Aces @ Sky

Who will WIN this matchup?

Las Vegas Aces (20-8)

@ Chicago Sky (21-7)

Current odds:

Las Vegas Aces: (+110)

Chicago Sky: (-130)

• The line for this game is Sky by 2 points.

• The Sky and Aces qualified for a spot in the Championship Game by having the best records in Cup play in their respective conferences. Players will be competing for a prize pool of $500,000 in the Championship Game. Members of the winning team will be able to earn in excess of $30,000 per player. Competitors on the runner-up team will have the opportunity to earn $10,000 per player. An additional $5,000 will be awarded to the MVP of the Championship Game.

• Both teams lost this past week, but those were the only losses the Sky and Aces have had since Team A’ja Wilson won the All-Star Game on July 10. Both are 5-1 in that stretch, but Chicago has done it without All-Star point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who has missed the past four games while in concussion protocol.

• The Sky’s 83-80 loss at the New York Liberty on Saturday was their third game in four days, plus they had travel delays on the way to the Big Apple. Chicago coach James Wade brushed off questions about fatigue, saying it is just part of what all teams deal with. Despite the obstacles, the Sky still almost won that game.

• Las Vegas has had defensive concerns in recent weeks, but coach Becky Hammon was happy with the way the Aces played in beating Los Angeles 84-66 on Saturday, calling it one of their better all-around efforts on both ends.

• The Sky and Aces have split their two regular-season meetings in 2022, each winning on the other’s home court. They will meet one more time, Aug. 11 in Las Vegas. Their matchup June 21 in Las Vegas was one of the stranger games of the season, with the Aces dominating the first quarter but then Chicago making the biggest comeback in league history (28 points) to win 104-95.

• That loss sent Las Vegas in a bit of a tailspin — the Aces lost five of seven going into the All-Star Game — but it seems to be over now.

• Chicago has had the league’s most superior depth (even without Vandersloot) this season. Las Vegas has been the WNBA’s best offensive team, leading the way in points per game (90.4) and offensive rating (108.3). The Sky are right behind in scoring average (85.6), and they have the edge in defensive rating: fifth at 98.0 to the Aces’ sixth at 101.3.

• Individually, Las Vegas’ Kelsey Plum (20.1 PPG), Wilson (19.4) and Jackie Young (16.3) are all in the top 10 in the league in scoring. Seven Sky players are averaging between 14.8 and 9.0 points, led by Kahleah Copper. Chicago’s Candace Parker has two triple-doubles this season.

• No slight toward the other teams, but this seems to be the perfect showcase for the Commissioner’s Cup championship, and a definite taste of the postseason.