Coming into tonight’s contest at 2-1 in head-to-head matchups, the Connecticut Sun have a slight advantage over the Chicago Sky. It isn’t saying much, as both teams sit at the bottom of the league and are in clear rebuild mode. Realistically, tonight can go in only two directions: either it becomes a pride game, with both squads pushing to finish strong, or we see some strategic tanking for lottery odds. Head coach Tyler Marsh has made it clear he wants the Sky to “go out on a high note,” but whether those motivations are overridden higher up the chain remains to be seen. With Tina Charles and Angel Reese headlining, the frontcourt could shape the outcome. Here’s everything you need for tonight’s matchup.

Where to watch?

• Game Day: Wednesday, Sept. 3
• Game Time: 8 p.m. ET
• Watch: NBC Sports Boston: WNBA League Pass
• Where: Wintrust Arena, Chicago

Injury report

Connecticut Sun:

Bria Hartley (right knee): The five-foot-nine guard is OUT for the rest of the season because of a meniscus tear in her right knee.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa: The six-foot-five center is a GAME-TIME DECISION for the matchup against the Chicago Sky due to lingering back issues.

Chicago Sky: 

Hailey Van Lith (ankle): The five-foot-nine guard has been ruled OUT for the matchup against the Connecticut Sun due to an ankle injury. This is her third straight absence.

Courtney Vandersloot (knee): The veteran guard is OUT for the rest of the season because of an ACL tear.

Probable lineups

Connecticut Sun

Leila Lacan

Lindsay Allen

Marina Mabrey

Aneesah Morrow

Tina Charles

Chicago Sky: 

Rachel Banham

Ariel Atkins

Michaela Onyenwere

Angel Reese

Kamilla Cardoso

Connecticut Sun vs Chicago Sky prediction

So, here’s the thing–this game is a dead rubber. Both Connecticut and Chicago were among the first three teams to be ruled out from playoff contention, and it happened a while ago, so there aren’t any false hopes headed into this matchup. Both teams have similar records (10-30 for Connecticut, 9-30 for Chicago), and the result will come down to what they’re looking to achieve.

From a pure matchup perspective, it’s clear that the Chicago Sky is out ahead. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Tyler Marsh’s team a 61.8% chance to win in the Wintrust Arena tonight, but the Sun have history on their side! Connecticut has won 8 of its last 10 meetings against the Sky, and is 2-1 up in this season as well. Let’s take a look at the stats and see what they have to say:

Both teams have a deadlocked offense, with the Sun averaging 76.3 points a game, just 0.5 more than the Chicago Sky’s 75.8. Surprisingly enough, even after all the criticism that Chicago got this year about efficiency, they pulled ahead of the Connecticut Sun with a FG% of 42.3%.

But even though the points allowed are similar at around 86 per game, Chicago has a clear advantage in terms of defense because of one thing and one thing only–their rebounding. The Sky is crashing the glass like there’s no tomorrow, averaging 36 rebounds a game. On the other hand, Connecticut clogs the passing lane and puts pressure on the ball-handlers, resulting in putting up around 8 steals a night. So, considering that both teams look evenly matched, what do we look out for?

Well, the matchup to look forward to in this game will be in the frontcourt. Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso versus Tina Charles and Aneesah Morrow is going to be a fun sight to watch! Reese and Cardoso, the Chicago Skyscrapers, are averaging about 28 points and 20 rebounds per night as compared to Connecticut’s 24 and 12, respectively. The team that wins the battle inside the paint will win the game, that’s for sure! It will be interesting to see which side pulls out ahead tonight! Stay tuned for more updates about the Connecticut Sun vs the Chicago Sky game.