fivethirthyeight--2020-07-23--Republicans And Democrats See COVID-19 Very Differently. Is That Making People Sick?

Americans have changed their behavior in ways that would have been unthinkable even a few months ago .
Masks are an essential accessory .
Social distancing is the norm .
And even as states moved to reopen their economies in May and June , many Americans continued to think it was better for people to stay home .
But underneath that apparent consensus is a large — and growing — partisan divide .
Even as cases and hospitalizations spike in red states that mostly escaped the early effects of the virus , Republicans and Democrats remain stubbornly split on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was only in July that President Trump wore a mask in public for the first time .
And perhaps thanks to Trump ’ s repeated downplaying of the threat that COVID-19 poses , Republicans are much less concerned than Democrats are about the virus .
On the one hand , according to surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center , Republicans have consistently been less likely than Democrats to say that they fear being hospitalized because of COVID-19 or that they might unknowingly spread the virus to others .
But on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widened significantly between April and June .
It ’ s hard to find a more extreme test of our tribal political attachments than the current pandemic , where Trump continues to downplay the risks of the virus in the face of near-universal opposition from medical experts .
It also raises a thorny issue : In the midst of a pandemic , partisanship appears to be shaping people ’ s perceptions of their risk and personal behaviors — to the point that our divided politics actually affects our health .
For Americans , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay home , wear a mask or to see friends and family without social distancing are filtered through a partisan lens .
In other words , do our politics risk making us sick ?
It ’ s pretty clear that at this point , Republicans ’ and Democrats ’ experiences of the pandemic have been steadily diverging for months .
It ’ s much harder to say , though , what that means for transmission of the virus .
Some surveys offer a glimmer of hope , suggesting that the partisan gaps in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they wear a mask , for example — are much narrower than the divides on questions about what they think the government should do in response to the virus or whether the worst is behind us .
It ’ s possible , too , that some of the partisan divides we ’ re seeing now could start to narrow as outbreaks spiral out of control in states like Arizona , Florida and Texas .
These trends are cause for alarm among the small army of social scientists who have tried to figure out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the beginning of the pandemic — from the conflicting signals they ’ ve received from Trump and other political leaders , to changing guidelines from public health experts .
“ Some Republicans are much less freaked out by the virus than they were a few months ago , ” said Marc Hetherington , a political scientist at the University of North Carolina who is tracking Americans ’ perspectives of the coronavirus through a panel survey .
“ But things are changing so quickly — these new outbreaks could scare them and maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t mean the politicization of the virus isn ’ t having an impact , though .
Take the political fighting around whether people should be required to wear masks or the timeline around when businesses should reopen .
The virus is spiking in Georgia , with thousands of new cases each day , but the state ’ s Republican governor is suing the Democratic mayor of Atlanta over the city ’ s decision to revert to its most restrictive opening phase and mandate the wearing of masks .
“ The national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic has been so colored by the partisan divide that it ’ s becoming impossible to talk rationally about the risks we are and are not willing to tolerate , ” said Dr. Sandro Galea , an epidemiologist and the dean of the Boston University School of Public Health who studies the politics of public health .
“ If both sides were pushed out of their corners , they would both have to concede quite a bit , and we ’ d frankly all be safer.
” Understanding how Americans are responding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task ; there are essentially two methods at researchers ’ disposal .
The first is to use a survey .
The second is to look at mobility trends , such as geolocation or credit card data , to see if people are actually behaving the way they say they are .
And over the past few months , political scientists and economists have leaned on both methods to figure out how Americans are thinking about the COVID-19 pandemic and how that relates to their behavior .
With the exception of a few studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when fear of the pandemic ground the economy to a complete halt , all of this research has uncovered an accelerating partisan divide , too .
For example , as early as March , a group of researchers found that Democrats in a large panel survey exhibited more worries than Republicans about the pandemic and were also likelier to embrace health behaviors like more frequent hand-washing or avoiding mass gatherings .
The first round of Hetherington ’ s survey suggests a partisan divide in Americans ’ support for some public health interventions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with these surveys , of course , is that there ’ s no way to figure out , for example , whether someone who says they ’ re quarantining is actually doing so .
So a number of other studies have tried to figure out what people were actually doing by using geolocation data to follow people ’ s movements .
This research has found basically the same thing as the surveys : People in Republican-leaning counties , or counties that voted for Trump in 2016 , didn ’ t reduce their activity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Another study that looked at individual-level smartphone data found a similar pattern .
And one team of researchers examined both survey data and geolocation data and determined that the trend held up for both — people in more Republican areas were less likely to feel at risk because of COVID-19 , and they were also less likely to stay at home .
But this mobility data has its own limitations , according to Rebecca Katz , a professor at Georgetown University Medical Center .
It can only tell you whether people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going or whether they ’ re taking precautions .
“ We ’ re all using this data because it ’ s the data we have , but it ’ s imperfect , ” she said .
“ Sometimes , I pack my kids in a car and we just drive for a little while so we can get out of the house — by my cell phone , we ’ re moving .
But that doesn ’ t tell someone looking at that data if we are interacting with other people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks.
” Geography is another confounding factor ; people in rural areas are more likely to drive places , even if they ’ re otherwise following public health guidelines , and less densely populated parts of the country were also less hard hit by the virus in the beginning .
The problem is that Republicans are more likely to live in those parts of the country — and the effects of political segregation and the virus ’ s trajectory are very difficult to untangle , especially for studies that were conducted a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partisan split was hard to deny , though , so early on , a couple of research teams tried to figure out why Republicans and Democrats were responding to the pandemic differently .
Two usual culprits — politicians and the media — emerged as possible factors in the divide .
One study conducted from late February through the end of March found that the partisan divide on risk perception and health behavior only narrowed after the White House issued federal social distancing guidelines , suggesting that Trump ’ s role as a national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several other studies dug into the impact of cable TV , with one survey finding that an MSNBC viewer ’ s response to the pandemic was quite different than that of a Fox News watcher .
Another study focused only on the impact of Fox News and concluded that an increase in viewership did appear to result in less social distancing .
The evidence for the effects of politicians and differing media sources is less robust because there aren ’ t as many studies , but it does suggest that even when there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how both talk about the virus and the public health response may affect the way people behave .
Shana Gadarian , a professor of political science at Syracuse University who is helping to conduct one of the panel surveys , said she was surprised to see such enormous divides emerge as the pandemic wore on .
According to other research she ’ s conducted , moments of extreme anxiety and uncertainty can actually make people more open to new sources of information — including public health experts and leaders from the opposing party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , she and her team expected that Americans would coalesce around public health experts ’ recommendations , or that other demographic factors — like age — would turn into key dividing lines .
Scientists and doctors do still enjoy a high level of trust from most Americans , as Maggie Koerth wrote for FiveThirtyEight in May .
But that doesn ’ t mean they are entirely immune to the winds of partisanship — for example , Democrats are likelier than Republicans to trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Crucially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t emerged everywhere .
According to the latest wave of the Democracy Fund ’ s Voter Study Group , conducted between July 2 to 8 , the vast majority ( 88 percent ) of Republicans said they wore a mask when going out in public , even though Republicans in greater numbers have said in other surveys that the government shouldn ’ t require people to wear masks .
And according to Robert Griffin , research director of the Voter Study Group , that ’ s significantly higher than in any wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 .
There was more of a partisan gap in responses to other questions about coronavirus-related behavior , although it was still fairly modest .
So are these partisan splits actually driving the spread of the virus ?
As it turns out , it ’ s hard to prove that Republicans ’ resistance to mask mandates or social distancing is actually worsening the pandemic .
One reason is that political scientists and economists don ’ t feel equipped to take on the epidemiological modeling that would be necessary to measure what , say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means for the spread of the disease .
Yael Hochberg , an economist at Rice University , said that the lack of uniformity in testing data made her reluctant to wade into the public health data .
“ There are places where testing still isn ’ t widely available , ” Hochberg said .
“ And if testing isn ’ t uniform , it ’ s hard to compare what you ’ re seeing in one county versus another.
” One study tried to pin down the effect of differing levels of compliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats using individual geolocation data .
It concluded that a Trump voter who contracts COVID-19 infects 16 percent more people than a comparable Clinton voter .
That ’ s a striking finding — but it ’ s also only one study , and several infectious disease experts who reviewed the paper at my request were a little skeptical of its conclusions .
Samuel Scarpino , a professor at Northeastern University who studies infectious diseases , said that it can be very difficult , even in a sophisticated model , to separate all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play , like geography .
And Katz said that without information about whether people are wearing masks or engaging in social distancing , it ’ s hard to draw very solid conclusions about transmission from mobility data .
Scarpino was quick to add , though , that polarization can still be a serious problem , even if it ’ s hard to quantify its precise impact .
“ If politicians ’ messaging is making people feel like they ’ re safe from COVID , those are people who are unnecessarily being put at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s also concerned that public health experts ’ credibility will erode as certain health behaviors , like mask-wearing or social distancing , become associated with one party or another .
“ We ’ re kind of building the airplane as we fly it and we need to be able to change course when we get new evidence , ” he said .
“ But it becomes harder to have those conversations and get buy-in from the public as the whole process becomes more politicized.
” There ’ s danger in exaggerating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Galea told me that he ’ s been struck by the fact that so many Americans — including nearly all Republicans — report they are going along with health experts ’ recommendations , like wearing masks , at least to some degree .
And it would be a mistake , Galea said , to gloss over this unusual level of partisan unity , because it ’ s a sign that health behaviors aren ’ t as divisive as they could be , given the strength of partisan loyalties .
“ Nobody should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political extremes are embracing polarizing positions on health behavior that should not be polarized , ” Galea said .
“ But I think the evidence we have indicates that most people have tried to be responsible and adopt the recommended behaviors , even at a time of immense polarization and confusion and discomfort.
” That said , he still thinks some politicians — and in particular , Trump — need to do more to get on the same page as public health experts .
“ It ’ s not that politics is making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because we see that many ordinary people are getting on board regardless of what political leadership is saying , ” he said .
“ But that doesn ’ t mean we should give politicians a pass for turning these serious , serious health conversations into a political football , because that is very much to our detriment .
”

