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The Chicago Sky host the New York Liberty in the first round of the WNBA Playoffs, set for Wednesday, August 17. ESPN2 will broadcast Wednesday’s matchup, with tip-off set for 8:00 p.m. ET at Wintrust Arena.
The New York Liberty (16-20) enter this first-round matchup as the clear underdogs, but they have momentum on their side heading into the postseason. New York has seven wins through their last 10 games in their pocket, as they look to push the defending champions to the limit in this matchup. The Liberty will look to counter Chicago’s stellar defense with their shooting in this one, led by their leading scorer Sabrina Ionescu who averaged 17.4 points per game this season while shooting 41.1 percent from the field.
The Chicago Sky (26-10) won the regular season series between these two teams 3-1, and will look to their stifling defense as they hope to limit New York’s shooting from outside. Chicago finished as a top-10 team with 7.3 steals per game, led by Emma Meesseman leading the team with 1.4 steals per game. The Sky will look to limit the Liberty’s second chance points early on as no lead is safe with New York’s shooting from the perimeter.
Liberty vs. Sky
Date: Wednesday, August 17
Tip time: 8:00 p.m ET
Channel: ESPN2
Live stream: WatchESPN,
Odds, picks & predictions
Point spread: Sky -7 (-110)
Total: 164.5
Moneyline odds: Liberty +255, Sky -305
Best bet: Liberty +7
Aside from a game one thrashing of the Liberty, the remaining three regular-season games between these two teams have come down to the wire. The point differential was 2, 3, and 8 in those three games. New York is riding some momentum and should make the final score a close one in game one.
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