Published on: Aug 24, 2022 12:55 am IST|Updated on: Aug 24, 2022 1:00 am IST
NYL vs CHI Dream11: The Las Vegas Aces and the Seattle Storm have made it to the Second Round without a scratch and now just two series remain in first round. We are yet to see which team among the Connecticut Sun and the Dallas Wings will qualify. And the same goes for the New York Liberty which will meet the Chicago Sky here.
The Sky avenged their Game 1 loss in a brutal fashion, winning with a superb scoreline of 100-62 behind a 20 points effort by Kaleah Copper. This came after Liberty’s seven-point win earlier and no doubt, they must have been woken up by this affair.
In the strange best of three scenario, the game will shift to the home floor of the Liberty to conclude the series. Will the Sky triumph again?
Host: New York Liberty Visitors: Chicago Sky Match Timing: 24 August, @ 06:30 AM (+05:30 UTC) Venue: Barclays Center
Sky knows how to respond
The Sky seemed to completely ignore the Game 1 drubbing and came in Game 2 with much more intensity right from the opening tip. They didn’t allow any Liberty starter to even kiss the 10-point mark and jumped out to a strong 31-10 first-quarter advantage. Then they only worsened things matters in the third quarter, when they almost scored twice as much as Liberty, shutting them down below 20 in each quarter and scoring 31 points in two of the four quarters.
The Liberty shot merely 33% from the field whereas Sky shot 50%+ but like last game, were in sub-20 percentage-wise from the three-point line. Sky outrebounded the Liberty once again and had an overwhelming 45-28 edge on the rebounding end. They forced 19 turnovers while committing just 10 themselves, pricing out a big advantage in that regard. It was a highly impressive effort from the Sky overall. Can the Liberty avoid an early onslaught on their home floor? Or will the Sky advance to the next round as was expected before the series?
Performance Predictions
Highest scorer: Sabrina Ionescu: 24 Highest rebounder: Candace Parker: 12 Top assists maker: Courtney Vandersloot: 8 Score Prediction: Sky: 84 Liberty: 80
Verdict: I see the Liberty come with a strong effort early on but then I see the Sky’s experience and defense bailing them out. This can be a thriller.
New York Liberty Teams News:
Liberty Expected Starting Five Athletic Forward: PF: Natasha Forward Shot-creating Wing: SF: Betnijah Laney Inside Presence: C: Stefanie Dolson Expert Ball-Handler: G: Crystal Dangerfield Leading All-Around Ball-Handler: PG: Sabrina Ionescu
BENCH: Sam Whitcomb, Rebecca Allen, Jocelyn Willougbhy, Michaela Onyenwera, Marine Johannes, Xu Han.
Chicago Sky News
Sky Expected Starting Five All-Around Forward: F: Candace Parker All-Around Forward: F: Emma Messeman Isolation two-way Guard: SG: Kahleah Copper Leading Playmaker: PG: Courtney Vandersloot Sharpshooting Guard: SG: Allie Quigley
BENCH: Azura Stevens, Dana Evans, Rebekah Gardner, Ruthy Hebard, Jullie Allemand
*Last Game numbers* Candace Parker(CHI) Points: 12 Rebounds: 12 Assists: 04 Blocks: 02 Parker doesn’t need to score a ton of points to make an impact and is an elite rebounder, above-average passer, and a top defender. I believe she will be in 12-16 points, 8-12 rebounds, 4-6 assists, and 1-3 steals/blocks range. She can be selected as a Star/Pro Player in the Dream 11 WNBA Prediction scenario. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 33-44
Sabrina Ionescu(NYL) Points: 07 Rebounds: 05 Assists: 03 While Ionescu is an impressive 11/17 from the field in the first two games, she will need to do heavy lifting if the Liberty wants to advance. I believe she will be in 16+ points, 6-9 assists, and 5-8 rebounds range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 38-51
Courtney Vandersloot(CHI) Points: 16 Assists: 09 Rebounds: 04 Steals: 03 Sloot is one of the best passers to play and her high-quality scoring and sturdy leadership make the Sky a dominating team. I believe she will be in 12-18 points, 7-11 assists, and 1-3 steals range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 28-44
Natasha Howard(NYL) Points: 08 Rebounds: 02 Assists: 00 Steals: 01 Natasha was 3/9 from the field in the last game and many times her contributions have been synonymous with Liberty wins. I believe she will be in 14-20 points and 5-8 rebounds range here. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 25-35
Kahleah Copper(CHI) Points: 20 Rebounds: 03 Assists: 01 Steals: 03 Guard Kahleah is one of the most athletic presence who is strong both off-the-dribble and off-the-ball on offense. I believe she will be in 16-22 points, 3-5 rebounds, and 1-2 steals range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 25-36
Betnijah Laney(NYL) Points: 02 Rebounds: 02 Assists: 03 Steals: 01 After a remarkable 17 points game, Laney was cooled down by the strict Sky defense but this is the game where she will have to get it done. I believe she will be in 11-16 points range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 20-33
(Recommended) PG: S Ionescu(SP), C Dangerfield, R Gardner SG: A Quigley, M Johannes SF: K Copper PF: E Messeman C: C Parker(PP)
(Alternate) PG: C Vandersloot(PP), C Dangerfield, S Ionescu(SP) SG: M Johannes SF: K Copper PF: N Howard, E Messeman C: H Xu
This is a must-win game for both teams and the Sky will enter as the favorite, has Sabrina and Howard gotten something special in store for the Liberty fans? You can catch this game on the WNBA League Pass where all the WNBA action can be seen. You can watch the highlights of the game on the official YouTube of the WNBA. To learn the scores, news, and stats, visit the official website of the WNBA.