Even though these teams are at opposite ends of the standings, this could still be a close game. With the Liberty on the road without Stewart, these teams are only slightly closer in talent. With Bueckers' status tonight still uncertain, we’ll see if the Wings can pull this one off.
Breanna Stewart Out
Nyara Sabally Out
Emma Meesseman Out
Paige Bueckers Day to Day
Maddy Siegrist Out
Myisha Hines-Allen Out
New York's game home streak ends tonight with their trip to Dallas. They were destructive. During that time, they won six of those eight games. However, with Stewart out for this game, they may have to readjust quickly. That hasn’t been a problem for Ionescu, though, as she’s caught fire recently. Coming off back-to-back games with nearly 30 points per game, she’s feeling it. She’s also handled some of the league's better defenders with ease. Pair her with Jones in the post, and this team continues to look ready for another deep playoff run.
For the Wings, this is just a rebuilding year. They rely on Bueckers, but her status is uncertain, so we’ll see what happens. If she can’t play, I don’t see much hope for this team. They’ve struggled to score points consistently. Outside of Bueckers, Ogunbowale has been the only one delivering reliable numbers. They’re clearly shorthanded, but the talent isn’t enough for this group to compete effectively. Li Yueru is nearly their only post player left, leaving Dallas exposed in the paint most games. Siegrist is a solid option when healthy, but since she’s only played 11 games, the team remains guard-heavy. Sometimes that isn’t a bad thing, but with the team shooting just 32% from three, they’re not keeping pace with other teams. They’re second to last in points per game, and with a 7-19 record this season, I don’t see that changing.
Overall, with Bueckers in the game tonight, the Wings have a dark horse chance. However, I just can’t get past the lack of size they have even with her. I think Ionescu is going to tear through this team as well. They don’t have many great options to toss at her to slow her down. We’ll see how it plays out, but I’m taking the New York moneyline, the over on the 172.5 points spread, and the -8 spread for the Liberty.
Money line: NYL (-360) / DAL (+285)
Total Points: 172.5
Spread: -8 NYL (-112) / +8 DAL (-108)
After an electrifying game the other night against the Sparks and the Mercury, Sabrina has increased her scoring output significantly. Scoring 30 and 29 in those games, she’s been a force. Especially with Stewart out tonight, Sabrina will have as many shots as she wants against an already weak defense.
With Bueckers potentially limited tonight, we might see more of Ogunbowale on the court. Even if Paige plays, 16 points is easily reachable for Ogunbowale, as she has scored that much in her last three games, with her shot volume gradually increasing.
Jones is already averaging 9.5 rebounds a game, but with Stewart out, she should be set to have another strong day on the boards. Considering that the Wings are also short on bigs with Siegrist still out, Jones should find this line easy to handle.