Top 3 Games to Watch — July 29–August 4
We are officially set to start the second half on Tuesday. The top three teams in our power rankings have started to pull away from the pack, and each of our games to watch this week features one of them taking on one of the three teams tied for fourth place.
We’ll start with the results from last week’s games:
- Seattle Storm 62, Las Vegas Aces 79
- Washington Mystics 79, Minnesota Lynx 71
- Skills Challenge winner: Diamond DeShields, Chicago Sky
- Three-Point Contest winner: Shekinna Stricklen, Connecticut Sun
- Team Delle Donne 126, Team Wilson 129
Her Hoop Stats Games to Watch
Chicago Sky (11–8) at Connecticut Sun (13–6)
Tuesday, July 30, at 7 PM ET — NBA TV, NESN+, The U Too, TSN
As heat waves continue to make their way across the country, it’s not just the outdoors where the sky and the sun are hot. The Sky and the Sun are two of the hottest teams in the WNBA, each entering this contest on a league-high four-game win streak. Chicago is no stranger to cooling off the Sun. Connecticut entered their last meeting on a seven-game win streak, the longest in the league this season. The Sky promptly extinguished Connecticut’s momentum with a 93–75 shellacking in Chicago, sending the Sun spiraling into a five-game skid and out of first place. This time around, however, the Sky will have to do it at Mohegan Sun Arena, where Connecticut owns the WNBA’s best home record at 9–1.
The team that controls the glass may be the team that wins its fifth straight, as only the Aces average more rebounds per game than these two teams. While the Sun have the league’s leading rebounder in Jonquel Jones (10.2 per game), the biggest battle on the boards in this one could take place in the backcourt. Chicago’s Diamond DeShields (5.8) and Connecticut’s Courtney Williams (5.7) are the WNBA’s top two guards in rebounds per game.
Las Vegas Aces (13–6) at Los Angeles Sparks (11–8)
Thursday, August 1, at 10 PM ET — ESPN2, NBA TV Canada
Border War Part III will kick off August action for these two teams. Las Vegas and Los Angeles are the top two teams in scoring margin per possession over the last month, but are doing it on opposite ends. During that span, the Aces have allowed the fewest points per possession, while the Sparks have scorched the Staples Center nets to the tune of 44.7% three-point shooting at home. Unstoppable force will meet immovable object on national TV.
The Aces will still be without A’ja Wilson (ankle), but in their first game without her they hardly missed her. Last Tuesday, Dearica Hamby, Wilson’s replacement in the starting five, dropped 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting including 3-for-4 from three. She added nine boards, three steals and two blocks to lead the Aces to a 79–62 win over the Storm. Between Hamby and Aces center Liz Cambage, Los Angeles’ Ogwumike sisters will have their hands full in the frontcourt. The backcourt battle demands attention as well, as All-Star starters Kayla McBride of the Aces and Chelsea Gray of the Sparks will square off.
Washington Mystics (12–6) at Seattle Storm (12–9)
Friday, August 2, at 10 PM ET — NBA TV, JoeTV, Monumental, NBA TV Canada
The Mystics will look to keep pace with the Sun and Aces in the standings when they travel to Seattle on Friday night to take on the defending champs. Washington’s stellar ball security (league-leading 14.7% turnover percentage) will be tested against the pesky pilferers of the Storm. Seattle leads the WNBA with an opponent turnover percentage of 21.1% on the strength of the league’s only two players averaging 2+ steals per game. Ball-hawking point guard Jordin Canada leads the league with 2.7, while versatile All-Star Natasha Howard is averaging 2.0. For good measure, Canada’s backcourt mate Jewell Loyd checks in at sixth in the league with 1.8.
Despite Seattle’s thievery, the Mystics have plenty to be optimistic about. Not only do they still lead the league in offensive efficiency and effective field goal percentage (which factors in the added value of threes), but they also come in with a 7–3 road record, tops in the league. And if Elene Delle Donne’s past trends are any indicator of what’s to come, the rest of the league should be terrified. During her tenure in DC, she has pre-All-Star splits of 19 points per game on 47% shooting and 38% from deep. Those numbers increase to 22, 53% and 47%, respectively, after the break. If Delle Donne is primed for a similar elevation this season, the Storm could be the first victims.
If you like this content, please support our work at Her Hoop Stats by subscribing for just $20 a year. All stats are compiled from stats.wnba.com and represent games played through July 29, 2019.