Americans have changed their behavior in ways that would have been unthinkable even a few months ago. Masks are an essential accessory. Social distancing is the norm. And even as states moved to reopen their economies in May and June, many Americans continued to think it was better for people to stay home.
But underneath that apparent consensus is a large — and growing — partisan divide. Even as cases and hospitalizations spike in red states that mostly escaped the early effects of the virus, Republicans and Democrats remain stubbornly split on the threat it poses. For instance, it was only in July that President Trump wore a mask in public for the first time. And perhaps thanks to Trump’s repeated downplaying of the threat that COVID-19 poses, Republicans are much less concerned than Democrats are about the virus.
On the one hand, according to surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center, Republicans have consistently been less likely than Democrats to say that they fear being hospitalized because of COVID-19 or that they might unknowingly spread the virus to others. But on the other hand, that partisan gap has widened significantly between April and June.
It’s hard to find a more extreme test of our tribal political attachments than the current pandemic, where Trump continues to downplay the risks of the virus in the face of near-universal opposition from medical experts. It also raises a thorny issue: In the midst of a pandemic, partisanship appears to be shaping people’s perceptions of their risk and personal behaviors — to the point that our divided politics actually affects our health. For Americans, that might mean that questions of whether to stay home, wear a mask or to see friends and family without social distancing are filtered through a partisan lens.
In other words, do our politics risk making us sick?
It’s pretty clear that at this point, Republicans’ and Democrats’ experiences of the pandemic have been steadily diverging for months. It’s much harder to say, though, what that means for transmission of the virus. Some surveys offer a glimmer of hope, suggesting that the partisan gaps in how people are actually behaving — whether they wear a mask, for example — are much narrower than the divides on questions about what they think the government should do in response to the virus or whether the worst is behind us. It’s possible, too, that some of the partisan divides we’re seeing now could start to narrow as outbreaks spiral out of control in states like Arizona, Florida and Texas.
These trends are cause for alarm among the small army of social scientists who have tried to figure out how Americans are responding to the virus since the beginning of the pandemic — from the conflicting signals they’ve received from Trump and other political leaders, to changing guidelines from public health experts.
“Some Republicans are much less freaked out by the virus than they were a few months ago,” said Marc Hetherington, a political scientist at the University of North Carolina who is tracking Americans’ perspectives of the coronavirus through a panel survey. “But things are changing so quickly — these new outbreaks could scare them and maybe some of that polarization disappears.”
That doesn’t mean the politicization of the virus isn’t having an impact, though. Take the political fighting around whether people should be required to wear masks or the timeline around when businesses should reopen. The virus is spiking in Georgia, with thousands of new cases each day, but the state’s Republican governor is suing the Democratic mayor of Atlanta over the city’s decision to revert to its most restrictive opening phase and mandate the wearing of masks. “The national conversation about how we behave during this pandemic has been so colored by the partisan divide that it’s becoming impossible to talk rationally about the risks we are and are not willing to tolerate,” said Dr. Sandro Galea, an epidemiologist and the dean of the Boston University School of Public Health who studies the politics of public health. “If both sides were pushed out of their corners, they would both have to concede quite a bit, and we’d frankly all be safer.”
Understanding how Americans are responding to the pandemic isn’t an easy task; there are essentially two methods at researchers’ disposal. The first is to use a survey. The second is to look at mobility trends, such as geolocation or credit card data, to see if people are actually behaving the way they say they are. And over the past few months, political scientists and economists have leaned on both methods to figure out how Americans are thinking about the COVID-19 pandemic and how that relates to their behavior. With the exception of a few studies conducted in late March and early April, when fear of the pandemic ground the economy to a complete halt, all of this research has uncovered an accelerating partisan divide, too.
For example, as early as March, a group of researchers found that Democrats in a large panel survey exhibited more worries than Republicans about the pandemic and were also likelier to embrace health behaviors like more frequent hand-washing or avoiding mass gatherings. The first round of Hetherington’s survey suggests a partisan divide in Americans’ support for some public health interventions, like widespread testing.
The problem with these surveys, of course, is that there’s no way to figure out, for example, whether someone who says they’re quarantining is actually doing so. So a number of other studies have tried to figure out what people were actually doing by using geolocation data to follow people’s movements. This research has found basically the same thing as the surveys: People in Republican-leaning counties, or counties that voted for Trump in 2016, didn’t reduce their activity as much as people in Democratic counties.
Another study that looked at individual-level smartphone data found a similar pattern. And one team of researchers examined both survey data and geolocation data and determined that the trend held up for both — people in more Republican areas were less likely to feel at risk because of COVID-19, and they were also less likely to stay at home.
But this mobility data has its own limitations, according to Rebecca Katz, a professor at Georgetown University Medical Center. It can only tell you whether people are leaving their homes, not where they’re going or whether they’re taking precautions. “We’re all using this data because it’s the data we have, but it’s imperfect,” she said. “Sometimes, I pack my kids in a car and we just drive for a little while so we can get out of the house — by my cell phone, we’re moving. But that doesn’t tell someone looking at that data if we are interacting with other people, or if we’re wearing masks.”
Geography is another confounding factor; people in rural areas are more likely to drive places, even if they’re otherwise following public health guidelines, and less densely populated parts of the country were also less hard hit by the virus in the beginning. The problem is that Republicans are more likely to live in those parts of the country — and the effects of political segregation and the virus’s trajectory are very difficult to untangle, especially for studies that were conducted a month or two into the pandemic.
The partisan split was hard to deny, though, so early on, a couple of research teams tried to figure out why Republicans and Democrats were responding to the pandemic differently. Two usual culprits — politicians and the media — emerged as possible factors in the divide.
One study conducted from late February through the end of March found that the partisan divide on risk perception and health behavior only narrowed after the White House issued federal social distancing guidelines, suggesting that Trump’s role as a national Republican leader could be quite significant. Several other studies dug into the impact of cable TV, with one survey finding that an MSNBC viewer’s response to the pandemic was quite different than that of a Fox News watcher. Another study focused only on the impact of Fox News and concluded that an increase in viewership did appear to result in less social distancing. The evidence for the effects of politicians and differing media sources is less robust because there aren’t as many studies, but it does suggest that even when there are serious health risks at stake, how both talk about the virus and the public health response may affect the way people behave.
Shana Gadarian, a professor of political science at Syracuse University who is helping to conduct one of the panel surveys, said she was surprised to see such enormous divides emerge as the pandemic wore on. According to other research she’s conducted, moments of extreme anxiety and uncertainty can actually make people more open to new sources of information — including public health experts and leaders from the opposing party. So at the beginning of the pandemic, she and her team expected that Americans would coalesce around public health experts’ recommendations, or that other demographic factors — like age — would turn into key dividing lines.
Scientists and doctors do still enjoy a high level of trust from most Americans, as Maggie Koerth wrote for FiveThirtyEight in May. But that doesn’t mean they are entirely immune to the winds of partisanship — for example, Democrats are likelier than Republicans to trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Crucially, though, big divides haven’t emerged everywhere. According to the latest wave of the Democracy Fund’s Voter Study Group, conducted between July 2 to 8, the vast majority (88 percent) of Republicans said they wore a mask when going out in public, even though Republicans in greater numbers have said in other surveys that the government shouldn’t require people to wear masks. And according to Robert Griffin, research director of the Voter Study Group, that’s significantly higher than in any wave of the weekly data going back to May 28. There was more of a partisan gap in responses to other questions about coronavirus-related behavior, although it was still fairly modest.
So are these partisan splits actually driving the spread of the virus?
As it turns out, it’s hard to prove that Republicans’ resistance to mask mandates or social distancing is actually worsening the pandemic. One reason is that political scientists and economists don’t feel equipped to take on the epidemiological modeling that would be necessary to measure what, say, a partisan divide on hand-washing actually means for the spread of the disease. Yael Hochberg, an economist at Rice University, said that the lack of uniformity in testing data made her reluctant to wade into the public health data. “There are places where testing still isn’t widely available,” Hochberg said. “And if testing isn’t uniform, it’s hard to compare what you’re seeing in one county versus another.”
One study tried to pin down the effect of differing levels of compliance with social distancing policies among Republicans and Democrats using individual geolocation data. It concluded that a Trump voter who contracts COVID-19 infects 16 percent more people than a comparable Clinton voter. That’s a striking finding — but it’s also only one study, and several infectious disease experts who reviewed the paper at my request were a little skeptical of its conclusions.
Samuel Scarpino, a professor at Northeastern University who studies infectious diseases, said that it can be very difficult, even in a sophisticated model, to separate all of the confounding factors that could be at play, like geography. And Katz said that without information about whether people are wearing masks or engaging in social distancing, it’s hard to draw very solid conclusions about transmission from mobility data.
Scarpino was quick to add, though, that polarization can still be a serious problem, even if it’s hard to quantify its precise impact. “If politicians’ messaging is making people feel like they’re safe from COVID, those are people who are unnecessarily being put at risk,” he said. He’s also concerned that public health experts’ credibility will erode as certain health behaviors, like mask-wearing or social distancing, become associated with one party or another. “We’re kind of building the airplane as we fly it and we need to be able to change course when we get new evidence,” he said. “But it becomes harder to have those conversations and get buy-in from the public as the whole process becomes more politicized.”
There’s danger in exaggerating the extent of the partisan divide, though. Galea told me that he’s been struck by the fact that so many Americans — including nearly all Republicans — report they are going along with health experts’ recommendations, like wearing masks, at least to some degree. And it would be a mistake, Galea said, to gloss over this unusual level of partisan unity, because it’s a sign that health behaviors aren’t as divisive as they could be, given the strength of partisan loyalties.
“Nobody should ignore the fact that people on the political extremes are embracing polarizing positions on health behavior that should not be polarized,” Galea said. “But I think the evidence we have indicates that most people have tried to be responsible and adopt the recommended behaviors, even at a time of immense polarization and confusion and discomfort.”
That said, he still thinks some politicians — and in particular, Trump — need to do more to get on the same page as public health experts. “It’s not that politics is making it impossible to implement these health behaviors, because we see that many ordinary people are getting on board regardless of what political leadership is saying,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean we should give politicians a pass for turning these serious, serious health conversations into a political football, because that is very much to our detriment.”


