WNBA on NBA TV: Previewing Sunday’s Four-Game Father’s Day Slate

Brian Kotloff

With the NBA champion crowned, it’s time for #SummerHoops to take center stage. And the WNBA delivers this weekend with 11 games, including four on Sunday on NBA TV to cap Dads & Daughters Week across the league.

Here’s what to watch for in each matchup:

New York Liberty @ Atlanta Dream (3 PM ET)

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  • Righting the Ship? Atlanta’s slow start has been one of the early surprises of the 2015 season. The Dream have struggled on both ends, but their shaky offense — with a league-leading 19.3 turnovers per game entering the weekend — has been their undoing, especially for a team that banked on its continuity. Head coach Michael Cooper needs his championship-caliber offense to start flowing.
  • Starry Afternoon: Two of the league’s top five scorers (as of 6/19) will face off in this matchup, and both bring a unique skill set to appreciate. No one is more dangerous in the open floor than Angel McCoughtry, while Tina Charles rules the post for the Liberty. They won’t match up directly, but Charles’ battle with fellow All-Star center Erika de Souza will be a highlight.
  • Bench Brigade: When these two teams met on opening night, it wasn’t the stars but the bench that made the difference. New York’s subs outscored Atlanta’s 44-10 in the 83-72 victory, and depth is a major reason why the Liberty have returned to form while the Dream are still searching for answers.

 

Connecticut Sun @ Los Angeles Sparks (5 PM ET)

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  • Sunny Days: The Sun have been the feel-good story of the season thus far, rising to the top of the Eastern Conference despite missing injured star Chiney Ogwumike. Alex Bentley, Kelsey Bone and others have picked up the slack, and Connecticut boasts the league’s second-best defense entering the weekend.
  • Searching for a Spark: In L.A. the absences have simply been too much to overcome. With Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker sidelined, the Sparks have struggled defensively and especially struggled to score the ball. They will need Alana Beard to return from a foot injury or Jantel Lavender and Erin Phillips to step into leading roles.
  • Gray Area: It was difficult to know what to expect from former Duke star Chelsea Gray as she returned from a knee injury, but the guard has been electric in limited minutes through five games. Gray, who missed all of last season while rehabbing, is averaging 9.2 points, 1.4 assists and a steal in just 15.0 minutes per game — numbers that could skyrocket as she works her way back to full strength.

Tulsa Shock @ Minnesota Lynx (7 PM ET)

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  • Sky vs. Maya: When these two teams meet, the spotlight will always be on two of the league’s brightest stars. Of course, this is a matchup of the Lynx versus the Stars, but Diggins versus Moore in prime time is as good as it gets in the WNBA. Both will look to break out after a relatively quiet first two weeks.
  • Playoff Preview? Tulsa’s rise appears to be happening even faster than expected, meaning Sunday’s game could very well serve as a playoff preview. Minnesota and Tulsa sit atop the Western Conference and have the type of balanced talent that should make them top contenders for the title come the fall. But are the Shock ready to take down the two-time champs on the road?
  • Dominating the Glass: Don’t forget that the Shock are more than just run-and-gunners led by the dynamic backcourt of Diggins and Odyssey Sims. This team can just as effectively punish opponents in the paint, as it showed in a historic (record 30 offensive rebounds) performance against the Stars. Look for Courtney Paris, the league’s leading rebounder, to try to make her mark, and for Rebekkah Brunson to try to slow her down.

Phoenix Mercury @ Seattle Storm (9 PM ET)

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  • Student vs. Teacher? Games like this are invaluable for a growing team like Seattle to gain experience against a veteran-laden defending champ. The Mercury are vulnerable, but hanging with them will be a tough task for the Storm after blowout losses to the West’s other contenders, Minnesota and Tulsa, earlier this month.
  • On Guard: In her seventh WNBA season, 30-year-old Leilani Mitchell has found new life in the Mercury’s system, averaging a career-high 12.3 points per game entering the weekend while lighting it up from downtown (league-leading 2.8 threes per game, 50% 3FG). Sue Bird, the ultimate vet, will have her hands full, and facing Mitchell will be another rookie test for No. 1 pick Jewell Loyd.
  • The Turnover Battle: Youth vs. experience may show up most in the turnover column. Phoenix has coughed it up just 10.5 times per game while forcing 15.8 per game; Seattle has 67 turnovers compared to 55 forced. The Mercury know how to get the ball to their current dynamic duo of DeWanna Bonner and Candice Dupree in the right places at the right times.