WNBA Outlook: New York Liberty vs Seattle Storm Preview

Photo Credit WNBA

Seattle Storm (0-0) vs New York Liberty (0-0)  

When: Saturday, July 25th at Noon. 

Where: IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida  TV: ESPN / Radio: N/A

Notes - The Liberty hit the restart button during the off-season by hiring Walt Hopkins for his first run as a head coach, trading perennial all star Tina Charles to Washington and bringing seven rookies ( Sabrina Ionescu, Joyner Holmes, Jazmine Jones, Leaonna Odom, Kylee Shook, Megan Walker, Jocelyn Willoughby) into the fold for this upcoming season.

Injury/Opt Out:

Seattle:

Head Coach Dan Hughes (Health-High risk for Covid)

New York:

 Asia Durr (Health), Rebecca Allen (Health)

Seattle  (2019 Stats)- 

74.8 - points per game

75.1- points against

42.0 - Field goal %

New York (2019 Stats)- 

77.4- points per game

84.7 - points against

41.4 - field goal %

Keep an eye on:

All Eyes On Sabrina Ionescu: will be the big story leading up to today's game. The top overall pick out of Oregon, finished her collegiate career as the NCAA's all time leader in triple doubles (26) , and is the first NCAA player with 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds. She's as complete a player there has been in quite some time entering the WNBA. However, there will be adjustments, as there is with every rookie and how quickly Ionescu adjust will determine the success of New York this season

Return of Stewie and Sue Bird: means problems for the WNBA. The last time these two were on the floor together in 2018, Stewart was the MVP of the league and Sue Bird played at a flawless, all star level while helping to lead the Storm to the WNBA championship. 

Last year, Breanna Stewart tore her achilles playing in Russia during the 2019 Euroleague Women's final, which forced her to miss the entire 2019 WNBA season and Bird, underwent left knee surgery at the start of the 2019 season and was forced to miss the entire season as well. 

With both back in the fold with the growth of Natasha Howard, Jordin Canada and Jewell Loyd, look for the Storm to have a lot to say about who is the last team left standing at the end of the season.