fivethirthyeight--2020-07-23--How A 60-Year-Old Drug Became Our Best Hope For Saving People With COVID-19

Dexamethasone , a steroid that appears promising for COVID-19 patients , has a long and storied history in medicine .
@ @ @ @ @ its many uses , and explore how it might save lives in this pandemic .

The Long And Bizarre History Of Dexamethasone, The Steroid President Trump Has Received As Part Of His Coronavirus Treatment
UPDATE (Oct. 4, 2020, 5:30 p.m.): President Trump’s medical team disclosed that the president had been given dexamethasone on Saturday as part of his coronavirus treatment. The steroid reportedly lowers the death rate in severely ill COVID-19 patients, but the drug could also be harmful in patients with mild cases and weaken their immune response. At this time, Trump’s doctors have not indicated that he is experiencing severe symptoms.
Dexamethasone, a steroid that appears promising for COVID-19 patients, has a long and storied history in medicine. We talk with experts about its many uses, and explore how it might save lives in this pandemic.


fivethirthyeight--2020-07-23--Will The Mystics Repeat? Will The Storm Surge? What To Watch In The WNBA Bubble.

Washington Mystics forward Emma Meesseman says she sees life “ as a big adventure.
” That ’ s part of why the Belgian native decided to play in the 2020 WNBA season in Bradenton , Florida .
“ I just want to do as much different stuff as possible in my career , and this is one of them.
” This adventure for Meesseman and the rest of the league will tip off on Saturday .
The Seattle Storm and New York Liberty take the court at noon ET , a game that features a tantalizing point guard matchup between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the debut of No .
1 draft pick Sabrina Ionescu of the Liberty .
That game will be followed by the Los Angeles Sparks versus the Phoenix Mercury , a West Coast rivalry that features many of the game ’ s biggest names , and the Indiana Fever versus the defending champion Mystics , which will pit new Fever head coach Marianne Stanley against her former team .
The six other teams will tip off on Sunday , launching a regular season that will run through Sept. 12 .
Each team will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 22 games .
While several big-name players — including the Connecticut Sun ’ s Jonquel Jones and the Mystics ’ Tina Charles — have opted out of the WNBA bubble , or “ Wubble , ” there is still plenty of star power to be found .
Here ’ s what each team will look like in this unprecedented season , based on the rosters they brought to Florida and what we ’ ve heard about how training camp is going .
Teams are listed in reverse order of finish last season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only , and players who are new to their teams are denoted with an asterisk .
The Dream finished in last place in 2019 , just one year after being the No .
2 seed in the playoffs .
They were tough to watch on offense , finishing last in the league in points per game ( 71.2 ) , field-goal percentage ( 37.1 percent ) , 3-point shooting percentage ( 29.0 percent ) and offensive rating ( 89.8 ) .
So they shook up the roster in the offseason , acquiring Kalani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson and Shekinna Stricklen in free agency .
Coupled with the selection of Carter , the NCAA ’ s sixth-leading scorer for two straight seasons , with the No .
4 pick in the draft , these moves may have been enough to get Atlanta back into the playoffs .
However , when guards Renee Montgomery and Tiffany Hayes decided to sit out , that left Atlanta without five of its top six in points and all of its top six in assists from last season .
Only two players — Williams and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the frontcourt looks solid , there are serious questions about Atlanta ’ s backcourt .
Carter will likely have a lot of opportunities to make plays and could contend for Rookie of the Year honors , but the Dream likely need more around her to be a playoff team .
When you look at the Wings ’ roster , their youth leaps off the page .
The oldest player , Thornton , was born in October 1992 , and just five players have more than one year of WNBA experience .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rookie of the Year runner-up Ogunbowale , Allisha Gray and Isabelle Harrison , who combined for 63 percent of the team ’ s points and over half of the team ’ s assists and steals last season .
Adding point guards Moriah Jefferson and Tyasha Harris will allow Ogunbowale to play her natural shooting guard position , and Sabally , the No .
2 overall pick in the draft , is an instant impact player at small forward who will give Ogunbowale more space to operate .
The unprecedented schedule , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single neutral site , could also be uniquely beneficial to the Wings .
Last season , Dallas was just 2-15 on the road compared with 8-9 at home , and the team actually had a slightly higher winning percentage when playing on one or fewer day ’ s rest ( 0.333 ) than when playing on two or more days ’ rest ( 0.250 ) .
Dallas will likely still finish near the bottom of the WNBA standings , but it was one of the biggest winners in this year ’ s draft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the playoffs sooner rather than later .
Transcendent point guard Ionescu deservedly gets most of the headlines : She averaged 17.5 points , 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebounds last season for Oregon , and she should instantly boost a Liberty offense that finished 10th in offensive rating in 2019 .
But she joins a whopping six other rookies , including three other first-round picks , on a New York roster that is slated to tie for the youngest ever in the WNBA .
The Liberty are led by first-year head coach Walt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up-tempo style of play with an emphasis on 3-point shooting .
“ It will be fast ; we really have to have our lungs ready to go , ” third-year player Kia Nurse said on Instagram during the offseason .
That could be extremely fun to watch , but it will likely take some time to get results , given the youth on the roster and a condensed schedule that gives the team less time to practice together and learn the new system .
Unlike many other teams , Indiana has a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which could help the Fever make the playoffs for the first time since 2016 .
The top six scorers return , including two young players who could make big leaps this season in third-year pro Kelsey Mitchell ( 13.6 points per game in 2019 ) and second-year pro McCowan ( 10.0 points , 9.0 rebounds ) .
The returners also include veteran leaders Candice Dupree , who is entering her 15th WNBA season , and Achonwa , Indiana ’ s longest-tenured player .
To that mix , the Fever add No .
3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12.5 points and 8.4 rebounds as a senior at Baylor , and welcome back Victoria Vivians , a deadly 3-point shooter who missed all of last season with an ACL injury .
Last season , the Fever had a 7-6 record after the All-Star break , showing that they were starting to put all of their pieces together .
Though they have a new head coach in Stanley , the talent and continuity on this team should set it up well to make a playoff push .
2019 results : 15-19 , lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Key players for 2020 : G Diana Taurasi , C Brittney Griner , G Skylar Diggins-Smith* Phoenix made one of the biggest splashes in free agency , acquiring point guard Diggins-Smith one day after trading forward DeWanna Bonner to Connecticut .
The result is a new “ Big Three ” of Diggins-Smith , Taurasi and Griner that establishes the team as championship contenders .
The trio “ is going to be hard to guard , ” Griner said at the team ’ s media day .
“ I don ’ t know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can ’ t take away all three of us.
” Phoenix will also have depth around that trio , something it sorely lacked in last season ’ s injury-riddled campaign .
Brianna Turner and Alanna Smith are entering their second seasons and could be ready to break out , while Shatori Walker-Kimbrough may finally have a chance to show what she can do after playing limited minutes the last few seasons with the Washington Mystics .
It may take the revamped roster a little time to gel after losing five of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , which could put the Mercury at a disadvantage in the playoff race , but it ’ s likely that by September , Phoenix will be a team that no one wants to play .
2019 results : 18-16 , lost in the second round of the playoffs Key players for 2020 : G Sue Bird , F Breanna Stewart , F Natasha Howard According to The Next ’ s Nicholas Niendorf , Seattle finds itself in the enviable position of both returning the most minutes from the 2019 season and bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with injuries in Bird ( knee ) and Stewart ( Achilles ) .
As talented as the rest of the league is , that ’ s borderline unfair , and it ’ s why Seattle is my pick to win the 2020 WNBA title .
While an Achilles injury is one of the hardest in sports to recover from , Stewart said recently that she is in the best shape of her career , and interim head coach Gary Kloppenburg indicated that she had actually improved her 3-point shooting and ballhandling .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders in the league and holds the all-time records for assists and games played .
Surrounding Stewart and Bird will be 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Howard , savvy shooters Sami Whitcomb and Alysha Clark and uber-quick point guard Jordin Canada .
Also in the mix ?
Six-foot-4 rookie Ezi Magbegor , a member of the Australian national team who will add depth in the frontcourt .
This team may be even deeper than the 2018 championship team , which set several records en route to winning 26 regular-season games .
2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first round of the playoffs Key players for 2020 : C Sylvia Fowles , F Napheesa Collier , G/F Karima Christmas-Kelly Minnesota swung and missed on some big-name free agents , according to head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve .
As a result , some people are looking at the roster and counting Minnesota out .
Yet Reeve has a potential MVP in Fowles and last year ’ s Rookie of the Year Collier leading the way .
( Collier is also a co-captain in just her second season , which demonstrates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her . )
With Fowles and Collier in the frontcourt , the questions about the Lynx tend to focus on the backcourt .
Point guard may be played by committee , with rookie Crystal Dangerfield and guards Rachel Banham and Lexie Brown all pitching in .
Banham , in her first season with the team after being acquired from Connecticut , will likely help the Lynx improve upon their 33.2 percent 3-point shooting from last season , which ranked ninth in the league .
But can a point guard rotation fix the team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Lynx turned the ball over on 20.5 percent of their offensive possessions , last in the league , which turned into 16.1 points per game for their opponents .
2019 results : 20-14 , lost in the second round of the playoffs Key players for 2020 : G Courtney Vandersloot , G Allie Quigley , G Diamond DeShields Like Indiana , Chicago returns nearly its entire roster from 2019 , including a trio of All-Stars in Vandersloot , Quigley and DeShields .
“ That ’ s the blessing about our team : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cohesive unit , ” DeShields said recently .
The Sky also have a chip on their shoulder after losing in the second round of the 2019 playoffs on a halfcourt shot .
“ We ’ re here to win a championship , so I think that ’ s the motivation , ” Vandersloot said .
In 2019 , the Sky finished second in offensive rating but ninth in defensive rating .
One of their few new additions could help them bridge that gap .
Six-foot-6 forward Azurá Stevens ranked eighth in the WNBA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dallas in 2018 while averaging 8.9 points and 4.6 rebounds , and head coach James Wade has indicated that he wants her in Chicago for many years to come .
The Sky also drafted forward Ruthy Hebard with the eighth overall pick , a move Wade was visibly ecstatic about on draft night .
Hebard averaged 17.3 points per game with a field-goal percentage of 68.5 as a senior at Oregon .
When the Aces signed McCoughtry , a five-time All-Star , it was the rare acquisition that both terrified and confused people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it seemingly cemented Las Vegas as a superteam , with McCoughtry joining All-Stars Liz Cambage , Wilson and McBride — as well as two additional No .
1 overall draft picks in Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young .
It was confusing because of how hard it would be to get all of those players enough shots , as well as the fact that McCoughtry , a 29 percent career 3-point shooter , would not exactly space the floor for Wilson and Cambage inside .
The Aces look a little different now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Achilles injury and Cambage sitting out , but the question of how to get everyone enough shots remains .
McCoughtry ( first ) , Wilson ( fifth ) , McBride ( 18th ) and reserve Alex Bentley ( 23rd ) all rank among the top 25 active players in career usage rate .
But this is a problem that many coaches would love to have , and if Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer can solve it effectively , his team should be in good shape to repeat last season ’ s semifinal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the WNBA semifinals , the Sparks return all four double-digit scorers from last season .
Parker ( 11.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in 2019 ) and Nneka Ogwumike ( 16.1 points , 8.8 rebounds ) have three MVP trophies between them and will keep the Sparks ’ frontcourt among the league ’ s best in 2020 .
Meanwhile , Gray ( 14.5 points , 5.9 assists ) is among the league ’ s best point guards , and Riquna Williams ( 12.3 points ) is one of the league ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Year .
The Sparks sought to strengthen their supporting cast in the offseason by bringing in six new players , including guard Brittney Sykes , guard/forward Seimone Augustus and center Marie Gülich .
Augustus was one of the biggest surprises of the offseason , signing with Los Angeles after playing 14 seasons for archrival Minnesota and winning the 2017 championship at the Sparks ’ expense .
If she returns to form after an injury-plagued 2019 season , Augustus could be the X-factor the Sparks were missing in their 2019 semifinals loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sun is that they are missing three starters from last season ’ s WNBA Finals runner-up squad , as MVP candidate Jonquel Jones is sitting out this season and Shekinna Stricklen and Courtney Williams both left for the Atlanta Dream .
The good news is that they acquired another MVP candidate in Bonner , who averaged 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds last season for Phoenix , as well as Briann January , a 38 percent career 3-point shooter who can fill in for Stricklen in that respect .
Off the bench , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including 3-point shooter Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis , and head coach Curt Miller believes his backups are more versatile and athletic than in previous seasons .
The Sun are also huge , with eight players standing at least 6 feet tall , which can create mismatches on offense and be disruptive on defense .
Ultimately , Connecticut will look to the two Thomases — forward Alyssa and point guard Jasmine , no relation — to set the tone on both ends of the court .
That hasn ’ t changed much from a season ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well for another postseason run .
The day after the Mystics won the first championship in franchise history , head coach and general manager Mike Thibault said he expected everyone to return in 2020 for a chance to repeat .
Instead , guard Kristi Toliver signed with Los Angeles and three other players who combined for a whopping 13.5 win shares last season opted out for 2020 .
Luckily for the Mystics , they still have Finals MVP Emma Meesseman , who contributed 4.0 win shares last season despite missing 11 regular-season games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She played her best basketball in the playoffs , averaging 19.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and earning the moniker “ Playoff Emma , ” and Thibault reports that Meesseman has picked up right where she left off .
The question for the Mystics : Can the supporting cast step up enough to counter the “ Big Threes ” of other top teams ?
Guard Ariel Atkins ( 10.3 points per game in 2019 ) and guard/forward Aerial Powers ( 11.4 points ) look like prime candidates to take the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guard Leilani Mitchell , who signed with Washington as a free agent after averaging a career-high 12.8 points per game in 2019 , will also be counted on to replace some of the lost leadership and 3-point shooting .
While each team has its own set of questions heading into the season ’ s opening weekend , the big unknown for the entire league is just how the season will play out in the Wubble .
“ Good , bad , I don ’ t know yet , ” Meesseman said , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a real nice story to tell that I was part of that one special season in the WNBA .
”

