Mystics 11-9 vs Liberty 14-5
When: Friday, July 21st, at 7:00p.m.
Where: Entertainment & Sports Arena, Washington, D.C.
TV: ION, WNBA League Pass
Injury
Mystics: Ariel Atkins (Out, Left Ankle Sprain ), Elena Delle Donne (Out, Left Ankle Sprain ), Shakira Austin (Out, Left Hip Strain), Kristi Toliver (Out, Right Plantar Fasciitis )
Liberty: None
Keep an eye on:
Defending the three: should be even more of an emphasis tonight than usual for Washington. New York comes in tops in the WNBA in three point makes per game (10.6), three point attempts per game (27.6) and three point percentage (38.4%) and have six players shooting at least 40 percent or better currently from three point territory. Washington is fifth in the WNBA in defending the three, holding teams to 33 percent shooting from deep. It'll be a contrast of styles that will go a long way to ultimately determining who takes tonights contest.
Crashing the boards: definitely is a must for the Mystics. "No rebounds, no rings," is a famous quote from the legendary Pat Riley, which means if you don't rebound well, you won't win a lot of games and this will especially hold true tonight against the Liberty. Washington comes in wounded in their front court with their top two rebounders, center Shakira Austin (7.8 rpg) and forward Elena Delle Donne (6 rpg), out due to injury. The Mystics rank tenth in the WNBA in rebounding, pulling down 33.4 rebounds per game, unfortunately, the Liberty comes in ranking third in the WNBA in rebounding, grabbing 36.8 rebounds per game, led by forward Breanna Stewart who leads New York with just under ten rebounds per game. Washington has to elevate their level of activity on the boards to help control the game and give them a better chance to play an efficient brand of basketball on both ends.