Preview: Atlanta Dream vs. Chicago Sky

With less than a week left in the 2024 WNBA regular season, a single postseason seed remains up for grabs. The Chicago Sky (13-25) and Atlanta Dream (13-25) are two teams that are still in the hunt for that playoff berth; they’ll meet for the fourth and final time this Tuesday, Sept. 17, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Neither the Sky (2-8 in their last 10 games) nor the Dream (3-7) have played at the level they’d have liked in recent weeks, and while the two teams have been right up against each other in the standings for quite some time now, neither one has been able to make a definitive move. This sets up a must-win scenario on Tuesday, particularly for the Dream. They currently trail the Sky in their season series, two games to one, and they’ll need to even that up to have a chance in the event of a tiebreaker.

It’s also important to note that the Sky look significantly different than they did when they last played the Dream on July 10. Chicago has since sent starting guard Marina Mabrey to Connecticut via trade and lost star rookie Angel Reese—whose 13.1 rebounds per game lead the WNBA—to a season-ending wrist injury.

The Sky have one win since Reese’s injury and have fallen into an eighth-place tie with the Washington Mystics, who own the tiebreaker (3-1 head-to-head record), and while Chicago head coach Teresa Weatherspoon insists that her team “ain’t done yet,” they now find themselves in a do-or-die situation on the road.

The Dream have also lost their starting power forward, with Cheyenne Parker-Tyus recovering from an ankle injury that will keep her out through the rest of the season. Veteran center Tina Charles, whose 7,670 career points ranks second all-time in WNBA history, has picked up the slack, averaging 17.6 points and 11.8 rebounds per game since the All-Star break.

Charles’ matchup against Sky rookie Kamilla Cardoso will be one of several that could determine the outcome of Tuesday’s game—and even the playoff fate of those players’ respective teams. The Dream will need to find an answer for Sky guard Chennedy Carter, who averaged 16.3 points on 50 percent shooting in her three prior games against Atlanta; Chicago, meanwhile, will have to deal with Allisha Gray (17.7 points per game against the Sky this season) as well as Rhyne Howard, who missed two of the Dream’s previous three games against the Sky but should be good to go on Tuesday.

Mystics remain in playoff hunt despite poor start

While the matchup between the Sky and Dream will carry the heaviest playoff implications of any game on Tuesday’s slate, the Mystics still have something to play for, too. Washington, despite starting the 2024 season 0-12, finds itself fighting with Atlanta and Chicago for the eighth seed in the playoffs, and a win over the New York Liberty (31-7) on Tuesday would further strengthen the Mystics’ chances.

The league-leading Liberty have all but clinched the top overall seed in the WNBA playoffs, so it’s possible they take it easy for the rest of the regular season and rest their top players in anticipation of a deep playoff run. New York did, however, lose to fellow championship contender Minnesota last weekend, so head coach Sandy Brondello might want to treat Tuesday’s game as more of a tune-up. The Mystics may be favored to come away with the eighth seed for the time being, but they have a tall task in front of them in arguably the WNBA’s best team.

Game information

Minnesota Lynx (29-9) vs. Connecticut Sun (27-11)

When: Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT

How to watch: WNBA League Pass, NBC Sports Boston, Bally Sports North Extra

Lynx injury report: Dorka Juhász (questionable; foot)

Sun injury report: Tiffany Mitchell (out; illness)

New York Liberty (31-7) vs. Washington Mystics (13-25)

When: Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, DC

How to watch: WNBA League Pass, Monumental Sports Network, WWOR-My9, Liberty Live (Live stream)

Liberty injury report: none

Mystics injury report: Aaliyah Edwards (doubtful; ankle), Shakira Austin (out; ankle)

Chicago Sky (13-25) vs. Atlanta Dream (13-25)

When: Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Gateway Center Arena at College Park in Atlanta, GA

How to watch: WNBA League Pass, PeachtreeTV, Peachtree Sports Network, The U

Sky injury report: Kamilla Cardoso (questionable; shoulder), Angel Reese (out; wrist), Elizabeth Williams (out; knee), Diamond DeShields (out; ankle)

Dream injury report: Cheyenne Parker (out; ankle), Aerial Powers (out; calf)

Las Vegas Aces (25-13) vs. Seattle Storm (24-14)

When: Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA

How to watch: WNBA League Pass, FOX 13+, Amazon Prime Video , Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network

Aces injury report: none

Storm injury report: Ezi Magbegor (out; concussion), Jewell Loyd (out; knee)

Phoenix Mercury (18-20) vs. Los Angeles Sparks (7-31)

When: Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA

How to watch: CBS Sports Network, Spectrum SportsNet, Arizona’s Family Sports, Mercury Live (Live stream)

Mercury injury report: Charisma Osborne (doubtful; leg), Kahleah Copper (out; back), Rebecca Allen (out; hamstring)

Sparks injury report: Odyssey Sims (probable; hand), Aari McDonald (out; ankle), Layshia Clarendon (out; personal), Lexie Brown (out; illness), Cameron Brink (out; knee)