Coming into the night requiring a win to maintain their playoff hopes alive, the Atlanta Dream survived, defeating the depleted Chicago Sky 86-70 at Gateway Heart Area.
Already with out Angel Reese, the Sky additionally didn’t have the companies of Kamilla Cardoso, sidelined with a shoulder damage, or Chennedy Carter, who was a late scratch as a result of a foot concern. Diamond DeShields additionally missed her fourth-straight recreation. The Dream didn’t fumble the favorable state of affairs. Whereas Chicago would lower Atlanta’s 14-point halftime result in six at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Dream steadied themselves, outscoring the Sky by eight factors within the last body to safe the 16-point win.
Jordin Canada led Atlanta with 18 factors and 5 assists, with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Grey including matching 15-point efforts (whereas carrying matching goggles). With 16 factors and 14 rebounds, Tina Charles notched the 193rd double-double of her profession, tying her with Sylvia Fowles for the WNBA’s all-time mark. Charles may have the chance take sole possession of the document in her hometown and in opposition to the workforce for which she previously starred, because the Dream shut out the season in New York in opposition to the Liberty on Thursday.
With a win (and hopefully a double-double for Charles), Atlanta can be within the playoffs, and set for a first-round sequence in opposition to New York. On Tuesday, the Liberty locked up the No. 1 seed with a win over the Mystics in Washington, 87-71. That victory additionally proved advantageous to the Dream. But, the Mystics can nonetheless steal the No. 8 seed.
If Atlanta loses on Thursday and Washington beats the Indiana Fever, the groups can be tied within the standings and the Mystics would personal the tiebreaker. With the season sequence tied at 2-2, level differential would turn out to be the deciding issue. At present, Washington’s scoring margin is -120 to Atlanta’s -121, a one-point distinction that might widen with a Washington win and Atlanta loss. The politics of level differential make it extremely unlikely for Chicago to say the No. 8 seed. If the Dream lose to the Liberty, the Mystics lose to the Fever and the Sky beat the Connecticut Solar, Atlanta and Chicago, after splitting their season sequence 2-2, can be tied within the standings. Nonetheless, with some extent differential of -172, Chicago would wish to blow out Connecticut and hope that the Liberty likewise rout the Dream.
Seeds No. 1 by No. 5 are set
Along with the still-undetermined drama surrounding the No. 8 seed, the top-five playoff seeds have been unsettled coming into Tuesday night time’s motion. Now, all 5 are official. (The Fever and Phoenix Mercury already have been locked into the No. 6 seed and No. 7 seed, respectively.)
As talked about above, the Liberty ensured they may personal the league’s finest document and No. 1 seed. In a extra thrilling contest, the Minnesota Lynx secured the No. 2 seed, with a late, deep 3 from Bridget Carleton giving the Lynx the 78-76 victory and resigning the Solar to the No. 3 seed.
The Las Vegas Aces sewed up the No. 4 seed with a win over the Seattle Storm, 85-72. Within the course of, A’ja Wilson added one other document to her private ebook, surpassing Angel Reese’s recently-established single-season rebounding document. Seattle would be the No. 5 seed.
