The gold medal winning Team USA members showed no jet lag in their return to action in the WNBA.
Michael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women's college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women's basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courantgot two welcome returns personnel-wise - although not a victory - and the Phoenix Mercury's three Olympians were among the Paris gold medalists who looked fresh and ready to go.
The league is back in action with the push for the playoffs on everyone's minds. With about a month left in the regular season, teams know every game from here on has an impact. The LIberty, seeking the franchise's first WNBA title, are focused on the No. 1 seed as the goal., who won the Commissioner's Cup final in June, facing a closer-to-full strength Mystics squad was a good test to get the rest of their schedule started.
Whether or not fatigue hits over the course of the second half is something to monitor, but with the way the Liberty and Mercury came out on Thursday, they could be making statements about what's in store in the coming weeks and months. The Mercury in particular are a team to monitor - if their core is all finally healthy at the same time, can they make a late run?Griner was 10 of 12 from the field, with 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks - one of her most complete games of the season.
Chicago left a lot to be desired on Thursday, though that might have had to do more so with personnel changes: This was its first game sincewas ruled out earlier Thursday due to a non-COVID illness. The lack of floor spacing without Mabrey on the court, plus the absence of Carter's explosiveness and ability to create, really spelled trouble for the Sky: Their 65 points were their second-fewest on the season.
The first meeting this season between the Liberty and Aces was June 15 at Las Vegas, a 90-82 Liberty win that moved Aces star A'ja Wilson to tears in the postgame as she promised she would help inspire her teammates to play better. The Aces dropped to 6-6 with that loss; they are 10-2 since. This will be the second of the three regular-season meetings between New York and Las Vegas. The last is in Brooklyn on Sept. 8.
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