WNBA games today: Dream look to even season series with Valkyries

If tonight's WNBA schedule feels a bit like deja vu, it might be because we just watched two of these matchups go down on Wednesday night. We have three total matchups to look forward to tonight, two including a couple of playoff hopefuls and the third being between two top-tier teams.

The Mystics and the Fire are looking to get their seasons back on track, the Sun and the Sky are just trying to prove they can win games and the Dream are trying to regroup against the Valkyries. Tonight's slate has something for everyone.

WNBA games for Friday, June 26

Washington Mystics at Connecticut Sun

These two squads last faced off on June 17, when the Mystics handed the Sun an 88-81 loss. While a 7-point deficit might make you excited for a rematch, the landscape of this game is entirely different. In the first matchup, Washington's star frontcourt duo, Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin, were both out due to injury — they average a combined 28.8 points and 17.4 rebounds per game. They will be available tonight as the Mystics' injury report is clear. The Sun were fully healthy in the first meeting, but are not so lucky tonight. The team's leader in assists, Saniya Rivers, who left their last matchup early due to an ankle injury, will be sidelined tonight. Aneesah Morrow, who leads the team in both points and rebounds, will also be unavailable tonight due to injury.

Based on the first matchup and injuries, this should be an achievable win for the Mystics, on paper. But this is the WNBA, so nothing is ever that easy. To win this game, the Sun's frontcourt will need to be dominant. Without Aneesah Morrow, Aaliyah Edwards will carry more weight, which can be hit or miss sometimes — luckily, Brittney Griner is also in the paint for Connecticut. While BG is dominant and might be able to slow down Washington's frontcourt, I'm not sure Connecticut's guards will be able to contain Sonia Citron — especially with Rivers out, arguably the Sun's best defender. In their first matchup, Citron recorded 26 points and 11 rebounds.

Portland Fire at Chicago Sky

If you watched these two teams face off on Wednesday, you saw a masterclass from the Chicago Sky, as they secured the 101-78 victory over the Fire. They had seven players score in double-digits, putting on one of their most impressive performances yet to end their six-game losing slump. The Sky also won their first matchup against the Fire on May 9, with a final score of 98-83. Tonight will be Portland's last chance to prevent a Chicago season series sweep.

Truly, the Sky just need to do everything they did on Wednesday: share the rock, find their spots and fight for rebounds. Chicago will also get one of its stars back tonight, Courtney Vandersloot, who is expected to make her season debut after missing the majority of last season with an ACL tear. It's not clear how much time she'll get on the court, but even just her veteran presence back in a Sky jersey is enough to make a difference.

As for the Fire, they lost the rebound battle in the first two matchups, so expect them to be more aggressive in the paint. They'll likely need more production from their two leading scorers, Bridget Carleton and Carla Leite, who recorded 7 and 10 points, respectively. But even with increased production from the starters, there's a good chance Portland's bench will need to step up. On Wednesday, all seven of their bench players combined for 21 points while Chicago's five bench players combined for 38 points.

Atlanta Dream at Golden State Valkyries

Ballhalla is quickly becoming one of the toughest environments to play in across the WNBA. The way the crowd can fuel the Valkyries is unreal. Unfortunately for the Atlanta Dream, they've had back-to-back games there this week. The first one is one I'm sure they'd like to forget, as Golden State handed them a 77-66 loss. But tonight, the Dream has an opportunity to silence that rowdy Ballhalla crowd.

Golden State's 3-point shooting on Wednesday absolutely crushed the Dream. The Valkyries shot 15-of-32 from beyond the arc, while Atlanta finished the night draining only 4-of-18 from 3-point land. This simply has to change for the Dream tonight if they want to even the season series. Either they need to slow down the Valks shooters and force them into the paint, or they need to get hot themselves. The Dream have one of the best 3-point shooters in the league in Rhyne Howard — her production could be critical for them tonight.

Another giant part of Atlanta's loss was their free-throw shooting. They finished the night leaving 10 points on the table due to missed free throws, in an 11-point deficit. The good thing is, 3-point efficiency and free-throw shooting are two things the Dream can fix quickly. The pieces are all there; it's just about execution.

WNBA Schedule through the weekend

Saturday, June 27 - Sunday, June 28

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