the semis.
Phoenix put together a team-wide symphony of contribution, led by a monster performance from Allisha Gray (222 FPTS in 6 games), whose combination of rebounding, steals, and minutes was quietly elite. Right behind her was Emma Meesseman (197), picked up off waivers and immediately producing like a seasoned fantasy cornerstone. Together, the Gray-Meesseman duo dropped nearly 420 points—roughly a third of the team’s total—and were the engine for this playoff surge.
Rhyne Howard added 147 points with her do-it-all play, while Rickea Jackson and Jessica Shepard chipped in 140+ combined. Even with Napheesa Collier still limited, Phoenix had no glaring holes. It wasn’t a flashy explosion like Buckets’ 230+ point games, but it was depth, discipline, and pure production. You could see the coaching fingerprints—this was a team that managed minutes, planned matchups, and used all 12 acquisitions wisely. A playoff clinic.
On Cloud 9, meanwhile, entered the matchup with a more volatile build—and it showed. Veronica Burton had a career week, leading all players in this matchup with 305 FPTS (!!!!) over 7 games. That’s absurd. That’s “why did you drop her in the first place?” territory. But beyond Burton, it got dicey. Kamilla Cardoso (202) was solid, and Aliyah Boston (179) finally looked like herself again, but the role players fell short. Paige Bueckers never found her rhythm, Tiffany Hayes disappeared, and Kiah Stokes and Erica Wheeler gave next to nothing.
It wasn’t a total collapse—Cloud 9 still posted nearly 1300 points—but the margins were too thin to overcome the Phoenix surge. Most tellingly, Phoenix managed to outscore Cloud 9 despite playing 3 fewer games total. Efficiency and balance won out over boom-or-bust options.
For Phoenix’s Order, this was a statement win. They’ve now taken down the 2-seed and advance to the semifinals with momentum, health, and high-performing midseason pickups. Meesseman, in particular, looks like a league-winning move.
And for Cloud 9? It’s heartbreak. This team was built with love, with vision, and with rookies and favorites galore—but in the playoffs, the margin for error is razor-thin. They’ll return next year wiser, tougher, and with even more chaos in the tank.