Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty and Ariel Atkins of the Washington Mystics. Photo Credits: Imagn

New York Liberty vs Washington Mystics predicted starting lineups and depth chart for Sept. 17 | 2024 WNBA season

Modified Sep 17, 2024 13:00 GMT

The New York Liberty will take on the Washington Mystics on Tuesday at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C.

This matchup pits two teams on opposite ends of the standings. The Liberty have a league-best 31-7 record and have already qualified for the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Mystics sit in eighth position with a 13-25 record and are in a battle with the Chicago Sky for the final WNBA playoff spot.

New York will be looking to bounce back after a loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. The team has an impressive 15-4 record away from home and has won six of their last eight games.

Washington comes into the game desperate for a win. They currently have an identical record to the Sky and will be looking to win one of their remaining two games to secure a playoff berth.

New York Liberty vs Washington Mystics: Predicted starting lineups and depth chart

New York Liberty Sabrina Ionescu, Kayla Thornton, Courtney Vandersloot, Nyara Sabally and Breanna Stewart at Crypto.com Arena. Photo Credit: Imagn

The Liberty are one of the hottest teams in the WNBA, and a big part of that success is due to their exceptional starting five. Coach Sandy Brondello has remained consistent with her lineup over the last three games and will likely stick with the same five of Sabrina Ionesco, Courtney Vandersloot, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones.

New York Liberty depth chart:

G	Sabrina Ionescu	Ivana Dojkic	Jaylyn Sherrod
G	Courtney Vandersloot	Kennedy Burke	Marquesha Davis
F	Betnijah Laney-Hamilton	Kayla Thornton
F	Breanna Stewart	Leonie Fiebich
C	Jonquel Jones	Nyara Sabally

The Mystics will need to be at their best to upset the Liberty at home on Tuesday. Coach Eric Thibault has rotated his lineup over the season but has remained with his regular starting five over the last two games. Expect to see Julie Vanloo, Ariel Atkins, Brittney Sykes, Aaliyah Edwards and Stefanie Dolson take the court.

Washington Mystics depth chart:

G	Julie Vanloo	Shatori Walker-Kimbrough	Sug Sutton
G	Ariel Atkins	Karlie Samuelson	Jade Melbourne
F	Brittney Sykes	Emily Engstler
F	Aaliyah Edwards	Sika Kone
C	Stefanie Dolson	Shakira Austin

New York Liberty vs Washington Mystics: Players to watch

Washington Mystics guard Ariel Atkins dribbles the ball against LA Sparks guard Zia Cooke at Crypto.com Arena. Photo Credit: Imagn

Breanna Stewart will be a key figure as the New York Liberty look to return to the WNBA finals this season. The two-time league MVP leads the roster in points (20.7), steals (1.7) and blocks (1.3). She also ranks second in the lineup in rebounds with 8.6 per game.

The Washington Mystics have looked to Ariel Atkins to provide the offense throughout the season. The 28-year-old shooting guard is averaging a team-best 14.7 points per game. Her role will be vital for a Mystics team that is averaging just 79.2 points per game.