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On WNBA Sunday night, two games tip off at 7 p.m. ET, with the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx having the most at stake.
Phoenix Mercury (17-14) at LA Sparks (18-12)
When: Sunday, August 12 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix | TICKETS
How to watch: ESPN2 (nationally)
Injury report: Neither team had injuries to report.
Keys to the clash
The Mercury enter this one at seventh in the standings, with the eighth seed not yet decided. Although Phoenix will want to climb higher, the bigger concern for them will be figuring out how to beat LA, because they haven’t done it in a while. In the two prior meetings between these teams this season, the Sparks edged out the Mercury by eight points on May 27 and by three points on August 5. Prior to the 2018 season, the Sparks beat Phoenix in LA when Diana Taurasi became the league leader in three-point scoring and, most notably, the Sparks swept the Mercury in the semifinals of the 2017 WNBA Playoffs. So, it’s a must-win for the Mercury to a) avoid a series sweep against LA and b) figure out a winning formula against the Sparks if the paths of these two teams collide in this year’s playoffs.
Minnesota Lynx (17-13) vs. Seattle Storm (23-8)
When: Sunday, August 12 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis | TICKETS
How to watch: ESPN3 (nationally) | Fox Sports North (Minneapolis)
Injury report: For the Lynx, Danielle Robinson (high ankle sprain) and Rebekkah Brunson (concussion) are out. Everyone is good to go for the Storm.
Keys to the clash
The Storm enter this one after suffering a surprising 100-77 loss to the Washington Mystics on August 9, while the Lynx are pouncing from a 16-point victory over the Aces that same day. With Seattle’s loss and two wins for Atlanta since that date, the Dream are now within two games of Seattle and the top spot. The Lynx, of course, are hoping to improve upon their sixth-place standing. With the series tied at 1-1 and this game set to decide the series, look for a battle and further shifting in the playoff seeding.
Enjoy the games!