Drop Off: June WNBA schedule analysis, games of the month
By Ben Dull
June is the first full month of the 2018 WNBA regular season. The schedule has been compressed this year, cramming 34 regular season games for each team into just 94 days. WNBA teams will be playing the same amount of games in a window about three weeks shorter than most years to accommodate the FIBA Women’s World Cup, which begins in late September.
We’re taking a look at the schedule each month to help you keep a close eye on how some difficult stretches could impact your favorite team’s playoff chances and the playoff picture at large.
June ought to be an exciting month, especially because some big names are now back on the floor for their teams — Sparks F/C Candace Parker (back), Sky PG Courtney Vandersloot and Aces G Kayla McBride (overseas play) — to name a few.
There were three back-to-backs in May across the league. Chicago went 2-0, Indiana dropped both, and the Mystics managed a split. Keep an eye out now for longer road trips and three-games-in-five-nights stretches, which will be tough on every team.
Running through June’s schedule, team-by-team:
Atlanta
May record: 2-2
Games this month: 11
Back-to-backs: None
Notes: After two games at home, the Dream kick off a rough five-in-nine stretch. They’ll make stops in Las Vegas, Seattle and Los Angeles before a home-at-home with Indiana. Atlanta finishes the month in Minnesota, who they rallied to beat late in their final game of May.
Chicago
May record: 2-2
Games this month: 11
Back-to-backs: None
Notes: All things considered, Chicago has a fairly balanced June schedule. Their toughest road stretch includes a three-in-five with trips to Phoenix, Los Angeles and Seattle. The Sky managed to win two games without starting point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who was activated May 29. Allie Quigley left their game in Seattle on May 25 late with what was later identified as a groin injury. Keep an eye on their first few games of the month to see if that is an injury that will affect her at all moving forward.
Connecticut
May record: 3-0
Games this month: 12
Back-to-backs: 2 (6/15 @ SEA, 6/16 @ PHX; 6/26 @ WAS, 6/27 vs. IND)
Notes: Things are going to heat up quickly for the Sun — a five-in-nine to start the month, three-in-four in the middle of the month, and a back-to-back tacked onto the end of a three-in-five stretch as the finale. Head coach and general manager Curt Miller will learn a lot about the depth of his roster. One early encouraging sign: Chiney Ogwumike played 32 and 26 minutes in her last two games. Her presence inside, especially in anchoring the defense, could be the difference late in close games when they need to get stops.
Dallas
May record: 2-3
Games this month: 9
Back-to-backs: 1 (6/26 @ LA, 6/27 @ LV)
Notes: Dallas only has two extended periods of time left that could allow them to get some quality time in on the practice floor — the first beginning now as they play just twice in the first 11 days of June. They’ll need to continue to iron out what their plan is when Skylar Diggins-Smith and Liz Cambage are on the bench and how to continue to play through their two stars late in games against top-tier defenses. They’ll also be hopeful to get Glory Johnson (hamstring) and Aerial Powers (quad) back on the floor.
Indiana
May record: 0-5
Games this month: 11
Back-to-backs: None
Notes: Indiana kicks off a five-in-nine stretch on the 8th at home against Dallas. There are only so many opportunities to get crunch time reps in WNBA games. The Fever will need to maximize these chances and look to steal a few games to start building some momentum.
Las Vegas
May record: 0-4
Games this month: 13
Back-to-backs: 2 (5/31 @ SEA, 6/1 vs. WAS; 6/12 @ IND, 6/13 @ NY)
Notes: The Aces almost have their whole team now. We’ll all continue to await updates on the return of PG Moriah Jefferson (knee). Vegas plays five of six on the road in a 10 day stretch in the middle of the month, including Bill Laimbeer’s first game back in New York on June 13.