Washington Mystics forward Emma Meesseman says she sees life “as a big adventure.” That’s part of why the Belgian native decided to play in the 2020 WNBA season in Bradenton, Florida. “I just want to do as much different stuff as possible in my career, and this is one of them.”
This adventure for Meesseman and the rest of the league will tip off on Saturday. The Seattle Storm and New York Liberty take the court at noon ET, a game that features a tantalizing point guard matchup between the legendary Sue Bird of the Storm and the debut of No. 1 draft pick Sabrina Ionescu of the Liberty. That game will be followed by the Los Angeles Sparks versus the Phoenix Mercury, a West Coast rivalry that features many of the game’s biggest names, and the Indiana Fever versus the defending champion Mystics, which will pit new Fever head coach Marianne Stanley against her former team.
The six other teams will tip off on Sunday, launching a regular season that will run through Sept. 12. Each team will play every opponent twice for a total of 22 games. While several big-name players — including the Connecticut Sun’s Jonquel Jones and the Mystics’ Tina Charles — have opted out of the WNBA bubble, or “Wubble,” there is still plenty of star power to be found. Here’s what each team will look like in this unprecedented season, based on the rosters they brought to Florida and what we’ve heard about how training camp is going. Teams are listed in reverse order of finish last season. Records are for the regular season only, and players who are new to their teams are denoted with an asterisk.
Atlanta Dream
2019 results: 8-26, missed playoffs
Key players for 2020: C/F Elizabeth Williams, F Glory Johnson*, G Chennedy Carter*
The Dream finished in last place in 2019, just one year after being the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. They were tough to watch on offense, finishing last in the league in points per game (71.2), field-goal percentage (37.1 percent), 3-point shooting percentage (29.0 percent) and offensive rating (89.8). So they shook up the roster in the offseason, acquiring Kalani Brown and Courtney Williams via trade and Johnson and Shekinna Stricklen in free agency. Coupled with the selection of Carter, the NCAA’s sixth-leading scorer for two straight seasons, with the No. 4 pick in the draft, these moves may have been enough to get Atlanta back into the playoffs.
However, when guards Renee Montgomery and Tiffany Hayes decided to sit out, that left Atlanta without five of its top six in points and all of its top six in assists from last season. Only two players — Williams and forward Monique Billings — return, and while the frontcourt looks solid, there are serious questions about Atlanta’s backcourt. Carter will likely have a lot of opportunities to make plays and could contend for Rookie of the Year honors, but the Dream likely need more around her to be a playoff team.
Dallas Wings
2019 results: 10-24, missed playoffs
Key players for 2020: G Arike Ogunbowale, F Kayla Thornton, F Satou Sabally*
When you look at the Wings’ roster, their youth leaps off the page. The oldest player, Thornton, was born in October 1992, and just five players have more than one year of WNBA experience. But the Wings return four starters in Thornton, Rookie of the Year runner-up Ogunbowale, Allisha Gray and Isabelle Harrison, who combined for 63 percent of the team’s points and over half of the team’s assists and steals last season. Adding point guards Moriah Jefferson and Tyasha Harris will allow Ogunbowale to play her natural shooting guard position, and Sabally, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, is an instant impact player at small forward who will give Ogunbowale more space to operate.
The unprecedented schedule, with approximately three games per week at a single neutral site, could also be uniquely beneficial to the Wings. Last season, Dallas was just 2-15 on the road compared with 8-9 at home, and the team actually had a slightly higher winning percentage when playing on one or fewer day’s rest (0.333) than when playing on two or more days’ rest (0.250). Dallas will likely still finish near the bottom of the WNBA standings, but it was one of the biggest winners in this year’s draft, and the team should be back in the playoffs sooner rather than later.
New York Liberty
2019 results: 10-24, missed playoffs
Key players for 2020: G Sabrina Ionescu*, C Amanda Zahui B, G Layshia Clarendon*
Transcendent point guard Ionescu deservedly gets most of the headlines: She averaged 17.5 points, 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebounds last season for Oregon, and she should instantly boost a Liberty offense that finished 10th in offensive rating in 2019. But she joins a whopping six other rookies, including three other first-round picks, on a New York roster that is slated to tie for the youngest ever in the WNBA.
The Liberty are led by first-year head coach Walt Hopkins, who is reportedly implementing an up-tempo style of play with an emphasis on 3-point shooting. “It will be fast; we really have to have our lungs ready to go,” third-year player Kia Nurse said on Instagram during the offseason. That could be extremely fun to watch, but it will likely take some time to get results, given the youth on the roster and a condensed schedule that gives the team less time to practice together and learn the new system.
Indiana Fever
2019 results: 13-21, missed playoffs
Key players for 2020: C Teaira McCowan, G Kelsey Mitchell, F Natalie Achonwa
Unlike many other teams, Indiana has a lot of continuity from the 2019 season, which could help the Fever make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The top six scorers return, including two young players who could make big leaps this season in third-year pro Kelsey Mitchell (13.6 points per game in 2019) and second-year pro McCowan (10.0 points, 9.0 rebounds). The returners also include veteran leaders Candice Dupree, who is entering her 15th WNBA season, and Achonwa, Indiana’s longest-tenured player. To that mix, the Fever add No. 3 overall pick Lauren Cox, who averaged 12.5 points and 8.4 rebounds as a senior at Baylor, and welcome back Victoria Vivians, a deadly 3-point shooter who missed all of last season with an ACL injury.
Last season, the Fever had a 7-6 record after the All-Star break, showing that they were starting to put all of their pieces together. Though they have a new head coach in Stanley, the talent and continuity on this team should set it up well to make a playoff push.
Phoenix Mercury
2019 results: 15-19, lost in the first round of the playoffs
Key players for 2020: G Diana Taurasi, C Brittney Griner, G Skylar Diggins-Smith*
Phoenix made one of the biggest splashes in free agency, acquiring point guard Diggins-Smith one day after trading forward DeWanna Bonner to Connecticut. The result is a new “Big Three” of Diggins-Smith, Taurasi and Griner that establishes the team as championship contenders. The trio “is going to be hard to guard,” Griner said at the team’s media day. “I don’t know what I would do, honestly. … You can’t take away all three of us.”
Phoenix will also have depth around that trio, something it sorely lacked in last season’s injury-riddled campaign. Brianna Turner and Alanna Smith are entering their second seasons and could be ready to break out, while Shatori Walker-Kimbrough may finally have a chance to show what she can do after playing limited minutes the last few seasons with the Washington Mystics. It may take the revamped roster a little time to gel after losing five of the team’s top six scorers from 2019, which could put the Mercury at a disadvantage in the playoff race, but it’s likely that by September, Phoenix will be a team that no one wants to play.
Seattle Storm
2019 results: 18-16, lost in the second round of the playoffs
Key players for 2020: G Sue Bird, F Breanna Stewart, F Natasha Howard
According to The Next’s Nicholas Niendorf, Seattle finds itself in the enviable position of both returning the most minutes from the 2019 season and bringing back two superstars who missed last season with injuries in Bird (knee) and Stewart (Achilles). As talented as the rest of the league is, that’s borderline unfair, and it’s why Seattle is my pick to win the 2020 WNBA title. While an Achilles injury is one of the hardest in sports to recover from, Stewart said recently that she is in the best shape of her career, and interim head coach Gary Kloppenburg indicated that she had actually improved her 3-point shooting and ballhandling. Meanwhile, Bird is one of the best leaders in the league and holds the all-time records for assists and games played.
