A three-game Thursday closes with the marquee matchup of the week, a seven-game Washington winning streak on the line against a Las Vegas team that has dropped two straight. Dream at Sun tips at 7:00, followed by Sparks at Liberty at 8:00 and Mystics at Aces at 10:00.

Atlanta Dream @ Connecticut Sun | 7:00 PM ET | WNBA League Pass

Atlanta improved to 20-12 with a 107-95 win over Toronto on Monday, shooting 51 percent overall and 44 percent from three. But the Dream's defense has been genuinely shaky over their last five games, allowing 49.4 percent shooting. Connecticut, dead last at 8-23, has actually held opponents to 45.5 percent at home in that same stretch, a real defensive identity buried under a brutal overall record.

DraftKings has Atlanta -9.5, with the total at 175.5. Connecticut's home defense and Atlanta's recent defensive slippage make the underdog worth real consideration. Lean Connecticut +9.5.

Connecticut wins if their home defense continues holding opponents under 46 percent shooting, and Atlanta's recent defensive lapses show up again on the road.

Atlanta wins if the Dream's offensive efficiency from Monday's win carries over, and their talent gap simply proves too much for a last-place Connecticut team.

Los Angeles Sparks @ New York Liberty | 8:00 PM ET | WNBA League Pass

Los Angeles fell to 12-20 after a 94-87 home loss to Phoenix on Tuesday, and the Sparks are missing Monique Akoa Makani and Alissa Pili. New York, eighth at 20-14 and holding the final playoff spot, is dealing with its own absences, Leonie Fiebich, Anneli Maley, and Satou Sabally all out. The Liberty's underlying numbers remain strong, a plus-3.1 net rating against the Sparks' minus-5.6, but New York has simply failed to cover far more often than a team defending a playoff spot should.

DraftKings has New York -7.5 to -8.5, with the total at 186.5 to 188.5. Given New York's well-documented struggles against the number, even with the talent gap intact, the points are worth taking. Lean Los Angeles +8.5.

Los Angeles wins if their recent shooting efficiency, 48 percent over their last five games, continues against a compromised Liberty defense missing three rotation pieces.

New York wins if Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones's interior presence overcomes the absences, and the Liberty finally cover a number for the first time in a while.

Washington Mystics @ Las Vegas Aces | 10:00 PM ET | Prime Video

This is the game of the night. Washington has won seven straight, the longest active streak in the league not named Minnesota, while Las Vegas has dropped two in a row. Washington already beat Las Vegas once this season, a late comeback win just before the All-Star break, and now gets a second crack with a full head of steam behind them. Las Vegas is missing Kierstan Bell, Dana Evans, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, and J. Pissott, a genuinely thin injury report for a team trying to snap a skid.

Just one game in the loss column separates these two teams in the standings, and Washington has already proven it can win this specific matchup under pressure. Vegas at home, even shorthanded, remains dangerous with A'ja Wilson healthy, but a seven-game winning streak against a two-game skid is a real form gap worth respecting.

DraftKings has Las Vegas -7.5, with the total at 169.5. Washington's streak, the season-series win, and Las Vegas's injury report all point toward the underdog. Lean Washington +7.5.

Las Vegas wins if Wilson snaps the Aces back to form at home and their two-game skid proves to be a temporary blip rather than a real slide.

Washington wins if Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen extend the form that has powered seven straight wins, and Las Vegas's thin injury report catches up with them again.

Washington's seven-game winning streak against a Las Vegas team on a two-game skid is the story of the night, and the Mystics already own a head-to-head win this season to back it up. New York's inability to cover despite strong underlying numbers makes their game against Los Angeles the sharpest value play on the board. And Connecticut's real home defense, buried under a last-place record, is worth watching against an Atlanta team that has been shakier defensively than its record suggests.