With the WNBA regular season drawing near its end, the fight for playoff positioning only becomes more intense. The New York Liberty have found some momentum down the stretch, and home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs is within their grasp. Can they go on the road for a crucial win in Chicago? Or will the Sky prove themselves capable of the upset?
The Liberty enter as 3.5-point home favorites with -175 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Sky are +145 underdogs, with the game total set at 182.5 points.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction, and pick for this Liberty-Sky matchup.
Liberty vs. Sky Prediction, Preview
So far, these two teams have faced off twice during the regular season, and they gave us two bangers. During Commissioner’s Cup play in June, the Liberty won 96-95 on the road after Sabrina Ionescu hit a game-winning layup with 10 seconds left. A month later, the two teams faced off in New York, and the result was nearly identical. Ionescu converted an and-one to tie the game 94-94 with 15 seconds to go, and Jonquel Jones won it with a free throw from a loose-ball foul with three seconds to go. If we’re lucky, this third matchup will be just as exciting, though Sky fans will hope for a different result.
For the Liberty to get a third straight win, they have to focus on Sydney Taylor. The electric Sky rookie has 55 combined points in their two meetings so far and has spearheaded Chicago’s strong offensive performances against New York. Since the Sky have struggled so badly offensively throughout the year, this experienced Liberty team will be determined to keep a lid on them after two concerning defensive efforts. It puts pressure on fellow rookie Pauline Astier to contain her at the point of attack. Though she may get lucky, Taylor is currently listed as questionable with a groin injury that has bothered her for the past couple of weeks.
For the Sky to get that elusive win, they have to hope that Taylor is available. Her scoring is invaluable to this Sky offense that is playing without Skylar Diggins. If they don’t have Taylor, that places a heavy burden on Kamilla Cardoso, Natasha Cloud, and living legend Courtney Vandersloot to carry the offense against a sound Liberty defense. It’s a big ask. With Taylor, their supporting players can be just that, while she hands out bucket after bucket. The defense also has to be better; Cloud will have her hands full guarding Ionescu, and Cardoso has to do serious work in the paint to stop Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart.
Now that we know these teams a bit better, who will pull out the win, and how should we bet on this game?
Liberty vs. Sky Pick, Best Bet
I understand why our oddsmakers are hesitant about the Liberty, but talent holds so much weight. Even with Satou Sabally out, the Liberty comfortably have the three best players in this matchup and enough role players to maximize them. It’s a solid equation that will prove too difficult for a young and disjointed Sky team to solve.
