Dallas Wings (+3.5, -110)
New York Liberty (-3.5, -110)
Total: 160
Confession: every time I see a Dallas game come up when writing this column, I let out an audible groan. It’s a team that I simply can’t get a feel for, and tonight’s game provides an even more difficult that usual task due to the Liberty roster issues (more on that later). The Wings sit in the middle of the pack in all your usual, traditional stats, like points per game, rebounds per game, shooting percentage, etc. Their advanced stats are all over the place, too.
Dallas ranks in the upper half in rebounding percentage and true shooting percentage, but their turnover percentage is third worst in the league, coupled with the second worst assist-to-turnover ratio. Their last game, a win over Indiana, Dallas saw Karima Christmas-Kelly pour in a career-high 27 points to go along with another solid performance by rookie Allisha Gray (14 points, 9 rebounds). As a team, Dallas was 6-of-14 from deep, a welcomed good shooting night by the WNBA’s worst three-point shooting team.
For the Liberty, the hits just keep on comin’. After losing Brittany Boyd to a season ending Achilles injury, they will now have to play without Epiphanny Prince and Kia Vaughn for several games. Both will be competing in the EuroBasket Tournament qualifier that runs from June 16-25, with Prince suiting up for Russia and Vaughn for the Czech Republic, the host country.
Losers of two straight, the Liberty came out gunning last game against the defending champion Los Angles Sparks, with Tina Charles nearly outscoring the Sparks by herself in the first quarter. After that, however, the Sparks got things going on offense and were able to pull away late in a game that was closer than the final score indicates. Charles scored 25 points on 11-of-19 shooting, and Prince chipped in 21 points herself, production that will surely be missed. Sugar Rodgers continued her solid season, and New York will need her excellent perimeter play to continue in order to be successful. The team also re-signed Lindsay Allen, their second round pick out of Notre Dame, in hopes that she can provide some alleviation to their backcourt woes.
This is a really difficult game to pick as it will be New York’s first game without their core, so I’m honestly just guessing here (more so than usual). I’m a firm believer in Charles as a player and a leader, so New York may win this one, but I’ll take Dallas covering and the under, as I simply can’t assume the scoring will be high with so many players putting in minutes they aren’t use to.