WNBA: Sparks face Dream; Storm battle Aces; Fever take on Mercury

With the All-Star break ahead, three WNBA match ups are slated for Tuesday.

Los Angeles Sparks vs. Atlanta Dream Preview (tipoff 7 p.m. EST)

The Los Angeles Sparks are looking to avoid two losses in a row, but with only eight players due to injury and suspension, this could be a hard task. Candace Park (ankle), Alana Beard (hamstring), Alexis Jones (knee) and Maria Vadeeva (knee) are all out for the Sparks. Players like Nneka Ogwumike and Chelsea Gray have stepped up to try to help the Los Angeles team get victories. The Sparks dropped their last game to the New York Liberty, 83-78 on July 20. In terms of their matchup against the Dream, the Sparks came out on top the last time these teams met, 76-71 on July 14. 

The Atlanta Dream are looking for a break after losing four straight games. The Dream have also been hit with injury; their leading scorer, Tiffany Hayes, has been dealing with a hamstring injury. Recently the Atlanta squad lost to the Sky by one point. Elizabeth Williams has stepped up to the plate for the Dream in Hayes' absence. 

You can catch all the action on Twitter.  

Seattle Storm vs. Las Vegas Aces Preview (tipoff 10 p.m. EST)

With All-Star A'ja Wilson out due to an ankle sprain, the Aces are looking to boune back after suffering a loss to the Storm on July 19. The loss snapped the Aces five game winning streak but the team bounced back with a win over Minnesota on Sunday. Liz Cambage and Kayla McBride, who both average double figures per game, will be looked upon to score for the Aces. 

With controversy surrounding the Storm's star player Natasha Howard, the team hasn't let that get in their way. Howard, despite allegations of abuse, has scored a combined 54 points in the last two games. Jewell Loyd is also returning from an ankle injury which is a boost for the team to get their fifth straight win. Last time these two teams met the Storm shot just over 25 percent from the field but had 18 steals, hit nine 3-pointers and went 100 percent from the free throw line. 

You can catch the matchup on ESPN 2 and TSN.  

Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury Preview (tipoff 10 p.m. EST)

Phoenix has long been known for its scoring, and with good reason. Diana Taurasi is the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, and All-Stars Brittney Griner and DeWanna Bonner have long been among the league's best frontcourt scorers. But with Taurasi limited to just one game this season following offseason back surgery and a lack of a consistent third scorer to help Griner and Bonner, the Mercury have compensated on the defensive end. They are second in the league in scoring defense at 73 points allowed per game. The Mercury are looking to win their third straight game against a struggling Indiana Fever team. 

The Indiana Fever are going through a five game losing streak following a loss on Sunday to the Chicago Sky. Erica Wheeler had 13 points and nine assists while rookie Teaira McCown contributed 11 points and a season-high 16 rebounds, but Indiana squandered a 13-point first-half lead while getting outscored 51-34 in the final two quarters. As has been the case most of the season, it has been pockets of poor play that has plagued Pokey Chatman's team. On Sunday, it was a three minute span of the third quarter in which Indiana's 10-point lead was gone due to a 15-4 spurt by the Sky. The last time these two teams met the Mercury beat the Fever, 91-69.