Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The WNBA schedule features four top-ranked teams in action tonight as they aim to solidify their playoff positioning before the All-Star break.
- Dallas looks to complete a season sweep of New York while Toronto faces a tough challenge against a motivated Las Vegas team.
- Washington must overcome a dominant Golden State defense to avoid a season sweep and keep their playoff hopes alive.
It's a short week of WNBA action due to the All-Star Game on Saturday. But tonight's slate will be one worth tuning in to. Each of the top four teams in the standings will be on full display as they try to solidify their names in the contenders conversation before the break.
Some New York fans likely consider tonight's game a must win for the Liberty. Olivia Miles and the Lynx are looking for another comfortable win over the Storm, while the Mystics look to avoid a season sweep versus the Valkyries. Tonight's schedule has a bit of everything — here's what you need to know.
WNBA games for Monday, July 20
MATCHUP | TIME | HOW TO WATCH |
|---|---|---|
Las Vegas Aces at Toronto Tempo | 8:00 p.m. ET | Peacock/NBCSN |
New York Liberty at Dallas Wings | 8:00 p.m. ET | League Pass |
Washington Mystics at Golden State Valkyries | 10:00 p.m. ET | League Pass |
Minnesota Lynx at Seattle Storm | 10:00 p.m. ET | USA Network |
Tempo vs. Aces
The Toronto Tempo's long homestand has not exactly gone as they'd hoped. Out of their eight straight home games, they've only won two. Tonight, they have the chance to make it three, against the Las Vegas Aces — but it won't be easy.
Facing this Aces squad is already scary enough, but when you add in the fact that they're coming off a 34-point loss, it makes it a little scarier. Las Vegas has also had an entire week to think about this loss to Indiana, so you better believe they're likely coming in correct. The Tempo are also still without two of their leading scorers, Kiki Rice and Brittney Sykes. Forward Nyara Sabally is also out tonight due to injury; this is not good news for a team that already struggles in the paint. It could end up being a long night for bigs Isabelle Harrison and Temi Fagbenle, who will be handed the tall task of slowing down A'ja Wilson.
A big reason the Fever were able to run away with such a large-margin win over the Aces was their 3-point shooting. They dropped 15 on Vegas last Sunday. Toronto's biggest weapon is Marina Mabrey, who leads the league in 3-pointers made this season. She's been guarded heavily over the past few weeks, sometimes leaving her with absolutely nothing to work with. But if the Tempo want to pull off this upset tonight, they'll have to find a way to get Mabrey hot while simultaneously keeping things contained in the paint.
Wings vs. Liberty
This is the long-awaited season series finale, as it was originally scheduled for Friday but was postponed due to travel complications. These two squads couldn't be heading into this game in more different situations. The Wings have won their last six straight — a record for the team since moving to Dallas. The Liberty, on the other hand, have only won two of their last ten games.
Of course, we can't write New York off entirely. They're still a team with championship-caliber players and fans are still confident they'll figure it out — a win tonight would be massive in keeping those hopes alive. Unfortunately, history is not on their side. In their first meeting, Dallas ran away with a 91-76 win. In the second matchup, New York was able to keep things a bit closer, but the Wings still walked away with an 88-77 dub.
The Wings played yesterday; late in the game, Paige Bueckers went down after a hard collision with Nneka Ogwumike. She headed to the locker room and did not return. It has not yet been made clear whether she's available tonight. Obviously, that plays a huge role in how tonight goes for both of these squads. If Bueckers is unavailable, the scoring weight will primarily fall on the shoulders of Arike Ogunbowale and Azzi Fudd. Fudd hit six 3-pointers, scoring 24 points in the first meeting.
For the Liberty to avoid the sweep, several players will need to step up — regardless of whether Bueckers is available or not. Breanna Stewart has been pulling a lot of the weight lately, but it's going to take more than just one volume scorer for the Liberty to turn things around. Their defense has also been struggling as of late — another thing Dallas' high-scoring, crafty guards can take full advantage of.
Valkyries vs. Mystics
This matchup has some serious potential entertainment-wise. These squads faced off on Saturday when the Valkyries were able to squeeze out a 74-69 win and take the 2-0 lead in the season series. The Mystics are a pesky young squad that can keep things close, but they unfortunately struggle to close out those tight games. They were outscored 22-12 in the fourth quarter on Saturday.
The Valkyries are a dominant team on both sides of the ball. They're on a nine-game winning streak and are sitting at No. 2 in the standings. They also have homecourt advantage again tonight — they are 8-3 in Ballhala this season. This should be their game to lose — but I do expect the Mystics to come in with high energy now that they know that taking down this squad is within reach.
Golden State's defense is the best across the WNBA, but in the most recent matchup, Washington was able to keep up. The Mystics won the rebound battle — heavily due to Shakira Austin's dominant performance. She recorded 18 points and 16 rebounds. The Valkyries didn't have much of an answer for Washington in the paint — with the Mystics scoring 40 paint points to the Valkyries' 16.
Tonight, for the Mystics to win, they'll need more production from Kiki Iriafen. While Austin was able to hold things down, her frontcourt partner only put up 6 points and 2 rebounds. If they both get going, it could be overwhelming for Golden State. Sonia Citron and Michaela Onyenwere were unable to drain any field goals in the fourth quarter. The pieces are there for Washington; they just need to execute in late-game situations.
Storm vs. Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are the obvious choice to win this one. These teams last faced off on June 6, when the Lynx won 88-68. Natasha Howard led the charge with 27 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Olivia Miles also had a productive night, putting up 19 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Tonight, they'll be looking to do the same and lengthen their winning streak to six.
If the Storm are looking to pull off an upset tonight, I believe it will come down to Awa Fam and Dominique Malonga. In the first matchup, they combined for only 12 points and 6 rebounds. Since then, they've gotten far more comfortable in the paint together. Over Seattle's last two games, Fam and Malonga have averaged a combined 37.0 points and 21.0 rebounds per game. I'm not sure they'll be able to shut her down entirely, but I'd expect them to have much better performances against Howard tonight.
Most of Seattle's wins this season have been all-hands-on-deck performances. It's great if Fam and Malonga can get going, but it might not mean much if former Minnesota Lynx player Natisha Hiedeman and rookie Flau'jae Johnson aren't putting on stellar performances. In the first matchup, they scored 14 and 10 points, respectively. Against a dominant Lynx offense that averages the second-most points per game across the league, it might be necessary for all five Seattle starters to put up 15+ point performances tonight.
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