With the 2024 Paris Olympics over, it’s time to return to the WNBA regular season. Things will be kicking off with the Phoenix Mercury hitting the road to face the Chicago Sky.
The Mercury currently sit in sixth place in the league standings and fourth in the Western Conference standings. Kahleah Copper, Brittney Griner, and Diana Taurasi are all returning from Paris after winning gold, so hopefully, that helps fuel them in their first game back in the States.
None of the Sky players made the trip to Paris, so they’ve been well-rested and preparing for the season to start up again. Eyes will obviously be on Angel Reese as people look to see how she’ll do after the long break. She’s currently losing the battle for Rookie of the Year against the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark. Chicago is currently eighth in the league and fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Which of these teams will start the second half of the season with a win?
Game Details
Fixture: Phoenix Mercury @ Chicago Sky
Date and Time: August 15th, 2024 @ 8:00 pm EST
Location: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, IL
Phoenix Mercury Team Review
Phoenix is currently sitting with a 12-13 record. It’ll be a tough turnaround as they sit three games back from the Las Vegas Aces and four games back from first place. Expect a hot hand in Kahleah Copper after her fantastic Olympic Finals performance. If she’s ready to go, she’ll be dishing out dimes and hitting some daggers. Copper is leading in scoring, averaging 23.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.
Another player to watch is Natasha Cloud, who is leading in assists with 7.2 and steals with 1.7. Cloud contributes a decent amount in the scoring column, averaging 12.4 a game. Natasha Mack fills in the rest of the team-leading spots with 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. The Mercury are a strong team that could make a quick leap in the standings if all their players stay on track.
Chicago Sky Team Review
Chicago is running with a record of 10-14, sitting just behind Caitlin Clark and the Fever. They also match the Mercury with a 5-5 record in their last ten games. Chennedy Carter is the lead scorer for the team, averaging 16.4 points per game. However, Marina Mabrey is a close second with 14.0 points per game while also leading in assists with 4.6 per game. These two, along with Angel Reese, have been holding it down for the Sky in the scoring column.
Reese continues to be a board beast, leading the team with 12.0 rebounds, and currently sits in second behind A’ja Wilson in league leaders. Fellow rookie Kamilla Cardoso has found a solid spot on the team with 8.2 points per game and is the leader in blocks with 1.2. These two will have a bright future in Chicago.
Who To Watch
Phoenix Mercury
Fans should keep their eyes on Diana Taurasi in this first game back from Paris. She didn’t get many minutes on the stacked roster, and when she did, there were quite a few tough shots put up. Taurasi is now 42, and there’s no question that she is nearing retirement. It will be interesting to see if this trip will cause her to have some issues in her first game back. She’s currently having a solid season, averaging 16.1 points per game, but she just didn’t look great on the world stage this year.
Chicago Sky
Look for Marina Mabrey to be a high point in this game. She’s been on fire in her last few outings, leading in scoring for multiple games. She had 19 against the Dallas Wings, 21 against the New York Liberty, and 23 against the Connecticut Sun at the end of May. She’s a hot hand who could really give the Sky a boost over the Mercury.
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