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With 10 of the league’s 12 teams in action, it’s about to be a busy day in the WNBA.
For three teams, it’s all about maintaining their early winning seasons. The Connecticut Sun, Washington Mystics and Indiana Fever — the league’s top three teams — each only have a single loss on the year.
While the Sun and Mystics are taking on the struggling Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings, respectively, the Fever will have a little bit more of a challenge as they host the Phoenix Mercury. But then, each of Indiana’s games this season is a new challenge — having only won six games last year, that they’ve found so much success already this season means being able to look at each game as realistically winnable.
The day’s other two games see the winless New York Liberty host the Las Vegas Aces and the Seattle Storm visit Chicago for the second time this season to take on the Sky. Though the Liberty might be the team without a win, the Aces have had their share of struggles, too. And even though the Sky held off the defending champions on June 1, that remains their only win on the season.
Here’s how to follow each of today’s games and what to expect:
Game information
Connecticut Sun (4-1) vs. Atlanta Dream (1-3)
When: Sunday, June 9, at 3 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
How to watch: WNBA League Pass, WSB Now (Atlanta-area live stream), WTIC (Connecticut-area TV)
Keys to the matchup: The Dream haven’t been able to keep a game close since their four-point opening win against Dallas, and things don’t seem to be improving. Today, putting a three-game losing streak to rest means containing the likes of Jonquel Jones and the rest of the Sun starting lineup, each of whom scored in double figures their last time out. Atlanta can’t afford another lopsided loss, but if they’re not careful, Connecticut is a perfect candidate to hand them one.
Las Vegas Aces (2-2) vs. New York Liberty (0-4)
When: Sunday, June 9, at 3 p.m. ET
Where: Westchester County Center, White Plains, NY
How to watch: WNBA League Pass, FOX Sports Go
Keys to the matchup: After a mini-losing streak, the Aces seem to have gotten back on track to an extent after thrashing the Dream on Thursday. Liz Cambage made her first appearance in the Las Vegas starting five, scoring 15 points in 19 minutes, and the team shot over 50 percent for the first time all season. Maintaining that consistency against another team desperate for a win in the Liberty will be important for the Aces moving forward, because soon enough, living up to the hype is going to be about more than just routing weaker teams.
Dallas Wings (0-3) vs. Washington Mystics (3-1)
When: Sunday, June 9, at 3 p.m. ET
Where: Entertainment and Sports Arena, Washington, DC
How to watch: WNBA League Pass, NBC Sports Washington
Keys to the matchup: After hitting the road to send the Liberty to an 0-4 start, the Mystics — who have seemed well at home in their new arena — look to do the same to the Wings today. But first, they’ll have to clean up some of the less-than-stellar play that kept New York in Friday’s game for so long. Natasha Cloud chipped in a career-best 26 points, but Ariel Atkins missed all of her shots from the floor and even Elena Delle Donne shot just 35.7 percent. The Liberty out-shot and out-rebounded the Mystics, but committed more personal fouls and turnovers, allowing the Mystics to ice the game at the line. If Washington can remedy their game in this area, it should be register as another smooth home win against a Dallas team that just hasn’t gotten it together yet.
Phoenix Mercury (1-2) vs. Indiana Fever (3-1)
When: Sunday, June 9, at 4 p.m. ET
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
How to watch: NBA TV, FOX Sports Indiana, FOX Sports Arizona Plus
Keys to the matchup: Unfortunately for the Fever, their three wins have all come against teams that any team looking to have a solid 2019 season would hope to beat: the Liberty (twice) and the Wings. Fortunately, they may be catching the playoff-favorite Mercury in something of an early funk. With Phoenix’s scoring stagnant and Indiana’s flourishing, to an extent, this game could be decided on pure offensive effort alone. Regardless, this will be both teams’ biggest test of the season so far: For Indiana, it’s their first game against a playoff contender, while for the Mercury, it’s their first game against a team that’s not a clear playoff contender. The result will say a lot about whether the Fever are for real, and about whether the Mercury are on a downward path to the playoff bubble.
Seattle Storm (3-2) vs. Chicago Sky (1-2)
When: Sunday, June 9, at 6 p.m. ET
Where: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, IL
How to watch: NBA TV, The U Too (Chicago-area TV)
Keys to the matchup: Going into their June 1 meeting, the task for the Storm was informed by their experiences last season: Contain Allie Quigley. Instead, Quigley went off for 25 points, Courtney Vandersloot neared a triple-double and the Sky escaped with a four-point victory in their home opener. The Storm can easily get out of Chicago with a split series if they learn from their own missteps — specifically, shooting the ball better. The Mystics canceled out their’s and the Sky’s dual 50 percent field goal percentages on Wednesday by lighting it up from three, an area where Seattle has the tools (see: Sami Whitcomb) to excel.