New York Liberty guard Asia Durr was robbed of a second straight season by COVID-19 and that’s heartbreaking

This is so heartbreaking.

Asia Durr is one of the brightest young stars in the WNBA with loads of potential. Heading into the 2020 season, everyone was excited about the possibility of her sharing a backcourt with Sabrina Ionescu.

Now, because of COVID-19, we’re just hoping that she’ll be able to play basketball again someday.

Durr will miss her second straight season in a row because of complications she’s suffering from COVID-19. The Liberty placed Durr on their suspension list for the full season on Wednesday and listed her personal decision as the reason why.

Durr has been battling the side-effects of COVID-19 since she was diagnosed last June. In January she made an appearance on HBO’s Real Sports and was open about how the virus was impacting her.

She has no idea if she’ll ever be able to play basketball again.

“I haven’t been able to [play]. It’s really challenging for me. I’ve talked to doctors and they’ve told me I’m not cleared yet. I’m not cleared to do anything physically which could cause flare ups, what they call it. And that’s what’s really hard for me. Because in life whenever something was hard, I would go and play. I can’t even do that now. I can’t even shoot a free throw.” 

That is just absolutely heartbreaking. Keep in mind that Durr is only 24 years old going through all of this. What a tragedy.

Situations like this one are exactly why taking this pandemic seriously is still so important. It’s why being vaccinated is so important. It’s why being both mindful and safe is so important.

It’d be great to see Durr get back on the court soon but, honestly, that’s secondary right now. Basketball will always be there. More importantly, she just needs to get healthy again so she can live a normal life.

Hopefully, she can reach that point again soon.

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New York Liberty vs. Seattle Storm odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s New York Liberty vs. Seattle Storm match up, with WNBA betting odds, picks and best bets.

The New York Liberty and Seattle Storm tip off the WNBA regular season Saturday at noon ET at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the league’s bubble site, or “Wubble” – which the players have been calling it. We analyze the Liberty-Storm WNBA betting odds and lines, with betting advice and tips around the matchup.

The Storm have picked up five consecutive victories in their head-to-head series vs. the Liberty. New York’s last win in the series was way back on July 6, 2017. In addition to going 5-0 straight up (SU) vs. the Liberty, the Storm are 4-1 against the spread (ATS) during the stretch. The Under has also cashed in five of the previous six meetings.

Liberty vs. Storm: By the Numbers

  • We’ll see the long-anticipated debut of Liberty rookie G Sabrina Ionescu, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. She was the first player in NCAA history to post at least 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career assists while at the University of Oregon.
  • The Storm will be without coach Dan Hughes, who is avoiding the bubble since a medical assessment diagnosed him a high risk if he contracted the coronavirus. He missed time last season due to cancer treatments. Assistant Gary Kloppenburg will step in and serve as the head coach.
  • The Storm (+400) are among the favorites to win the 2020 WNBA Championship, sharing the second-best odds with the Los Angeles Sparks and just behind the defending champion Washington Mystics (+250). The Liberty (+2500) are considered a long shot – only three teams have worse odds.

WNBA season is finally here! Get some action on the 2020 season with an WNBA bet at BetMGM in NJ, IN, CO and WV. Bet now!

Liberty vs. Storm: Key injuries

Liberty

  • G Rebecca Allen opted out of the bubble due to COVID-19 risks.
  • G Asia Durr opted out due to COVID-19 risks.
  • F Megan Walker (COVID-19 concerrns) out.

Liberty vs. Storm: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

WNBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Saturday at 10:35 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Storm 77, Liberty 73

Moneyline (ML)

The Liberty (+450) are an intriguing play as underdogs, but the Storm (-625) are still the gold standard in the Western Conference, and perhaps all of the WNBA.

PASS on the lack of value.

Against the spread (ATS)

The spread is -10.5 for Seattle (-110), and with their head coach leading the way, perhaps NEW YORK (+10.5, -110) is able to keep it fairly close.

Over/Under (O/U)

The UNDER 153.5 (-110) has been a regular happening when these two teams get together. The Liberty should have a nice infusion of offense with Ionescu, but take the Under until further notice.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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