Teams must adequately prepare themselves for the new set of challenges in the postseason despite having a successful regular season.
It can be risky to treat any dissent leniently. One recent example is the Chicago Sky, who, after dominating the tournament during the regular season, suffered a demoralizing loss to the Liberty in the opening game of Round 1 of the playoffs. To avoid being eliminated from today’s second game, they must get everything in order.
In the previous game, when New York scored 13 points and Chicago missed 10 of its final 11 attempts, the fourth quarter proved to be crucial. For the Sky, Kahleah Copper and Candace Parker combined for an additional 38 points, 18 rebounds, and 6 assists. In today’s game, Chicago has to avoid making the same errors.
The New York Liberty must be ecstatic after their outstanding Game 1 performance. After a challenging regular season, the Liberty earned their position in the playoffs. But now that their spirits are high, New York will try to put the Sky on the back foot once more today at the Wintrust Arena. The two standout performers were Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Howard, who each finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds. In addition, Betnijah Laney made a very significant impact with her 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Liberty vs. Sky: Recent Form
Since the beginning of the competition, the Chicago Sky have undoubtedly performed like the defending champions. They had a fantastic regular season, finishing 26-10 and in first place in the Eastern Conference (#2 overall seed). Before the playoffs, the Sky kept up a fantastic home record of 14-4.
Throughout their journey so far, the New York Liberty has experienced many highs and lows. By placing 16-20 in the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, they were able to advance as the #7 seed. Before the postseason, New York had a 7-11 record on the road.
Liberty vs. Sky: Head to Head
The two teams have already faced off 45 times in WNBA play. With 29 victories, the Chicago Sky leads the New York Liberty, who have 16 victories. In the most recent five meetings, Chicago won three and New York won two. On August 17, 2022, during the current postseason, the two parties last met. That match was won by the New York Liberty 98-91.
Possible Lineup
Chicago Sky
Guard- Allie Quigley
Guard- Courtney Vandersloot
Forward- Emma Meesseman
Forward- Kahleah Copper
Center- Candace Parker
New York Liberty
Guard- Crystal Dangerfield
Guard- Sabrina Ionescu
Forward- Natasha Howard
Forward- Betnijah Laney
Center- Stefanie Dolson
Sky vs. Liberty Prediction: Favorites to Win
In the second game of today, the Chicago Sky will undoubtedly try to get back to their vicious form and provide a strong response to the Liberty. They will undoubtedly make it difficult for the opponents to advance to the following round.
New York Liberty, on the other hand, will get off to a confident start. However, they must exercise caution to avoid giving the Sky too many opportunities. The Sky is predicted to successfully recover and win this matchup by every betting site.
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