Early on Thursday evening, the action inside the WNBA's bubble at IMG Academy will continue with a matchup between the Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty. This should have been a matchup between two lottery picks, but unfortunately Sabrina Ionescu is out with an ankle injury. Still, Chennedy Carter will be on display, and that is reason enough to tune in.
Overall, it's been a rough season for both of these teams. The Liberty have won just twice, in large part due to Ionescu's injury, and sit in last place at 2-14. They way things are going, they have a good chance at getting the No. 1 overall pick for a second year in a row. The Dream haven't been much better, checking in at 4-13, which has them in 11th place. Their star rookie, Carter, also dealt with an ankle injury that forced her to miss nearly three weeks, but she has returned to the lineup.
How to Watch Dream vs. Liberty
- Date: Thursday, Sept. 3 | 6:30 p.m. ET
- Location: IMG Academy -- Bradenton, Florida
- TV: CBS Sports Network | Stream online: CBS Sports app or CBS All Access
- Odds: Dream -6.5 | Over/Under: 166
Storylines
Dream: It's been another difficult season for the Dream, with injuries and absences playing a key role in their 4-13 record. The playoffs still aren't completely out of reach, but they're two games back of eighth with five to play, and would have to jump three teams -- something that seems unlikely. There have been some bright spots, though, with Betnijah Laney coming out of nowhere to lead the Most Improved Player race, and Chennedy Carter emerging as a leading contender for Rookie of the Year.
Liberty: As bad as things have been for the Dream, they've been even worse for the Liberty. Asia Durr was knocked out of the season due to COVID-19, and Sabrina Ionescu went down with a season-ending ankle injury in her third game. All of a sudden they were without two key pieces of their young backcourt, and not only have they gone 2-14, but they've lost an entire season of development with this group.
Game prediction
The Dream enter as pretty solid favorites, which makes sense considering how the Liberty's season has gone. With Carter back in action, we're going to ride with Atlanta. Both defenses are pretty bad, but the Dream will have the best player on the floor, and more offensive weapons. Pick: Dream -6.5
