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Can Sabrina Ionescu Send Home The Reigning Champs? πŸ€

This first round matchup between the Sky and Liberty has been anything but ordinary. After Sabrina Ionescu carried New York to an upset win in Game 1, Candace Parker’s Sky had a blowout win in Game 2. In a win-or-go-home Game 3, who will advance to the Semifinals? ⛹️‍♀️ (4 min read)

Tonight's parlay is Liberty +7.5 vs. Sky and Sabrina Ionescu over 18.5 points. More info below on a chance to win $100 πŸ‘‡

Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Loser Goes Home

Usually, when a team gets trounced by 38 points (as the Liberty were on Saturday), there's not much cause for optimism. However, New York was playing with house money after a shocking Game 1 upset of the No. 2 seeded Chicago Sky in the opening round of the WNBA playoffs

No matter how much Chicago drove up the margin in the blowout win, this first round series still sits at an even one game apiece πŸ‘€

  • New York took Game 1 behind a balanced effort, led by 22 points each from the All-Star duo of Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Howard

  • The Liberty came up clutch when it mattered most, outscoring the Sky by eight in the fourth quarter to deliver a 98-91 victory πŸ™Œ

Of course, Game 2 was an entirely different story, as the Sky rebounded by breaking their own record for the largest margin of victory in WNBA history. Interestingly, Las Vegas also broke this record on the same day, scoring a nearly identical 37-point win over Phoenix β€” strange stuff from two squads that have appeared to be on a collision course all year πŸ†

All that matters now is a win-or-go-home Game 3 that will take place tonight in New York (games 1 & 2 were in Chicago). Will the reigning champs move on, or will the underdog Liberty shock the world? πŸ€”

Sky vs. Liberty Betting Preview (subject to change)

  • Spread: Sky -7.5

  • Moneyline: Sky -320 (bet $320, win $100), Liberty +245 (bet $100, win $245)

  • O/U: 164.5 Total Points

Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images

Keeping Their Momentum

It seems safe to say that Chicago is back and firing on all cylinders after that disappointing Game 1 performance. After all, these teams had a 10-game win differential in the regular season, so a series upset would certainly shock the WNBA...and alter the title odds (currently +440) πŸ’΅

  • Chicago was one of two teams (along with the No. 3 seed Connecticut Sun) to rank top-four in offensive and defensive rating this season

  • The Sky's well-rounded nature is what makes them nearly impossible to beat when they find their rhythm. Nonetheless, the heart and soul of this team is still Candace Parker, whose contributions go far beyond the box score

With Chicago's season on the line, they'll be looking for a vintage effort from Parker to help them advance to the Semifinals 😀

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Trying To Bounce Back

The first two games of this series were a perfect microcosm of the Liberty's season. They've been streaky all year, amassing seven straight losses early in the season and still managing to earn a playoff berth. The Liberty's fate, as usual, will rest largely in the hands of Sabrina Ionescu tonight πŸ‘€

  • The former Oregon superstar has enjoyed a breakout third-year campaign for New York, showing off the all-around game that made her such a monumental prospect

  • Her averages of 17.4 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 6.3 APG would make her idol Kobe Bryant very proud πŸ™

Our favorite moment of the year was when Ionescu embraced the Bryant family after a Liberty win in late July 🐍

Ionescu will need a performance far superior to her 7-point Game 2 in order to keep this one competitive. At the end of the day, she's capable of being the best player in this series, and New York needs her to be exactly that ⭐️

Trivia Question: Sabrina Ionescu and Candace Parker are both former winners of the John R. Wooden Award, given to the top NCAAW player. Who is the most recent winner of this award? (answer below)

Photo by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images

For My Parlay Gurus

I'm impressed with the Liberty's grit to push this series to the limit, but I think their ride ends here. I expect them to make this a close one and cover the spread behind an All-Star level performance from Sabrina Ionescu. Take a look πŸ‘‡

  • Liberty +7.5 vs. Sky: -118

  • Sabrina Ionescu over 18.5 points: -114

$100 on this bet would win you $247 β€” if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win πŸ˜‰

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Trivia Answer: Aliyah Boston of South Carolina won the Wooden Award this year and led the Gamecocks to a National Championship πŸ†

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Many will enter, only some will win. Giveaway ends 12 hours after the completion of the final game references within the giveaway. The winner will be notified via the email address used to enter. Restrictions apply. See the General Conditions and Releases sections of Overtime's Terms of Use at https://overtime.tv/terms for additional giveaway termsΒ©2022 Overtime Sports, Inc. All rights reserved.