Surrounding Stewart and Bird will be 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Howard, savvy shooters Sami Whitcomb and Alysha Clark and uber-quick point guard Jordin Canada. Also in the mix? Six-foot-4 rookie Ezi Magbegor, a member of the Australian national team who will add depth in the frontcourt. This team may be even deeper than the 2018 championship team, which set several records en route to winning 26 regular-season games.
Minnesota Lynx
2019 results: 18-16, lost in the first round of the playoffs
Key players for 2020: C Sylvia Fowles, F Napheesa Collier, G/F Karima Christmas-Kelly
Minnesota swung and missed on some big-name free agents, according to head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve. As a result, some people are looking at the roster and counting Minnesota out. Yet Reeve has a potential MVP in Fowles and last year’s Rookie of the Year Collier leading the way. (Collier is also a co-captain in just her second season, which demonstrates how highly her teammates and coaches regard her.)
With Fowles and Collier in the frontcourt, the questions about the Lynx tend to focus on the backcourt. Point guard may be played by committee, with rookie Crystal Dangerfield and guards Rachel Banham and Lexie Brown all pitching in. Banham, in her first season with the team after being acquired from Connecticut, will likely help the Lynx improve upon their 33.2 percent 3-point shooting from last season, which ranked ninth in the league. But can a point guard rotation fix the team’s Achilles heel last season? The Lynx turned the ball over on 20.5 percent of their offensive possessions, last in the league, which turned into 16.1 points per game for their opponents.
Chicago Sky
2019 results: 20-14, lost in the second round of the playoffs
Key players for 2020: G Courtney Vandersloot, G Allie Quigley, G Diamond DeShields
Like Indiana, Chicago returns nearly its entire roster from 2019, including a trio of All-Stars in Vandersloot, Quigley and DeShields. “That’s the blessing about our team: we came into this season already a cohesive unit,” DeShields said recently. The Sky also have a chip on their shoulder after losing in the second round of the 2019 playoffs on a halfcourt shot. “We’re here to win a championship, so I think that’s the motivation,” Vandersloot said.
In 2019, the Sky finished second in offensive rating but ninth in defensive rating. One of their few new additions could help them bridge that gap. Six-foot-6 forward Azurá Stevens ranked eighth in the WNBA in block percentage as a rookie in Dallas in 2018 while averaging 8.9 points and 4.6 rebounds, and head coach James Wade has indicated that he wants her in Chicago for many years to come. The Sky also drafted forward Ruthy Hebard with the eighth overall pick, a move Wade was visibly ecstatic about on draft night. Hebard averaged 17.3 points per game with a field-goal percentage of 68.5 as a senior at Oregon.
Las Vegas Aces
2019 results: 21-13, lost in WNBA semifinals
Key players for 2020: F A’ja Wilson, G/F Angel McCoughtry*, G Kayla McBride
When the Aces signed McCoughtry, a five-time All-Star, it was the rare acquisition that both terrified and confused people outside the organization. It was terrifying because it seemingly cemented Las Vegas as a superteam, with McCoughtry joining All-Stars Liz Cambage, Wilson and McBride — as well as two additional No. 1 overall draft picks in Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. It was confusing because of how hard it would be to get all of those players enough shots, as well as the fact that McCoughtry, a 29 percent career 3-point shooter, would not exactly space the floor for Wilson and Cambage inside.
The Aces look a little different now, with Plum out for the season with an Achilles injury and Cambage sitting out, but the question of how to get everyone enough shots remains. McCoughtry (first), Wilson (fifth), McBride (18th) and reserve Alex Bentley (23rd) all rank among the top 25 active players in career usage rate. But this is a problem that many coaches would love to have, and if Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer can solve it effectively, his team should be in good shape to repeat last season’s semifinal run.
Los Angeles Sparks
2019 results: 22-12, lost in WNBA semifinals
Key players for 2020: F/C Candace Parker, F Nneka Ogwumike, G Chelsea Gray
Coming off a trip to the WNBA semifinals, the Sparks return all four double-digit scorers from last season. Parker (11.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in 2019) and Nneka Ogwumike (16.1 points, 8.8 rebounds) have three MVP trophies between them and will keep the Sparks’ frontcourt among the league’s best in 2020. Meanwhile, Gray (14.5 points, 5.9 assists) is among the league’s best point guards, and Riquna Williams (12.3 points) is one of the league’s top shooters and a former Sixth Woman of the Year.
The Sparks sought to strengthen their supporting cast in the offseason by bringing in six new players, including guard Brittney Sykes, guard/forward Seimone Augustus and center Marie Gülich. Augustus was one of the biggest surprises of the offseason, signing with Los Angeles after playing 14 seasons for archrival Minnesota and winning the 2017 championship at the Sparks’ expense. If she returns to form after an injury-plagued 2019 season, Augustus could be the X-factor the Sparks were missing in their 2019 semifinals loss to Connecticut.
Connecticut Sun
2019 results: 23-11, lost in WNBA Finals
Key players for 2020: G/F DeWanna Bonner*, F Alyssa Thomas, G Jasmine Thomas
The bad news for the Sun is that they are missing three starters from last season’s WNBA Finals runner-up squad, as MVP candidate Jonquel Jones is sitting out this season and Shekinna Stricklen and Courtney Williams both left for the Atlanta Dream. The good news is that they acquired another MVP candidate in Bonner, who averaged 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds last season for Phoenix, as well as Briann January, a 38 percent career 3-point shooter who can fill in for Stricklen in that respect.
Off the bench, the Sun have four more newcomers, including 3-point shooter Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, and head coach Curt Miller believes his backups are more versatile and athletic than in previous seasons. The Sun are also huge, with eight players standing at least 6 feet tall, which can create mismatches on offense and be disruptive on defense. Ultimately, Connecticut will look to the two Thomases — forward Alyssa and point guard Jasmine, no relation — to set the tone on both ends of the court. That hasn’t changed much from a season ago, and it will likely position them well for another postseason run.
Washington Mystics
2019 results: 26-8, won WNBA Finals
Key players for 2020: F Emma Meesseman, G Ariel Atkins, G Leilani Mitchell*
The day after the Mystics won the first championship in franchise history, head coach and general manager Mike Thibault said he expected everyone to return in 2020 for a chance to repeat. Instead, guard Kristi Toliver signed with Los Angeles and three other players who combined for a whopping 13.5 win shares last season opted out for 2020. Luckily for the Mystics, they still have Finals MVP Emma Meesseman, who contributed 4.0 win shares last season despite missing 11 regular-season games to play for the Belgium national team. She played her best basketball in the playoffs, averaging 19.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and earning the moniker “Playoff Emma,” and Thibault reports that Meesseman has picked up right where she left off.
The question for the Mystics: Can the supporting cast step up enough to counter the “Big Threes” of other top teams? Guard Ariel Atkins (10.3 points per game in 2019) and guard/forward Aerial Powers (11.4 points) look like prime candidates to take the next step in their games. Veteran point guard Leilani Mitchell, who signed with Washington as a free agent after averaging a career-high 12.8 points per game in 2019, will also be counted on to replace some of the lost leadership and 3-point shooting.
While each team has its own set of questions heading into the season’s opening weekend, the big unknown for the entire league is just how the season will play out in the Wubble. “Good, bad, I don’t know yet,” Meesseman said, but “it’s gonna be a real nice story to tell that I was part of that one special season in the WNBA.”


