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A Twitter-streamed game during the workday? Why not? Here’s what to look for in both of today’s games, and how to watch:
New York Liberty (2-2) vs. Phoenix Mercury (4-3)
When: Tuesday June 5 at 11 a.m. EST
Where: Madison Square Garden | TICKETS
How to watch: Twitter (worldwide streaming) | MSG+ (New York-area TV)
Injuries: For the Liberty, Epiphanny Prince (concussion) has been ruled out, while Brittany Boyd (Achilles) and Sugar Rodgers (knee) are questionable. The Mercury are good to go.
Storylines to follow
Injury woes: New York’s short bench resulted in Kia Nurse getting more playing time recently than anyone else on the floor in the team’s win over the Fever on Saturday night. Luckily, she rose to the occasion in record-breaking fashion, but will the Liberty need to rely on her again? Besides reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Tina Charles and Shavonte Zellous, the rest of the Liberty roster scored only 13 points Saturday (two of those being non-Nurse bench points).
Phoenix rising: After a tough three-game losing streak, the Mercury are back in the swing of things looking to put together a third straight win. In their Sunday win against the Dream, the team put together 24 assists to surge ahead, contrasting the Liberty’s recent reliance on star power from individual players. Brittney Griner was key for the Mercury in this series last season, leading the team in points and rebounds in all three games against New York, though Phoenix took only one of three from the Liberty.
Atlanta Dream (2-3) vs. Connecticut Sun (5-0)
When: Tuesday June 5 at 8 p.m. EST
Where: McCamish Pavilion | TICKETS
How to watch: WNBA League Pass (worldwide streaming) | Fox Sports South (local market) | NBC Sports Boston (local market)
Injuries: Elizabeth Williams (ankle) is questionable for the Dream. The Sun are good to go.
Storylines to follow
Upset-minded: Although a preseason tilt between these teams left the Dream at the losing end of a 74-58 rout, one of their two wins this season came against the dangerous-yet-troubled Minnesota Lynx just a week ago. Any win against the defending champions is still an upset this early in the season, and the Dream showed grit and resilience as they staged a late comeback to take the game by two. Although they lost to the Mercury on Sunday —Atlanta hasn’t won two straight games all season — the continued high-level play of Angel McCoughtry and Jessica Breland is something to hope for if the Dream wants to pull off an even bigger upset.
No sunset yet: What is there to say? Connecticut is doing everything right so far in this young season, and it shows. At least four players have scored in double figures in all five of the team’s games, including the four that did so in their 24-point win over the Mystics on Sunday, and the five that scored 10 or more in their 38-point dismantling of the Sky on Friday. The only thing that could harm the Sun right now is that tonight’s game will be their third in five days, all on the road. Will fatigue be the Sun’s undoing, or will they be able to put together another decisive victory relying on the strength of each other?