WNBA Preview | July 19, 2026
Sunday brings a three-game slate headlined by CBS's national broadcast, as Angel Reese returns to face his former team when Chicago visits Atlanta. Los Angeles opens the day in Dallas, and Connecticut closes the night in Phoenix. Here's what to watch.
Sparks Visit Dallas as Significant Underdogs
Los Angeles Sparks @ Dallas Wings | 1:00 PM ET | WNBA League Pass
Dallas is 16-8 and 7-3 in the last ten, the West's fourth seed, and the Wings are massive -10.5 favorites at -470 against a Los Angeles team that is 10-14 and 3-7 in the last ten, the West's 10th seed. The total at 181.5 reflects what Dallas's three-guard attack of Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Azzi Fudd can generate against a Sparks defense that has struggled for stretches this season.
Dallas continues to be one of the best stories of the second half of the season, and the combination of Bueckers, Ogunbowale, and Fudd generating simultaneously has made the Wings one of the most watchable and dangerous rosters in the league. American Airlines Center has been a difficult environment for visiting teams, and Dallas's 7-3 last-ten form suggests a roster playing with real confidence as they push for playoff positioning in the West.
Kelsey Plum remains Los Angeles's most reliable scoring option, but the Sparks enter Sunday on a two-game slide and facing one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. A 10.5-point spread is one of the largest of the week, and Los Angeles's recent form makes covering a significant challenge on the road against a Dallas team playing its best basketball of the season.
Los Angeles wins if Plum has one of her best individual scoring performances of the season, Los Angeles's perimeter defenders limit Dallas's three-guard attack from all generating simultaneously, and the Sparks snap their two-game skid against a significantly favored opponent.
Dallas wins if Bueckers, Ogunbowale, and Fudd all generate offense at once and force Los Angeles into defensive rotations it cannot sustain, the Wings' perimeter shooting keeps the pace in their favor, and Dallas continues building the kind of momentum that has defined their recent stretch.
Prediction: Dallas -10.5. The talent gap is significant and Los Angeles is playing through a difficult recent stretch. Computer models project Dallas at approximately 83% win probability, consistent with the -470 moneyline. The over at 181.5 is the live market call if Dallas's three-guard attack is clicking early. Wings win and cover.
Reese Returns to Chicago on CBS
Chicago Sky @ Atlanta Dream | 4:00 PM ET | CBS
Atlanta is 15-10 and 4-6 in the last ten, the East's fifth seed, and the Dream are massive -10.5 favorites at -550 against a Chicago team that is 9-16 and 5-5 in the last ten, the East's 12th seed. This is the second of three nationally televised meetings between these two teams this season, and it carries obvious storyline weight as Angel Reese faces her former team for the second time since being traded from Chicago to Atlanta. The total at 179.5 reflects what both offenses can generate on a national stage.
Reese's return to Chicago carries real emotional stakes regardless of the final score, and her interior dominance alongside Rhyne Howard's perimeter efficiency has been Atlanta's most reliable two-player combination all season. The Dream have the talent advantage at multiple positions, and a national platform against the team that traded her represents exactly the kind of moment Reese has looked for since the deal.
Chicago's 5-5 last-ten form has been more competitive than their overall record suggests, and Skylar Diggins's role continues to be the swing factor in how dangerous the Sky can be on any given night. If Diggins is playing with the confidence and role clarity that produced her better performances earlier this month, Chicago has shown it can hang with quality opponents, even if a 10.5-point spread against Atlanta's talent level is a significant number to overcome.
Chicago wins if Diggins has one of her better scoring nights and Chicago's role players build on their recent 5-5 form, the Sky's perimeter shooters have an efficient national broadcast, and Atlanta shows any signs of a letdown in a game with obvious emotional weight for Reese.
Atlanta wins if Reese channels the emotional stakes of facing her former team into a dominant interior performance, Howard's perimeter scoring complements Reese's interior presence, and the Dream treat Sunday as the professional home win a team with their talent level should deliver on national television.
Prediction: Atlanta -10.5. The talent gap is real and Reese's return to Chicago adds a motivational element that should work in Atlanta's favor. Computer models project Atlanta at approximately 85% win probability, close to the -550 moneyline. The over at 179.5 is the live market call if both offenses get rolling on the national stage. Dream win and cover.
Sun Visit Phoenix as Road Underdogs
Connecticut Sun @ Phoenix Mercury | 7:00 PM ET | WNBA League Pass
Phoenix is 8-18 and 4-6 in the last ten, the West's 13th seed, and the Mercury are -4.5 favorites at -192 against a Connecticut team that is 7-18 and 5-5 in the last ten, the East's 14th seed. The total at 165.5 is the lowest on Sunday's card, reflecting two rosters near the bottom of their respective conference standings.
Kahleah Copper remains Phoenix's most reliable scoring option, and her individual efficiency at home has made Footprint Center a genuinely difficult environment for visiting teams with limited offensive firepower. Connecticut's offense leans on a young, rebuilding roster that has lacked a consistent go-to scorer for stretches this season, and finding answers against Phoenix's improved defense will be central to whether the Sun can keep this respectable.
Connecticut's 5-5 last-ten form reflects a roster that has quietly found more consistency in recent weeks than its overall record suggests, and if the Sun's supporting cast is efficient, Connecticut has shown it can hang with quality opponents on the road. But Phoenix's improved home form makes this a difficult ask for a Connecticut team still working with one of the league's thinnest rosters.
Connecticut wins if the Sun's role players continue overperforming their season averages, Connecticut's defense forces the kind of turnovers that have troubled Phoenix at points this season, and Phoenix shows any signs of a letdown at home.
Phoenix wins if Copper has one of her more efficient scoring nights of the season, Phoenix's home crowd provides the energy that has made Footprint Center difficult for visiting teams, and the Mercury's interior defense limits Connecticut's second-chance opportunities.
Prediction: Phoenix -4.5. The Mercury have the better home form, though Connecticut's recent 5-5 stretch makes them more live than their overall record suggests. Computer models project Phoenix at approximately 66% win probability, close to the -192 moneyline. The under at 165.5 is the more defensible market call. Mercury win and cover.
What to Watch For Today & Tonight.
Angel Reese's return to face Chicago on CBS is Sunday's defining storyline, the second of three nationally televised meetings between her old and new teams this season. Dallas's continued surge behind Bueckers, Ogunbowale, and Fudd makes their home matchup against a struggling Los Angeles team one of the more lopsided results projected on the board. Skylar Diggins's role continues to be the swing factor in how competitive Chicago can be against Atlanta's talent advantage. Connecticut's trip to Phoenix rounds out the day for two rosters still searching for consistency in the second half.
