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The New York Liberty will host the Chicago Sky at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn today at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.
This will be Angel Reese and the Sky's first visit to New York this season. Head coach Reese Weatherspoon's team has had a rocky start to the season, with a record of one win and one loss.
By contrast, head coach Sandy Brondello's Liberty has been unstoppable. Led by Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, New York is 4-0 and hopes to remain undefeated against Chicago.
Chicago Sky - New York Liberty LIVE updates, Thursday May 23rd at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY.
Chicago Sky win their 2nd game of the season!
The Sky competed for every ball and every rebound and found a way to beat one of the toughest teams in the WNBA.
Final score: Sky 90- 81 Liberty
Marina Mabrey was the top scorer for Chicago with 21 points.
Angel Reese added 13 points and 9 rebound to her tally.
Chicago still leading despite Liberty run
The Sky got an 11-point lead to start the second half of the game before the Liberty found their footing and stormed back to the game with a 10-0 run.
Score at 75-74 with 6:17 left in the third quarter
Vandersloot scores first Liberty points!
New York guard Courtney Vandersloot, scored the first field goal for the Liberty.
Up to date score: Sky 6-9 Liberty
Angel Reese getting recognition in NY
The Chicago Sky rookie is playing her third WNBA game of her career. This is the first time she is playing at Barclays Center against the Liberty.
Where to watch Liberty - Fever on TV
The game between the Chicago Sky and the New York Liberty will be broadcast on Prime Video, WWOR, and MARQ.
WNBA Best bet: Chicago Sky +15.5
The Liberty are the superior team with the best net rating in the league, and they're playing at home. However, they're surprisingly only 1-3 against the spread. New York has a history of failing to cover when they're heavy favorites. Considering... pic.twitter.com/d1gXrojX36
-- Moody (@EricNMoody) May 23, 2024
Tipoff from the Barclays Center and odds
Tipoff is at 6:00 p.m. ET at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Liberty are -15.5-point favorite vs. +15.5 points for the Liberty in the most recent odds.
WNBA Quick Game Analysis: New York Liberty vs. Chicago Sky
New York Liberty Insights:
*Strong Favorites: Liberty won 26 out of 32 games when favored last season (81.2% win rate).
*Highly Favored Instances: Won both games when favored with odds of -1429 or shorter.
*Implied... https://t.co/BIxg1bQZjXpic.twitter.com/3zeGaFxtrZ
-- FOCUS ON THE PROP (@Dfs4Everyone) May 23, 2024
What to look on Chicago
The arrival of Angel Reese has not yet made a difference in Chicago. The contribution of the rest of the team has still fallen short and in two games they have only scored an overall average of 81 points.
Marina Mabrey continues to be the offensive engine of the squad, with 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
Reese and center Elizabeth Williams lead the defense with 8.5 and nine rebounds respectively.
Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky play basketball today pic.twitter.com/RWiGJKmirF
-- J_CLUTCH2 (@clutch2_j) May 23, 2024
What to look on Liberty
The Liberty's recent performances have showcased an impressive display of outside shooting, rivaling the prowess of teams like Villanova and Golden State.
However, head coach Sandy Brondello has often emphasized the need for her team to diversify beyond this identity.
With the Liberty facing unexpected challenges from beyond the arc early in the season, Sabrina Ionescu has stepped up to the plate. She's enhanced her
driving game, leveraging her strong chemistry with fellow All-Stars. If Ionescu can fully develop this aspect of her play, she'll be able to consistently take over games, marking the completion of her professional evolution.
It's just that easy for @sabrina_i20pic.twitter.com/bOK7Y3YHwY
-- New York Liberty (@nyliberty) May 23, 2024
Player to follow on Chicago
Angel Reese, seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, is scoring 11.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game
Angel Reese on the importance of bringing her teammates along with her as she receives new opportunities:
"I don't play about my girls. I want my girls to experience that. A lot of people don't get these same opportunities and Imma let everybody eat on it."#WNBApic.twitter.com/qbREK03UEV
-- Angel And Kamilla (@AngelAndKamilla) May 23, 2024
Player to follow on Liberty
Breanna Stewart averaged 23 points and 9.3 rebounds per game last season, and defensively excelled with 1.5 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
WNBA LOCK MAY 23rd
BREANNA STEWART OVER 8.5 REB
Hit this line on 8/10 games
Big uptrend on board on h2h games averaging 11.4 on the last 5 played
Liberty ranks 3rd on the league on defense and 1st on defensive rebounds, while SKY ranks 10th
-- Astropicks Bets (@AstropicksB) May 23, 2024
Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky face their first litmus test today in their visit to the Barclays Center to face the Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart's New York Liberty.
The Sky is coming off a 1-1 draw in its opening series with the Dallas Wings, with a modest contribution from Reese, who is still adjusting to the rhythm of the WNBA game.
Head coach Teresa Weatherspoon has placed her trust in the rookie and has given her an average of 26 minutes on the hardwood each game. Reese has reciprocated this trust, contributing 11.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.
Liberty, for its part, has been knocking down rivals left and right at the start of the season. So far, they have beaten the Washington Mystics 85-80, the Indiana Fever 102-66 and 91-80, and the Seattle Storm 74-63.
Ionescu has been a force of nature at the start of the campaign. The University of Oregon graduate averages 15.3 points, four rebounds, and six assists in 31.5 minutes on the court. Stewart has been no less. The forward contributes 19.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in the 30.9 minutes she spends on the court.
It is worth remembering that Sky and Liberty clashed in the preseason. Chicago took advantage of its home status at the Wintrust Arena to win a resounding 101-53 victory.
However, tonight's story might be completely different. Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello has surely already made the necessary adjustments after that loss, not to mention that this time, they are playing in front of their home crowd in New York.
In no way Weatherspoon and the Sky will be an easy victim for the New York team. However, the chances lean heavily towards the home team, which will seek to remain undefeated for as long as possible at all costs, especially in front of its home crowd.
