Mystics 7-6 vs Sparks 5-7
When: Thursday, June 24th, at 10:30p.m.
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
TV: Monumental, SPECSN, NBAC / Radio: N/A
Injury
Mystics: Elena Delle Donne (Out, Back), Natasha Cloud (Out/Ankle), Kiara Leslie (Out/ Concussion), Myisha Hines-Allen (Questionable, Knee), Erica McCall (Questionable/ Knee)
Sparks: Maria Vadeeva (Out/ Personal), Jasmine Walker (Out/ Knee), Chiney Ogwumike (Out/ Knee), Nneka Ogwumike (Out/ Knee), Bria Holmes (Questionable/ Foot)
Mystics -
83.1 - points per game
83.0 - points against
40.6 - Field Goal %
Sparks -
74.3 - points per game
78.4 - points against
39.8 - Field Goal %
Keep an eye on:
Tina Charles: should be the front runner for league MVP. She's been that dominant. Charles is averaging a league leading and career high 25.3 points, 9.6 rebounds (2nd in the WNBA) and 2.2 assists per game on 45 percent shooting from the field, 34 percent shooting from deep and a career high 85 percent from the free throw line. She's coming off a 34 point, 16 rebounds, 5 assists performance over the top team in the WNBA in the Seattle Storm. Expect a heavy dose of Charles in tonight's contest against the Sparks.
Sparks Defensively: are among the best in the WNBA. LA is second in the WNBA in steals at 8.8 per game and fourth in blocks, averaging 4.5 per game. Their defensive rating is 98.9 which is fourth in the WNBA as well. Washington has to be careful with their execution and be precise with their passing. Turning the ball over is a recipe for a loss in the long run with most teams, although, against LA, it's all but assured.
Offensive Rebounding: is an area Washington thrives in and an area they can punish LA in throughout the contest. Washington averages 9.9 offensive rebounds per game which ranks third in the league. Five players average 1.1 or more offensive boards per game with Tina Charles leading the way, grabbing 3 per contest. Seeing as how LA is the worst in the WNBA in rebounding, the Mystics should be aggressive crashing the offensive boards and aggressive seeking out second chance scoring opportunities the entire game.
