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Everything you need to know ahead of a busy Friday night in the WNBA.
Last time the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever faced off, A’ja Wilson made history, becoming the all-time single-season scoring leader. The Aces came away with the win in that one, and the Fever will look to bounce back again tonight. Aces-Fever is the headliner again tonight, but there are a few other games of consequence on the schedule, including a battle between the Atlanta Dream and the Washington Mystics that could reap significant playoff implications.
First, let’s take a look at last night’s relatively unexciting results from a single-game Thursday night:
The New York Liberty crushed the Dallas Wings, 99-67: Sabrina Ionescu recorded 20 points and 6 assists, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton posted 17 points and 6 rebounds, and Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot each chipped in with 11 points as the Liberty discarded of the Wings. The win marked New York’s fifth straight, and their second consecutive against Dallas. For the Wings, Maddy Siegrist and Arike Ogunbowale led the way with 11 a piece, though Ogunbowale shot just 3-13.
Tonight’s WNBA games
Ten teams are in action in the WNBA tonight — here’s everything you need to know ahead of a busy evening on Ion.
The Chicago Sky vs the Minnesota Lynx at 7:30pm ET
The Sky were “embarrassed” by Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Washington Mystics, according to Kamilla Cardoso, so they’ll look to bounce back on Thursday. But, defeating the Lynx will be a tall task considering their dominance since the break, and given the fact the Sky continue to be without Angel Reese, who had successful wrist surgery last week.
Minnesota has won 11 of its last 12 games, accruing only a single loss since the Olympics. If Chicago is to come away with an upset, it will likely require a huge game from Chennedy Carter, who’s led the Sky in scoring this season with 17.4 points on 50.1% shooting.
The Washington Mystics vs the Atlanta Dream at 7:30pm ET
When the Mystics began the season 0-12, it seemed unlikely they’d be battling for a playoff spot in September. But, that’s where they find themselves after a midseason turnaround that now has them tied with the Dream at 12-24, and just one game behind the Sky. This is a consequential outing for both teams if they want to see postseason action, and while the outcome won’t single-handedly decide the 8th seed, it’s a critical one with the regular season wrapping up in less than a week.
The Seattle Storm vs the Dallas Wings at 7:30pm ET
The Storm sit one game behind the Aces for the #4 seed, and so while it’s nearly certain the two teams will face off in the first round, it’s not yet determined who will have home court advantage. Skylar Diggins-Smith has been great since the break — she’s averaging 18.7 points on 46.7% shooting along with 6.4 assists since the break, but Jewell Loyd has continued to struggle, shooting just 36.3% from the field since the Olympics for 19.2 points per game.
As for the Wings? None of it really matters at this point. Arike Ogunbowale just became the franchise scoring leader for Dallas, and she’s been better since the Olympics (22.4 points per game, 43.3% from the field). But Dallas was the second team to be eliminated from the playoffs hunt, and will look to start over next season.
The Las Vegas Aces vs the Indiana Fever at 7:30pm ET
The Aces and the Fever square off for the second time in three days. Last time they met, A’ja Wilson (27 points, 12 rebounds) and the Aces were victorious, and the Fever lost a game to a team other than the Lynx for the first time since the break.
Indiana will look for some redemption at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and to get back to their winning ways. Indiana has had two of the league’s top three scorers since the Olympics — Kelsey Mitchell has averaged 24.8 pints on 49.5% shooting, while Caitlin Clark has averaged 23.9 points on 43.8% shooting alongside 9 rebounds.
The Connecticut Sun vs the Phoenix Mercury at 10pm ET
Head coach Stephanie White has acknowledged the Sun would like to snag the #2 seed that they held for much of the year. Right now, they sit one game behind the Lynx, which means they’d face Caitlin Clark and the Fever in the first round of the playoffs if things tipped off today.
Since the break, Brionna Jones has been the team’s leading scorer, averaging 15 points per game, while Marina Mabrey has provided a much-needed offensive boost, scoring 14.8 points a night on 42.7% shooting from three. The Mercury, meanwhile, have struggled. They’ve lost five of their last six games, and currently sit two games below .500. There are now also rumors swirling that this could be Diana Taurasi’s final WNBA season.
Updated WNBA Standings
New York Liberty (31-6)
Minnesota Lynx (27-9)
Connecticut Sun (26-10)
Las Vegas Aces (23-13)
Seattle Storm (22-14)
Indiana Fever (19-18)
Phoenix Mercury (17-19)
Chicago Sky (13-23)
Atlanta Dream (12-24)
Washington Mystics (12-24)
Dallas Wings (9-28)
Los Angeles Sparks (7-30)