Los Angeles
May record: 3-1
Games this month: 12
Back-to-backs: 1 (6/28 @ SEA, 6/29 @ LV)
Notes: After a 2-1 road trip without Candace Parker, the Sparks find themselves in the midst of a five-game home stand spanning 17 days. Jantel Lavender is now back and activated, and 11th overall pick Maria Vadeeva may not be far behind. That depth will be needed later in the month when they enter a five-in-eight stretch.
Minnesota
May record: 2-3
Games this month: 10
Back-to-backs: None
Notes: Relatively speaking, this will be the mildest month for the champs (five home games and just one three-in-five stretch). Now would be the time for their starting unit to build some big leads as they did last year so that head coach/general manager Cheryl Reeve can give them some extra rest and learn some more about her bench.
New York
May record: 1-2
Games this month: 12
Back-to-backs: 1 (6/28 @ WAS, 6/29 vs. CHI)
Notes: The Liberty have an opportunity to really get rolling with a four-game home stand and seven of 12 games overall at home this month. They still aren’t fully healthy yet, either, as they’ve been without Sugar Rodgers (knee), Epiphanny Prince (concussion) and Brittany Boyd (Achilles).
Phoenix
May record: 2-3
Games this month: 13
Back-to-backs: 2 (6/16 vs. CON, 6/17 @ LV; 6/29 @ IND, 6/30 @ WAS)
Notes: Nobody will envy the Mercury’s slate this month: road three-in-five, three-in-five, back-to-back, three-in-five, road back-to-back. What will head coach Sandy Brondello get out of the non-Brittney Griner minutes at center? There’s 12th overall pick Marie Gulich, the recently signed Angel Robinson, and a vacant roster spot. There’s also the pairing of starting power forward Sancho Lyttle and reserve forward Camille Little, which played together in the team’s May 27 loss in Los Angeles.
Seattle
May record: 5-1
Games this month: 10
Back-to-backs: None
Notes: The Storm got some valuable crunch time reps early with their new pieces and new head coach Dan Hughes in May. They’ll need to continue to bank wins in a relatively light month featuring a five-game, 13-day home stand.
Washington
May record: 5-1
Games this month: 10
Back-to-backs: None
Notes: Washington will look to build on its four-game win streak to start the season as they play seven of 10 games this month at home, including an eight-day cushion around their June 7 matchup with the Lynx.
Look for starting guard Tayler Hill (ACL) to return around the end of the month. Natasha Cloud (kidney stones) and Elena Delle Donne did miss the final two games of May. Delle Donne is meeting with personal and team doctors to get to the root of the cause. On a positive note on that front, LaToya Sanders (illness) rejoined the team in Phoenix and made her season debut, logging 10 minutes off the bench.
June games of the month
Friday, 6/1— PHX @ MIN (ESPN2)
Saturday, 6/2— SEA @ DAL (League Pass)
Sunday, 6/3 — MIN @ LA (League Pass)
Tuesday, 6/5 — CON @ ATL (League Pass)
Related Story: May schedule analysis & games of the month
Saturday, 6/9 — MIN @ CON (NBATV)
Saturday, 6/16 — NY @ MIN (League Pass)
Friday, 6/29 — CHI @ NY (League Pass)
Links I like: WNBA podcasts that should be in your life every week
Around the Rim with LaChina Robinson and Terri Foster-Brasby
The Cheryl Reeve Show with Jim Souhan
Locked on Women’s Basketball with Howard Megdal
The W Podcast with Laureen Irat and Princess Streeter
WNBA Weekly with Steve Schwartzman, Kyle Heywood, Logan Jones and Jason Snow
Sun Cast with David Siegel
The WNBAInsidr Show hosted by Aryeh Schwartz
Lynx Dynasty hosted by Neil Olstad
We’re On Live with Ryne Prinz and Jack Maloney
The Jump Around with Blake DuDonis
If there are any that I may have missed, please let me know! I’d strongly encourage anyone reading this to subscribe to all 10 shows. They all have made me smarter and make it easier for me to keep up with and cover the league.