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Preview: Liberty look to avoid season sweep at hands of Sky on Wednesday night

The Chicago Sky have had the New York Liberty’s number in 2019. The Liberty will need to tighten things up on the defensive end of the floor if they want to salvage the series finale in Chicago.

By Eric Nemchock
New York Liberty v Chicago Sky
All-Star Kia Nurse is currently averaging 15.1 points per game for New York. A big game from her will be crucial if the Liberty are going to upset the Sky, who are 8-3 at home.
Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images

The Chicago Sky and New York Liberty face off on Wednesday night for the third and final time this season. It’s a series that Chicago has dominated thus far: The Sky defeated the Liberty in New York back on June 19 and won a blowout nearly a month later.

Chicago Sky v New York Liberty
Courtney Vandersloot is once again leading the WNBA in assists (8.7 per game). She’s racked up 20 of them in two games against New York.
Photo by Matteo Marchi/NBAE via Getty Images

The WNBA standings align with those results. Chicago currently sits in fifth place at 12-9, having won five of its last six games. New York, meanwhile, is 8-13 — not a catastrophic record, but if the playoffs started today, the Liberty would miss out. An upset of the Sky in Chicago would be vital in getting New York back on track.

Game information

When: Wednesday, August 7, at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, IL

How to watch: Twitter, The U Too

Keys to the matchup: Defense has to be a concern for the Liberty tonight. Chicago scored 112.3 and 113.8 points per 100 possessions in these teams’ first two matchups, respectively — significantly more than the 101.7 points per 100 possessions New York is allowing on average. More efficient offense might help the Liberty stymie this. Chicago ranks second in the league in fast break points per game, so if New York can shoot the ball well, it will give itself a chance to compete with the Sky’s pace.

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