WNBA games today: Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd are ready to torch the Liberty again

We're at roughly the halfway point of the WNBA season and a tightly packed group of contenders are jockeying for position at the top of the standings. On the bottom, a surprising mix of teams are still looking to get right and rapidly running out of time to put things together.

Tonight's schedule features two games and four teams, with both halves of the standings well represented. The Wings and Liberty will be looking to establish dominance while the Sky and Mercury are just trying to get a win in a season that's featured far too few of them.f

WNBA games for Tuesday, July 7

Wings vs. Liberty

Bueckers and Fudd were spectacular in their first matchup against the Liberty this season, a 15-point win back on May 24. It was a breakout of sorts for Fudd, in her sixth career game, topping 20 points for the first time and adding 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 rebounds and 2 blocks. Bueckers put up 24 points on just 13 shots, with 6 rebounds and 2 assists. The pair also played fantastic defense, helping hold the Liberty's starting backcourt — Sabrina Ionescu and Marine Johannes — to a combined 11 points on 4-of-18 from the field.

This game isn't just an opportunity for Bueckers and Fudd to assert dominance again it also has huge standings implications. Both teams come into this game with 13-8 records, and have been 6-4 in their last 10 games. They're also sandwiched between two red-hot opponents — a half-game ahead of the Indiana Fever and 1.5 games behind the Golden State Valkyries. Whoever wins will hit the halfway point in the season holding onto the No. 4 seed and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The loser will drop to the No. 6 spot.

It's never to early to start thinking about playoff positioning, especially when the field is so tightly packed — just 4.5 games separate the Aces and Lynx tied for the No. 1 seed, and the Mystics currently sitting at No. 8. The Liberty need revenge and momentum. The Wings need an edge in the race for homecourt and another opportunity to prove to themselves and the rest of the league that they should be taken seriously as contenders.

Sky vs. Mercury

This game comes with very different stakes and vibes from the early matchup. The Sky and Mercury are both near the bottom of the standings and would need a dramatic turnaround to even sniff the playoff race.

The Mercury lineup features serious star power with Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas. But they've been middle-of-the-pack in offensive efficiency and one of the worst defenses in the league all season. One of their most productive players, 28-year-old rookie Jovana Nogić, left the team for personal reasons in the middle of June and won't return this season. DeWanna Bonner is still playing big minutes at age 38 but her offensive efficiency has cratered.

This is a team that needs a spark, and maybe a win over the Sky can provide. Chicago, on the other hand, feels like a powder keg ready to explore. For them, a spark could be dangerous.

The Sky brought back Courtney Vandersloot, acquired Rickea Jackson and DiJonai Carrington and signed Skylar Diggins this offseason, clearly hoping to be competitive after trading Angel Reese. But injuries have wiped out Jackson and Carrington, and Diggins has struggled. She recently posted on Instagram that she's not happy about being moved to the bench and it feels like things are going to get worse before they get better.

The one recent bright spot in Chicago has been Kamilla Cardoso, who is averaging 19.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.4 blocks over her last five games. It's arguably the best stretch of her young career and another strong performance could give the Sky some desperately needed reasons to stay optimistic.

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