Article Author:
Reuters
The Dallas Wings will pull off a league-best four-game winning streak when they host the New York Liberty in a key late-season game on Monday in Arlington, Texas.
The contest will be the first of his two teams' matches over three days and will say a lot about both teams' postseason potential. The Wings and Liberty are one of his six teams vying for his final three spots in the WNBA playoffs.
A win over New York on Monday or Wednesday would be enough for Dallas to qualify for the playoffs.
Dallas (16-16) picked the right time to get hot and moved to the front of her herd. As of Sunday, the Wings are in her sixth place, two games behind Atlanta, 2 1/2 behind Phoenix and three behind New York with four games remaining.
Dallas took the win at home on Saturday as she defeated Indiana in overtime 95-91. She needed to recover from a 20-point deficit in the second quarter for the Wings to emerge victorious.
Her six players scored in double figures for her in Dallas, with Kayla Thornton leading the way with her career-high 21 points.
"This stretch is approaching the playoffs. 6 to 9 is tight and every game counts," Thornton said after the game. "I'm proud that our team is finally united and understands the main goals of what we have to do."
New York (13-19) is still in the playoff chase, just 0.5 games behind eighth-placed Phoenix with four men remaining. Liberty missed a chance to leapfrog Mercury on Saturday when she lost 76-62 to short-handed Phoenix.
``We weren't ready to play. Because they're out there," said Liberty manager Sandy Brondello after the loss. ``I can't say anyone was good for us tonight.''
New York's Sabrina Ionescu became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 500 points, 200 assists and 200 rebounds in a single season. And the loss overshadowed a record-breaking night.
Ionescu said she scored 20 points on Saturday, even though she shot 1-of-8 from across the arc. No other New York player has scored 7 or more.
"We're going to Dallas, so she has to win two there," Ionescu said. "We are focused on the next game and we have to keep practicing."
– Field Level Media