fivethirthyeight--2020-07-23--Who’s Who In The NBA Bubble: The Potential Party-Crashers

We ’ re now just one week away from the resumption of the NBA season .
On Monday , we reintroduced you to the bottom tier of teams invited to the league ’ s restart in Walt Disney World .
Today , we ’ ll continue this exercise , with the six teams positioned as potential conference finals party-crashers but that we nevertheless project as long shots to take home the Larry O ’ Brien Trophy .
After initially declaring himself out for the restart , star guard Victor Oladipo reversed course last week and said there was a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pacers coach Nate McMillan said Monday that he expected Oladipo to take part in the team ’ s scrimmages , seemingly setting the stage for him to take the court once the real games get going again .
Oladipo had largely struggled pre-hiatus in his return from a long absence after he ruptured the quad tendon in his knee , but perhaps he is now more ready to play after being given more than four months to heal .
Brogdon , in addition to being cleared of the virus , says the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healed .
With Jeremy Lamb still out after tearing his ACL in February , the Pacers badly need one or both of these players to return to the floor to make real noise in the playoffs , and now they may have both .
They ’ ll probably find it tough to advance in the postseason , though , as they ’ re likely to wind up with the 6-seed , from which they would presumably need to defeat the Bucks , Raptors and Celtics to make it to the NBA Finals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 1 % West , < 1 % Finals Projected Seeding W-L : 4-4 ; 44-31 ( 7th in West ) COVID-19 : No public reports or announcements The Mavs technically have yet to clinch a playoff spot , but all it would take is any combination of Mavericks wins and Grizzlies losses that equals two .
Dallas enters the bubble sporting the most efficient offense in the modern history of basketball , a unit that has absolutely scorched teams when using a configuration with Kristaps Porziņģis at center that we should see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has scored at the completely hilarious clip of 122.9 points per 100 possessions in non-garbage-time minutes featuring Porziņģis as the lone big man and Luka Dončić on the floor , per Cleaning the Glass — a number that more than alleviates the mild concerns some had about how this offense would work without Dwight Powell ’ s hard rolls to the rim .
The Mavs will not only be without Powell ( torn Achilles ) in Orlando , but also Willie Cauley-Stein , who opted out of the restart .
FiveThirtyEight predictions : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , < 1 % Finals Projected Seeding W-L : 3-5 ; 44-29 ( 5th in East ) COVID-19 : Three unnamed players ( reported ) , Derrick Jones Jr. ( returned to practice , where he is throwing down ridiculous dunks ) Miami got jobbed by the Schedule Gods in the restart .
The Heat were set to face a below-average strength of schedule if the regular season had continued apace , but they will now face the league ’ s second-toughest seeding-game slate .
We project them to go 3-5 in those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process .
Instead of facing the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs , we would have them facing the Sixers .
That ’ s a significantly tougher matchup , particularly now that Ben Simmons is healthy , and that ’ s reflected in Miami joining the Jazz as the only teams that are currently in the top half of their playoff brackets that we give a less than 1 percent chance of winning the conference .
FiveThirtyEight predictions : Clinched playoffs , 1 % West , < 1 % Finals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 6th in West ) COVID-19 : No public reports or announcements No team outperformed oddsmakers ’ preseason expectations more than the Thunder — and it wasn ’ t particularly close .
When the season shut down , OKC was on pace to smash its preseason over-under by 19 wins .
The next-closest teams were the Lakers and Grizzlies , at 13 wins .
What makes it all the more remarkable is that the Thunder began the season 6-11 , only to rip off a 34-13 stretch ( a 60-win pace ) the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that they ’ re entering the bubble as one of the few teams that has yet to confirm a positive coronavirus test , and things would seem to be looking up for them .
However , OKC faces the ninth-toughest schedule in Disney , including games against both L.A. teams , and figures to lose Dennis Schröder at some point because his wife is set to give birth in early August .
The Thunder also went just 9-17 prior to the hiatus against teams with a .500 record or better , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 34-13 run was powered by a completely unsustainable 24-5 record in games that entered clutch time .
Chris Paul-led teams have always been good in the clutch , but that type of record is practically unheard of .
As you surely know by now , it was the Jazz that sustained the first publicly confirmed coronavirus case in the NBA , with Gobert contracting the virus at some point in either late February or early March and testing positive on March 11 .
Mitchell also tested positive , though nobody else in Utah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitchell ’ s positive test exacerbated tension between Utah ’ s two franchise pillars , according to ESPN ’ s Tim MacMahon , though Mitchell has said that “ right now ” everything is good between the two stars .
In addition to that tension , the Jazz will also have to overcome the absence of Bojan Bogdanović , who is out for the restart after having surgery on his wrist .
Utah was 7.3 points per 100 possessions better with Bogdanović on the floor than off it this season , though it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those minutes featured Royce O ’ Neale playing alongside the rest of the starters , which is a group we ’ re likely to see a lot of in Orlando .
As if all that weren ’ t enough for the Jazz to deal with , they also figure to be without Mike Conley at some point , with his wife due to deliver their third child in August .
FiveThirtyEight predictions : Clinched playoffs , 3 % West , 1 % Finals Projected Seeding W-L : 5-3 ; 48-25 ( 3rd in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrived in bubble ) , head coach Michael Malone ( announced ) , unnamed member of organization ( announced ) Jokić lost somewhere between 20 and 25 pounds during the hiatus and now looks shockingly different .
He also contracted coronavirus and was one of several players who did not initially travel with the Nuggets to Orlando .
Denver currently holds the No .
3 seed in the West , and our projections have the Nuggets maintaining that spot , but our model doesn ’ t give them as good a chance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other teams .
There are several potential explanations for this , but the most notable is their lagging point differential ( plus-3.0 per game , sixth in the West ) , which they have outperformed by a league-high-tying four wins so far .
CORRECTION ( July 23 , 2020 , 3 p.m. ) : An earlier version of this article listed the Miami Heat ’ s position in the standings as third in the Western Conference , seven games out of first place .
That is actually the Denver Nuggets ’ position .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conference and 12 games back .
If the Heat go 3-5 in the eight remaining regular-season games , they would be projected to fall behind the Philadelphia 76ers but not the Boston Celtics , who are ahead of them in the standings .

