Sparks +11 (-110) over Liberty
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- The Liberty could come out flat with Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu returning from Olympic competition this week.
- The Sparks have been competitive against elite teams this season and should be able to do the same at home here.
The New York Liberty had the best record in the WNBA in the first half of the season. On Thursday, they return from the Olympic break and will try to pick up where they left off against the Los Angeles Sparks, though the return from Olympic competition could have a sizable impact on how competitive this game is. Here, we make our WNBA betting picks for Liberty vs Sparks from LA.
This game will be played at crypto.com Arena at 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, August 14, 2024.
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty have a record of 21-4 going into the second half of the WNBA season, as they sit in first place in the standings. New York ranks in the top-three in points per game and points allowed per game, as they have been elite on both ends of the floor. But the question will be how the Liberty handle coming back from their Olympic break, with multiple impact players coming back from France over the last few days.
Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu were a part of the gold medal winning team from the United States during the Paris Olympics. While Ionescu didn’t get the same playing time that Stewart did, both were involved in a grueling Olympic tournament that could impact their ability to bounce right back in the return to WNBA action. It will be interesting to monitor their level of performance now that the season has restarted.
Los Angeles Sparks
The LA Sparks are 6-18 this season so far, sitting in 10th place in the 12-team WNBA standings. Los Angeles also had an Olympian in Dearica Hamby, who helped the United States win bronze in the women’s 3×3 basketball tournament. But the Sparks should, at least in theory, be better rested than the Liberty going into this game at crypto.com Arena.
The question for the Sparks will be the same as it was in the first half of the season, that being whether or not they can generate enough offense to contend with a team like the Liberty. The Sparks are averaging under 80 points per game this season, making them one of just five teams in the WNBA averaging under 80 points per game on the year. But if the Sparks can get something going offensively here, they could pull off an upset on their home floor.
