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These teams first faced each other over a month ago, and a lot has happened on the court since then. Read on to learn more about Wednesday’s early WNBA matchup and how to watch.
Chicago Sky (4-9) vs. Atlanta Dream (7-6)
When: Wednesday, June 27 at 12 p.m. ET
Where: Wintrust Arena | TICKETS
How to watch: WNBA League Pass (worldwide streaming)
Injuries: Tiffany Hayes (ankle) is out for the Dream.
Storylines to follow
Last meeting: Dream 81, Sky 63 (May 23)
These teams looked pretty different a month ago.
The Sky had an uninjured Stefanie Dolson in the starting lineup but no Courtney Vandersloot, while a healthy Tiffany Hayes drained 22 points, including 4 threes, to hand Chicago its first loss of the season (and give the Dream its first win).
Now, Dolson is easing back into play after injury, Hayes won’t see the court at all, and Vandersloot is back in her comfort zone as the league’s assists leader.
A promising win over the Mercury should put the Sky in a good mindset coming into this game, but the only reason they aren’t currently in contention for last place is because the Fever still only have one win on the season.
The Dream, meanwhile, have taken down Connecticut twice, as well as beaten the Storm and the Lynx. However, the Fever’s above-mentioned single win did come against this team of “Dream-killers.”
Angel McCoughtry—the reigning WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week—has emerged as the Dream’s leading scorer, averaging 18.5 points per game, including 25 in Friday’s win against Connecticut. Although Atlanta only averages 73.8 points per game, Chicago allows a league-worst 87.3 points per game. For obvious reasons, neutralizing McCoughtry would be a good place for the Sky to start to avoid a rout.
What worked for the Sky in their Mercury win should work against the Dream, too, if they’re able to put together another all-around strong outing: nearly 50 percent shooting, a high assist total from Vandersloot, and as many players in double figures as possible. The Dream’s marked advantage on the glass and their league-leading 7.8 steals per game will be a force to contend with, however, especially since the Sky lead the league in turnovers.
Finally, Chicago’s consistency (or lack thereof) will be something to keep an eye on, as they’ve only won consecutive games one time this season, a run ended by—who else?—the Atlanta Dream.