We’re now just one week away from the resumption of the NBA season. On Monday, we reintroduced you to the bottom tier of teams invited to the league’s restart in Walt Disney World. Today, we’ll continue this exercise, with the six teams positioned as potential conference finals party-crashers but that we nevertheless project as long shots to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Indiana Pacers
39-26, 6th in East, 14 games back
FiveThirtyEight predictions: Clinched playoffs, <1% East, <1% Finals
Projected Seeding W-L: 3-5; 42-31 (6th in East)
COVID-19: Malcolm Brogdon (cleared to practice)
After initially declaring himself out for the restart, star guard Victor Oladipo reversed course last week and said there was a “strong possibility” that he would play. Pacers coach Nate McMillan said Monday that he expected Oladipo to take part in the team’s scrimmages, seemingly setting the stage for him to take the court once the real games get going again. Oladipo had largely struggled pre-hiatus in his return from a long absence after he ruptured the quad tendon in his knee, but perhaps he is now more ready to play after being given more than four months to heal. Brogdon, in addition to being cleared of the virus, says the hip injury he suffered in March has healed. With Jeremy Lamb still out after tearing his ACL in February, the Pacers badly need one or both of these players to return to the floor to make real noise in the playoffs, and now they may have both. They’ll probably find it tough to advance in the postseason, though, as they’re likely to wind up with the 6-seed, from which they would presumably need to defeat the Bucks, Raptors and Celtics to make it to the NBA Finals.
Dallas Mavericks
40-27, 7th in West, 11 games back
FiveThirtyEight predictions: >99% playoffs, 1% West, <1% Finals
Projected Seeding W-L: 4-4; 44-31 (7th in West)
COVID-19: No public reports or announcements
The Mavs technically have yet to clinch a playoff spot, but all it would take is any combination of Mavericks wins and Grizzlies losses that equals two. Dallas enters the bubble sporting the most efficient offense in the modern history of basketball, a unit that has absolutely scorched teams when using a configuration with Kristaps Porziņģis at center that we should see even more of in Orlando. Dallas has scored at the completely hilarious clip of 122.9 points per 100 possessions in non-garbage-time minutes featuring Porziņģis as the lone big man and Luka Dončić on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass — a number that more than alleviates the mild concerns some had about how this offense would work without Dwight Powell’s hard rolls to the rim. The Mavs will not only be without Powell (torn Achilles) in Orlando, but also Willie Cauley-Stein, who opted out of the restart.
Miami Heat
41-24, 4th in East, 12 games back
FiveThirtyEight predictions: Clinched playoffs, <1% East, <1% Finals
Projected Seeding W-L: 3-5; 44-29 (5th in East)
COVID-19: Three unnamed players (reported), Derrick Jones Jr. (returned to practice, where he is throwing down ridiculous dunks)
Miami got jobbed by the Schedule Gods in the restart. The Heat were set to face a below-average strength of schedule if the regular season had continued apace, but they will now face the league’s second-toughest seeding-game slate. We project them to go 3-5 in those games, falling behind the 76ers in the process. Instead of facing the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, we would have them facing the Sixers. That’s a significantly tougher matchup, particularly now that Ben Simmons is healthy, and that’s reflected in Miami joining the Jazz as the only teams that are currently in the top half of their playoff brackets that we give a less than 1 percent chance of winning the conference.
Oklahoma City Thunder
40-24, 5th in West, 9.5 games back
FiveThirtyEight predictions: Clinched playoffs, 1% West, <1% Finals
Projected Seeding W-L: 4-4; 44-28 (6th in West)
COVID-19: No public reports or announcements
No team outperformed oddsmakers’ preseason expectations more than the Thunder — and it wasn’t particularly close. When the season shut down, OKC was on pace to smash its preseason over-under by 19 wins. The next-closest teams were the Lakers and Grizzlies, at 13 wins. What makes it all the more remarkable is that the Thunder began the season 6-11, only to rip off a 34-13 stretch (a 60-win pace) the rest of the way. Throw in the fact that they’re entering the bubble as one of the few teams that has yet to confirm a positive coronavirus test, and things would seem to be looking up for them. However, OKC faces the ninth-toughest schedule in Disney, including games against both L.A. teams, and figures to lose Dennis Schröder at some point because his wife is set to give birth in early August. The Thunder also went just 9-17 prior to the hiatus against teams with a .500 record or better, and a significant part of that aforementioned 34-13 run was powered by a completely unsustainable 24-5 record in games that entered clutch time. Chris Paul-led teams have always been good in the clutch, but that type of record is practically unheard of.
Utah Jazz
41-23, 4th in West, 8.5 games back
FiveThirtyEight predictions: Clinched playoffs, 1% West, <1% Finals
Projected Seeding W-L: 4-4; 45-27 (4th in West)
COVID-19: Rudy Gobert (cleared), Donovan Mitchell (cleared)
As you surely know by now, it was the Jazz that sustained the first publicly confirmed coronavirus case in the NBA, with Gobert contracting the virus at some point in either late February or early March and testing positive on March 11. Mitchell also tested positive, though nobody else in Utah’s traveling party did so. Mitchell’s positive test exacerbated tension between Utah’s two franchise pillars, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, though Mitchell has said that “right now” everything is good between the two stars. In addition to that tension, the Jazz will also have to overcome the absence of Bojan Bogdanović, who is out for the restart after having surgery on his wrist. Utah was 7.3 points per 100 possessions better with Bogdanović on the floor than off it this season, though it’s notable that not many of those minutes featured Royce O’Neale playing alongside the rest of the starters, which is a group we’re likely to see a lot of in Orlando. As if all that weren’t enough for the Jazz to deal with, they also figure to be without Mike Conley at some point, with his wife due to deliver their third child in August.
Denver Nuggets
43-22, 3rd in West, 7 games back
FiveThirtyEight predictions: Clinched playoffs, 3% West, 1% Finals
Projected Seeding W-L: 5-3; 48-25 (3rd in West)
COVID-19: Nikola Jokić (arrived in bubble), head coach Michael Malone (announced), unnamed member of organization (announced)
Jokić lost somewhere between 20 and 25 pounds during the hiatus and now looks shockingly different. He also contracted coronavirus and was one of several players who did not initially travel with the Nuggets to Orlando. Denver currently holds the No. 3 seed in the West, and our projections have the Nuggets maintaining that spot, but our model doesn’t give them as good a chance to reach or win the Finals as some other teams. There are several potential explanations for this, but the most notable is their lagging point differential (plus-3.0 per game, sixth in the West), which they have outperformed by a league-high-tying four wins so far.
CORRECTION (July 23, 2020, 3 p.m.): An earlier version of this article listed the Miami Heat’s position in the standings as third in the Western Conference, seven games out of first place. That is actually the Denver Nuggets’ position. The Heat are fourth in the Eastern Conference and 12 games back. If the Heat go 3-5 in the eight remaining regular-season games, they would be projected to fall behind the Philadelphia 76ers but not the Boston Celtics, who are ahead of them in the standings.


fivethirthyeight--2020-07-24--Americans Support Voting By Mail — But Not All Of Them Want To, Or Can

Welcome to Pollapalooza , our weekly polling roundup .
How do you hold an election during a pandemic ?
Most states are encouraging voters to cast their ballots by mail this November to avoid spreading the coronavirus , and some of them are revising their election laws to make that easier .
Under normal circumstances , 34 states ( plus Washington , D.C. ) have allowed people to vote absentee for any reason , including five that conduct vote-by-mail elections by default ( i.e.
, every voter is automatically mailed a ballot ) .
But as of Thursday , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote absentee this fall , including seven states and Washington , D.C. , that will mail voters ballots by default .
That leaves approximately 54 million eligible voters across nine states who must provide an excuse to vote absentee this fall ( though some of those states may still change their laws before Election Day ) .
And a new poll out this week found the American people largely supportive of efforts to expand absentee voting .
According to the Pew Research Center , 65 percent of adults said that any voter should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without an excuse .
Furthermore , an additional 14 percent thought a documented reason should be required , but that COVID-19 should count as one of the reasons .
As a result , only 19 percent of Americans believed that voters should need an excuse other than the pandemic to vote absentee .
However , as on so many other issues , Republicans and Democrats don ’ t agree on this .
While a whopping 83 percent of Democrats supported no-excuse absentee voting ( and another 11 percent thought COVID-19 should be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Republicans thought so .
Another 17 percent thought COVID-19 should be an acceptable excuse , but that still left 37 percent of Republicans believing voters must provide a non-pandemic-related excuse to vote absentee .
You might be tempted to chalk up this divide to President Trump ’ s recent rants against voting by mail .
And according to another poll released this week , from ABC News/The Washington Post , 78 percent of Trump supporters do see mail-in voting as “ vulnerable to significant levels of fraud.
” ( It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually long been a partisan issue : The party splits in the Pew poll were similar in October 2018 .
( That said , Republican opposition to no-excuse absentee voting has grown a bit since then . )
However , just because voters want the option to vote absentee doesn ’ t mean they ’ ll actually do it .
The ABC News/Washington Post poll also found that 59 percent of Americans would prefer to vote in person in this year ’ s election , while 38 percent would prefer to vote by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along demographic lines , which could put heightened stress on our democracy this November .
For instance , Republican respondents told ABC News/The Washington Post that they preferred to vote in person , 79 percent to 20 percent .
But Democratic respondents preferred to vote by mail , 51 percent to 46 percent .
That could mean that votes cast in person will skew toward Republicans this fall , while mail-in votes skew toward Democrats .
And since in-person votes are typically reported first on election night , that could mean that initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorable to Trump — perhaps causing him to claim victory prematurely .
But Biden could actually turn out to be the winner days after Election Day in this scenario , as mailed ballots are counted and Democratic votes are added to the till .
This could cause a national crisis if Trump decries those late-counted ballots as fraudulent or if he refuses to concede .
In addition , the poll found that college-educated and wealthier voters were more comfortable voting by mail .
Specifically , respondents with postgraduate degrees said they preferred voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; those with just a four-year college degree were split 49 percent to 49 percent .
Respondents with less than four years of college said they preferred to vote in person , 59 percent to 37 percent , and respondents with a high school diploma or less opted for in-person voting 68 percent to 29 percent .
As a result , underprivileged voters could be disproportionately affected if the pandemic forces the closure or consolidation of polling places this November , either putting them at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19 while waiting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to the Kaiser Family Foundation , 60 percent of parents with schoolchildren wanted schools to wait to restart in-person classes , while only 34 percent wanted schools to reopen sooner .
This preference was largely driven by parents of color , 91 percent of whom were worried that their child will catch COVID-19 if schools reopen .
Only 55 percent of white parents shared that concern .
• A Morning Consult poll found that the vast majority of Americans — 72 percent — supported mandating face masks in public spaces in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who refused to do so ) .
Despite perceptions that wearing a mask has become a partisan issue , even Republicans supported the policy , 58 percent to 35 percent .
• According to another part of the ABC News/Washington Post poll , a record 69 percent of Americans said that they think white and nonwhite people do not receive equal treatment in the criminal justice system ; only 26 percent said they do receive equal treatment .
Black respondents have long held this view in ABC News/Washington Post polling , but for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of white people .
• As evidenced by the fact that Opening Day was yesterday ( four months late ) , this year ’ s Major League Baseball season will look a little different from usual .
Most obviously , the season will only have 60 games — down from the standard 162 — but it will still crown a World Series champion .
According to Morning Consult , though , a plurality of fans think the 2020 champion deserves an asterisk .
Forty-four percent of baseball fans said that winning the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be less meaningful than winning after a full regular season , while 35 percent believed it would be just as meaningful .
( In reality , a 60-game season isn ’ t that much worse at assessing a team ’ s true talent than a 162-game season — but neither is perfect . )
According to FiveThirtyEight ’ s presidential approval tracker , 40.3 percent of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing as president , while 55.6 percent disapprove ( a net approval rating of -15.3 points ) .
At this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 55.6 percent disapproved ( a net approval rating of -15.2 points ) .
One month ago , Trump had an approval rating of 41.0 percent and a disapproval rating of 55.3 percent , for a net approval rating of -14.3 points .
In our average of polls of the generic congressional ballot , Democrats currently lead by 8.2 percentage points ( 49.4 percent to 41.2 percent ) .
A week ago , Democrats led Republicans by 8.3 points ( 49.0 percent to 40.7 percent ) .
At this time last month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 48.7 percent to 40.5 percent ) .
Check out all the polls we ’ ve been collecting ahead of the 2020 elections .

