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There are four WNBA games on for Sunday. Here’s what you need to get ready for the first two matchups.
New York Liberty (2-4) vs. Indiana Fever (0-7)
When: Sunday June 10 at 3 p.m. EST
Where: Westchester County Center | TICKETS
How to watch: WNBA League Pass (worldwide streaming) | MSG (New York City area TV)
Injuries: For the Liberty, Epiphanny Prince (concussion) and Kiah Stokes (foot) are questionable. For the Fever, Shenise Johnson (knee) is out while Candice Dupree (knee) is questionable.
Storylines to follow
Battle of the rookie guards. Kelsey Mitchell has been a bright spot for the rebuilding Fever despite their slow start. Mitchell scored at least 16 points in every game except the team’s May 19 season opener against the Sky. Liberty guard Kia Nurse, on the other hand, is putting up big scoring numbers off the bench, including a 34-point performance on June 2 in New York’s previous matchup against Indiana.
Can the Fever finally squeeze a win? The Fever want to win a game more than anyone else in the WNBA right now. They have been competitive in most games this season but just haven’t put together a full 40-minute performance. When teams are desperate, they will be tougher to defeat. The Liberty haven’t started their season as well as they would have hoped, so this should be a good opportunity for the Fever to get that elusive first victory.
Los Angeles Sparks (4-2) vs. Chicago Sky (3-4)
When: Sunday June 10 at 5 p.m. EST
Where: STAPLES Center | TICKETS
How to watch: WNBA League Pass (worldwide streaming) | Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles area TV)
Injuries: For the Sparks, they should have everyone available. For the Sky, Stefanie Dolson (hamstring) is likely out.
Storylines to follow
How will the Sparks bounce back from their loss to the Storm? The Sparks were blown out by Seattle, 88-63, last Thursday. Though the Sky aren’t projected to be a top-2 (or even a top-4) team this summer, it is important for LA to get to a quick lead early and just not let go. After all, Chicago isn’t at full strength with Dolson out due to a hamstring injury. Perhaps that is why she hasn’t played very well this season.
Can the Vandersloot-and-Quigley backcourt outperform LA’s front court? With Dolson unlikely to play, the Sparks will have to rely on Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley to shoulder the load, just as they did last season. In 201 so far, the duo is averaging a combined 30.5 points and 10.5 assists per game. Furthermore, Quigley is shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and nearly 50 percent from three. If Quigley can get on a hot shooting streak with Vandersloot doing the same, Chicago will have a chance to counter the production of the Sparks’ front court of Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike.
Maria Vadeeva is expected to play today! The Sparks rookie was unable to play because her work visa interview was on June 1. Vadeeva received her visa last week and was flying to Chicago on Saturday and should be activated for today’s game, according to Mechelle Voepel of espnW. Vadeeva will probably not play more than a few minutes if she plays at all. But going forward, Vadeeva should make an impact right away.