WNBA games today: Wings go for fourth straight win

There are three games on the WNBA slate on Friday night, and for a handful of teams on the schedule, Friday offers a chance to turn some things around. That's especially true in the first game of the night, as the Chicago Sky host the Connecticut Sun. Both teams are going the wrong direction, though Connecticut is probably much more okay with that.

Here's what you should know about Friday's WNBA games.

WNBA games for Friday, June 5

Connecticut Sun at Chicago Sky

On paper, you look at this game and probably think, "ehh, not very compelling since both of these teams are struggling." But I do think there's a lot of reason to care about this game, and that reason is that it's essentially a must-win for Chicago.

Sure, a loss here doesn't mathematically eliminate this Sky team from playoff contention. It's June 5. There's a ton of basketball still to be played.

But a loss to Connecticut would signal that Chicago might not be turning things around any time soon. Connecticut is without a key player in Aaliyah Edwards due to a concussion and while the Sky aren't at full strength either, they have their most important players — minus maybe a questionable Gabriela Jaquez — and have to prove they can step up and actually win winnable games, especially heading into a string of games against contenders.

Dallas Wings at Los Angeles Sparks

The 6-3 Dallas Wings have won three in a row and now face a Los Angeles Sparks team that's dropped its past two contests.

These teams are evenly matched on the offensive end, with the Sparks scoring 0.1 more points per game than the Wings. The difference is that Dallas has one of the league's best defenses and the Sparks...do not, with the team allowing a league-worst 91.8 points per game.

Defense should be the difference-maker in this contest. If the Sparks play it the way they have so far this season, Dallas will run away with this one. The offense is just playing too well. But the Sparks do have a path toward winning here, which is that they use their interior players to stifle Jessica Shepard, and then they work to get the ball in Arike Ogunbowale's hands as much as possible. The Wings' all-time leading scorer is really, really struggling with her efficiency, so if the Sparks can just dare her to shoot the ball, the team has a shot.

Phoenix Mercury at Portland Fire

The Mercury are toiling in the depths of the league right now. Yes, the team won its most recent contest against Seattle, but that's not saying much, as Seattle's about as bad. Phoenix, meanwhile, extended its streak of games scoring under 80 points to four in a row and sits just 3-8 on the year.

What I'm saying is that one win shouldn't be taken as a sign that last season's WNBA Finals losers are finally getting back on track. The team needs to show something more, and Friday's game against the Portland Fire is the perfect time for that. Based on records, it looks like a game Phoenix should lose, but dig deeper and you can see that the Mercury might have a chance.

Portland is 6-5 on the season, but there are signs that the team isn't as good as that record indicates. The Fire and Mercury are almost completely evenly matched.

Yes, Portland has the better numbers, but not by a ton, and a few blowout losses mean that if we go by margin per 100 possessions, Portland is actually worse than Phoenix, with a -5.2 net rating to Phoenix's -3.9. The Mercury also have Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper, the two best players in this game.

Except, uhh ... here's the problem. Copper is doubtful. Thomas is questionable. Phoenix is going to be reliant on DeWanna Bonner on Friday night, which isn't great. But still, if Thomas ends up suiting up, the Mercury will have a fighting chance in this one.

WNBA schedule for the rest of the weekend

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