Welcome to Pollapalooza, our weekly polling roundup.
Poll(s) of the week
How do you hold an election during a pandemic? Most states are encouraging voters to cast their ballots by mail this November to avoid spreading the coronavirus, and some of them are revising their election laws to make that easier.
Under normal circumstances, 34 states (plus Washington, D.C.) have allowed people to vote absentee for any reason, including five that conduct vote-by-mail elections by default (i.e., every voter is automatically mailed a ballot). But as of Thursday, at least 41 states are allowing anyone to vote absentee this fall, including seven states and Washington, D.C., that will mail voters ballots by default. That leaves approximately 54 million eligible voters across nine states who must provide an excuse to vote absentee this fall (though some of those states may still change their laws before Election Day).
And a new poll out this week found the American people largely supportive of efforts to expand absentee voting. According to the Pew Research Center, 65 percent of adults said that any voter should be able to vote early or absentee without an excuse. Furthermore, an additional 14 percent thought a documented reason should be required, but that COVID-19 should count as one of the reasons. As a result, only 19 percent of Americans believed that voters should need an excuse other than the pandemic to vote absentee.
However, as on so many other issues, Republicans and Democrats don’t agree on this. While a whopping 83 percent of Democrats supported no-excuse absentee voting (and another 11 percent thought COVID-19 should be a valid excuse), only 44 percent of Republicans thought so. Another 17 percent thought COVID-19 should be an acceptable excuse, but that still left 37 percent of Republicans believing voters must provide a non-pandemic-related excuse to vote absentee.
You might be tempted to chalk up this divide to President Trump’s recent rants against voting by mail. And according to another poll released this week, from ABC News/The Washington Post, 78 percent of Trump supporters do see mail-in voting as “vulnerable to significant levels of fraud.” (It’s not.) But absentee-voting access has actually long been a partisan issue: The party splits in the Pew poll were similar in October 2018. (That said, Republican opposition to no-excuse absentee voting has grown a bit since then.)
However, just because voters want the option to vote absentee doesn’t mean they’ll actually do it. The ABC News/Washington Post poll also found that 59 percent of Americans would prefer to vote in person in this year’s election, while 38 percent would prefer to vote by mail. And there were stark differences along demographic lines, which could put heightened stress on our democracy this November.
For instance, Republican respondents told ABC News/The Washington Post that they preferred to vote in person, 79 percent to 20 percent. But Democratic respondents preferred to vote by mail, 51 percent to 46 percent. That could mean that votes cast in person will skew toward Republicans this fall, while mail-in votes skew toward Democrats. And since in-person votes are typically reported first on election night, that could mean that initial results on Nov. 3 will be overly favorable to Trump — perhaps causing him to claim victory prematurely. But Biden could actually turn out to be the winner days after Election Day in this scenario, as mailed ballots are counted and Democratic votes are added to the till. This could cause a national crisis if Trump decries those late-counted ballots as fraudulent or if he refuses to concede.
In addition, the poll found that college-educated and wealthier voters were more comfortable voting by mail. Specifically, respondents with postgraduate degrees said they preferred voting by mail 54 percent to 44 percent; those with just a four-year college degree were split 49 percent to 49 percent. Respondents with less than four years of college said they preferred to vote in person, 59 percent to 37 percent, and respondents with a high school diploma or less opted for in-person voting 68 percent to 29 percent. As a result, underprivileged voters could be disproportionately affected if the pandemic forces the closure or consolidation of polling places this November, either putting them at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19 while waiting in line or disenfranchising them altogether.
Other polling bites
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 60 percent of parents with schoolchildren wanted schools to wait to restart in-person classes, while only 34 percent wanted schools to reopen sooner. This preference was largely driven by parents of color, 91 percent of whom were worried that their child will catch COVID-19 if schools reopen. Only 55 percent of white parents shared that concern.
A Morning Consult poll found that the vast majority of Americans — 72 percent — supported mandating face masks in public spaces in their state (and imposing penalties for those who refused to do so). Despite perceptions that wearing a mask has become a partisan issue, even Republicans supported the policy, 58 percent to 35 percent.
According to another part of the ABC News/Washington Post poll, a record 69 percent of Americans said that they think white and nonwhite people do not receive equal treatment in the criminal justice system; only 26 percent said they do receive equal treatment. Black respondents have long held this view in ABC News/Washington Post polling, but for the first time, so did a majority of white people.
As evidenced by the fact that Opening Day was yesterday (four months late), this year’s Major League Baseball season will look a little different from usual. Most obviously, the season will only have 60 games — down from the standard 162 — but it will still crown a World Series champion. According to Morning Consult, though, a plurality of fans think the 2020 champion deserves an asterisk. Forty-four percent of baseball fans said that winning the World Series in a shortened season will be less meaningful than winning after a full regular season, while 35 percent believed it would be just as meaningful. (In reality, a 60-game season isn’t that much worse at assessing a team’s true talent than a 162-game season — but neither is perfect.)
Trump approval
According to FiveThirtyEight’s presidential approval tracker, 40.3 percent of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing as president, while 55.6 percent disapprove (a net approval rating of -15.3 points). At this time last week, 40.3 percent approved and 55.6 percent disapproved (a net approval rating of -15.2 points). One month ago, Trump had an approval rating of 41.0 percent and a disapproval rating of 55.3 percent, for a net approval rating of -14.3 points.
Generic ballot
In our average of polls of the generic congressional ballot, Democrats currently lead by 8.2 percentage points (49.4 percent to 41.2 percent). A week ago, Democrats led Republicans by 8.3 points (49.0 percent to 40.7 percent). At this time last month, voters preferred Democrats by 8.2 points (48.7 percent to 40.5 percent).
Check out all the polls we’ve been collecting ahead of the 2020 elections.


fivethirthyeight--2020-07-24--It’s Harder To Get A COVID-19 Test If You’re Black Or Hispanic

Who has access to COVID-19 testing in America ?
FiveThirtyEight and ABC News uncovered some staggering disparities along racial lines @ @ @ @ @ this week ’ s episode of PODCAST-19 .
Also on today ’ s show , @ @ @ @ @ days ?
Can you take a taxi ?
Eat outside at a restaurant ?
Senior @ @ @ @ @ COVID ’ s muddy middle .
And finally , we check in on our oceans @ @ @ @ @ , whales .
On a coronavirus podcast .
Don ’ t want to miss an @ @ @ @ @ ’ s weekly look at what we know — and what we know we don @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 ?
Subscribe on your favorite podcasting app !
For example , here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Apple Podcasts and Spotify .

Who has access to COVID-19 testing in America? FiveThirtyEight and ABC News uncovered some staggering disparities along racial lines, which we discuss on this week’s episode of PODCAST-19.
Also on today’s show, what are safe activities these days? Can you take a taxi? Eat outside at a restaurant? Senior Science Writer Maggie Koerth explores COVID’s muddy middle. And finally, we check in on our oceans’ humpback whales. Yes, whales. On a coronavirus podcast.
Don’t want to miss an episode of PODCAST-19, FiveThirtyEight’s weekly look at what we know — and what we know we don’t know — about COVID-19? Subscribe on your favorite podcasting app! For example, here’s where to do it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.