Home Team: Phoenix Mercury
Away Team: Chicago Sky
Location: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, AZ
When is Game Time? Wednesday, July 25 at 2:30 p.m. CT
Where can I stream or watch on TV? League Pass
Chicago concluded its three-game home stand with a 93-76 loss on Sunday to the Los Angeles Sparks. A tough shooting night saw them go 7-for-24 from behind the 3-point line for 29.2 percent. The Sky lead the WNBA in 3-point efficiency at 35.3 percent. The team poured in a season-high 114 points in Friday’s win against Dallas where they shot 56.8 percent and 48 percent from behind the 3-point line.
Facing the Mercury The Sky handed Phoenix only its fifth loss of the season on June 24 with a 97-88 win at Wintrust Arena. All-Star center Brittney Griner was ejected from the game in the third quarter after making contact with the face of Sky center Stefanie Dolson on a play. This win tied the season series at 1-1 after the Mercury won at home on June 8 with a score of 96-79. Phoenix had a stretch during the season where they were atop the WNBA standings, but have fallen to No. 4 after going 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Mercury won the season series 3-0 in 2017 against Chicago.
THE STARS ALIGN
With this being the last game remaining for both teams before the All-star break, three WNBA All-Stars will be on the court. Griner and forward DeWanna Bonner, will play in this game for the Mercury. Diana Taurasi will be out as she is facing a one game suspension. Griner is averaging 21.5 points per game in the season series and Taurasi is averaging 18 per game. Phoenix head coach Sandy Brondello will also serve as head coach for “Team Parker” in the All-Star game. In the Sky’s corner, guard Allie Quigley will make her second All-Star appearance in her career. She’s averaging a team-leading 15.9 points per game and is shooting 43.7 percent from behind the 3-point line, which ranks No. 4 in the WNBA. Quigley is also the reigning 3-point contest champion.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Courtney Vandersloot
Vandersloot continues to lead the WNBA in assists at 8.1 per contest. In Friday’s win against the Wings, Vandersloot dished out 15 assists, a franchise record, and recorded a triple-double. She became only the seventh player in WNBA history to do so. She loaded the statsheet with 13 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds, one steal and one block.
Stefanie Dolson
Dolson got it going in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Sparks with a season-high 20 points on 10-for-16 from the field. Dolson battled a strained tendon earlier in the season that sidelined her for seven games, but has seemed to find her stroke in the last few games, as she averaged 16 points per game in the Sky’s three-game home stand. She’s had tough defensive matchups in recent games, having to face Breanna Stewart, Liz Cambage, Candace Parker and now Brittney Griner.
Allie Quigley
Quigley was recently named a WNBA All-Star for the second consecutive year. She’s averaging 15.9 points per game and scored 21 points on Friday against Dallas. Quigley has scored in double-digits 18 times this season, eight of those being 20-plus. She is No. 4 in 3-point percentage in the league, shooting at 43.7 percent beyond the arc.