Liberty-Wings preview
The New York Liberty's dynamic inside-out tandem of Tina Charles and Sugar Rodgers has been torching the entire WNBA this season, but they've been especially nasty to the Dallas Wings.
Charles, Rodgers and the Liberty, who have clinched a playoff berth, host the Wings on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
Dallas snapped an 11-game losing streak with a win over the San Antonio Stars on Friday to keep their razor-slim playoff hopes alive.
With three games remaining in the regular season, the Wings (10-21) trail the eighth-place Phoenix Mercury by three games in the league standings.
The top eight teams in the league standings, regardless of conference, qualify for the postseason.
New York clinched the third overall seed in the playoff with Friday's win over the Connecticut Sun.
The Liberty won both previous meetings with the Wings this season.
Charles scored 28 points in the Liberty's 91-88 win over the Wings on June 14. She has averaged 26.0 points in two games versus Dallas this season and is coming off a 23-point, 10-rebound performance in the win over the Sun.
Charles is second in the WNBA in scoring at 21.5 points per game and first in rebounding with 9.9 per game.
Rodgers has been deadly from behind 3-point arc against the Wings this season, connecting on 9 of 13. She hit two 3-pointers against Connecticut on Friday to retake the WNBA lead with 84 this season.
How much Liberty coach Bill Laimbeer plays his two catalysts is up in the air, as rest may be in order.
The Wings have no such luxury, but can hope to build off Friday's win over San Antonio, which gave coach Frank Williams his 100th career win in the WNBA.
Odyssey Sims scored 20 points and Skylar Diggins added 16 for Dallas in the win, their first since July 5.
Sims leads six players averaging double figures in points for the Wings. Diggins, Karima Christmas, Plenette Pierson, Glory Johnson and Aerial Powers also are averaging double figures.
Johnson is averaging 11.3 points and 8.9 rebounds. She sustained a toe injury in the heart of the Wings' losing streak that stretched from July to early September.
