Tuesday night time might be consequential in deciding which crew will signify the Japanese Convention within the Commissioner Cup championship sport on July 1.
The Indiana Fever and New York Liberty, each in motion, are tied atop the standings with matching 2-0 information. The Fever presently sport a degree differential of +36, with the Liberty besting them with a margin of +56. Wins by every crew would have them heading in the right direction for a Cup conflict on Saturday, when the winner of the matchup between the 2 groups would seemingly be in place to say East supremacy.
Indiana will purpose for 3-0 in Cup play in Atlanta towards the Dream at 7 p.m. ET, whereas Liberty host the Chicago Sky at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN).
A battle of Howards within the ATL
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Caitlin Clark is not going to return from the quad damage that has sidelined her for 4 video games, with head coach Stephanie White sharing on Monday that the star sophomore guard is “prepared to begin ramping again up,” earlier than emphasizing that the group is “going to be good” and “work her again in very deliberately.” Up to now, the Fever are 2-2 in Clark’s absence, recovering from losses to the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Solar with two-straight wins over the Mystics and Sky.
No matter who’s on the courtroom, the Fever and Dream have already got a major diploma of familiarity, because the they are going to be matching up for a 3rd time this season, having cut up a back-to-back home-and-home set on Might 20 and 22, when Atlanta gained in Indiana earlier than Indiana gained in Atlanta.
The end result of third contest might be decided by which Howard, Rhyne or Natasha, has the sting. Within the earlier two matchups, Rhyne was charged hounding Clark, exerting vital power on the defensive finish. But, she nonetheless had sufficient within the tank to drop 20 and 24 factors, making at the least three 3s and attending to the road for six free throws in every sport. Whereas Indiana nonetheless has loads of offensive threats, headlined by Kelsey Mitchell, who might demand Howard’s defensive consideration, she may need much more offensive juice on this one, particularly now that Jordin Canada has returned from damage to imagine major ball-handling duties for the Dream.
On the opposite aspect, Natasha might once more show essential for the Fever. Her twitchy low-post scoring bundle and well timed cuts induced bother for Atlanta’s much less cell bigs in Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones in Indiana’s win. Her 26 factors on 12-for-17 taking pictures was her highest-scoring and most-efficient offensive efficiency of the season.
Will probably be attention-grabbing to see if Dream head coach Karl Smesko opts for extra Naz Hillmon to include Howard. Hillmon, who’s listed as questionable attributable to a hamstring damage, is an undersized but persistent and lively defender, and because the set towards the Fever, she has change into a extra integral a part of Atlanta’s rotation. She additionally kinds one of many Dream’s finest two-player pairings with Jones. The duo is Atlanta’s second-best two-player lineup, with the crew outscoring opponents by 49 factors throughout their 71 minutes collectively. They would appear effectively suited to match up with the Fever frontcourt of Howard and Aliyah Boston.
No matter unfolds, this needs to be one other shut one. Win or lose, that might be an issue for the Fever….
Anticipate no bother for New York
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As a result of, within the context of the Commissioner’s Cup, level differential issues, and the Liberty are in prime place to pad their already comfy level differential.
The very last thing the Sky, recent off enduring a brutal loss on the United Heart to the Fever that was compounded by a season-ending ACL damage to Courtney Vandersloot, want is to change into the Liberty’s newest sufferer. But, barring an surprising burst of organized play, that’s what’s on deck for Chicago once they go to Brooklyn on Tuesday.
The Liberty have already got downed the Sky as soon as this season, drowning them with a single-game report 19 3-pointers. These groups occupy diametrically opposed locations within the WNBA universe, because the Liberty rank at or close to the highest of the league in nearly each impactful statistical class whereas the Sky sit at or close to the underside.
Even when Jonquel Jones, who’s listed as questionable after exiting the Liberty’s current win over the Mystics with an ankle damage, doesn’t play, New York ought to waltz to a 9-0 report, in addition to a 3-0 mark and overflowing level differential in Commissioner’s Cup play.
Sport data
Indiana Fever (4-4; 2-0 CC) vs. Atlanta Dream (5-3; 0-1 CC)
When: Tuesday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET
The place: Gateway Heart in Faculty Park, GA
Easy methods to watch: ESPN3, WNBA League Go
Chicago Sky (2-5; 0-1 CC) vs. New York Liberty (8-0; 2-0 CC)
When: Tuesday, June 10 at 8 p.m. ET
The place: Barclays Heart in Brooklyn, NY
Easy methods to watch: ESPN
