Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Napheesa Collier returns for her second game of the season as the Minnesota Lynx host the Tempo.
- The Lynx are riding a seven-game winning streak and will rely on the Collier-Olivia Miles duo to maintain momentum.
- The Tempo, currently in last place, face a tough challenge against a Lynx team bolstered by Collier's return.
All-Star week is officially over, so WNBA games are back in full swing. There are five matchups tonight that don't have the highest stakes, but teams will want to get off to a hot start following the break.
The stars will be out today, feeling fresh from the break, like A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. Another star, Napheesa Collier, will play in her second game of the season, which is something no one will want to miss.
WNBA games for Tuesday, July 28
MATCHUP | TIME (ET) | HOW TO WATCH |
|---|---|---|
Sun vs. Mystics | 7:30 p.m. | League Pass |
Tempo vs. Lynx | 8:00 p.m. | League Pass |
Fever vs. Storm | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Fire vs. Aces | 10:00 pm. | League Pass |
Liberty vs. Sparks | 10:00 p.m. | League Pass |
Sun vs. Mystics
What you need to know: Mystics are at the bottom of the playoff picture right now. They need a win that should be somewhat easy against this 7-20 Suns team. Washington is coming off a fiery last-minute win against the Aces, where Shakira Austin had a 3-point play to win the game. Connecticut is missing its center, Brittney Griner, so Olivia Nelson-Ododa will need to pick up the defensive slack. Griner is also the team's leading scorer, so someone will need to get the offense going, probably guard Leila Lacan, who is averaging almost 13 points a game.
Key stat: Over the last five games, Austin is averaging almost a double-double with 18.2 points and 9.2 rebounds.
Injury report:
- Sun: Brittney Griner (Out), Sania Rivers (Probable), Aaliyah Edwards (Probable)
- Mystics: None
Fever vs. Storm
What you need to know: Indiana is on a three-game hot streak, with a big win against the New York Liberty. And Seattle was the team that kicked that streak off when the Fever won 110-107. The Storm are a young and inexperienced team, which is why when highly ranked teams in the league come to play them, they usually lose. They're on a six-game losing streak, which they will want to break, but they will need to watch out for Caitlin Clark. She exposed their defense in their last matchup, but it's unknown if she can play today.
Key stats: In the last game against the Storm, Clark scored a career-high 45 points and had 10 assists for the first 40-10 game in WNBA history.
Injury report:
- Fever: Caitlin Clark (Probable), Bree Hall (Probable), Damiris Dantas (Out)
- Storm: Ezi Magbegor (Out), Taina Mair (Out), Dominque Malonga (GTD)
Liberty vs. Sparks
What you need to know: The Liberty will want to get revenge on the Sparks after a crushing 98-97 LA victory in their last matchup that celebrated the WNBA's 30th Anniversary, where Nneka Ogwumike hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to steal the win away. After that game, the Liberty went on a bit of a skid that they are just moving on from. Good news for the Liberty is that Sabrina Ionescu looks like she's back in top shape, as her two recent performances were 20+ point performances. Bad news for the Sparks is they are again without their star player, Kelsey Plum.
Key Stat: Sparks are on a five-game losing streak. Three of those games have been against teams who are higher in the standings than the Liberty.
Injury Report:
- Liberty: Leonie Fiebich (Out), Marine Johannes (Questionable), Satou Sabally (Out)
- Sparks: Kelsey Plum (Out)
Tempo vs. Lynx
What you need to know: The Lynx are on a tear right now and they just got one of the best players in the entire league back. Napheesa Collier rejoined the team just before the break, in their 86-76 win against the Storm. Collier wasted no time getting back and posted a double-double in only 22 minutes. The duo between her and Olivia Miles will be one to watch as it's only the second time it's happened this season. The Tempo were struggling before the break, but their competition has been tough. They've only taken on playoff-contending teams in their last eight games and that's not easy when you're a 10th-place team.
Key Stat: The Lynx are on a seven-game winning streak and the Tempo are 2-8 in their last 10 games, with a current three-game losing streak.
Injury report:
- Tempo: Isabelle Harrison (Questionable), Kiki Rice (Questionable), Nyara Sabally (Questionable), Brittney Sykes (Out)
- Lynx: Emma Cechova (Out)
Fire vs. Aces
What you need to know: The Fire are right on the cusp of a playoff spot, being in ninth place. A win against the defending champions could see them bump up into the playoff picture, but it won't be easy. Portland just lost their Spark plug of the offense, Sarah Ashlee Barker, for the season due to an ACL injury. The Aces are in third place, but they aren't far from moving up, so they'll want to capture this win. Las Vegas has been struggling with its defense, as head coach Becky Hammon has repeatedly pointed out. Given that this competition shouldn't be tough for them, their defense should be a point of emphasis today and they'll want to limit easy possessions.
Key Stat: A'ja Wilson leads in every category on the Aces, besides assists.
Injury Report:
- Fire: Sarah Ashlee Barker (Out), Sania Feagin (Out)
- Aces: Kierstan Bell (Out) Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (Out)
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