On Saturday, 06/07, the Phoenix Mercury (6-3) will host the Seattle Storm (4-4) in a WNBA regular-season matchup. The Mercury are cruising at the 4th spot, whereas the Storm are in the sixth place. Can the Storm sort their mess to take care of the resilient and new-look Mercury team? Check out the predictions related to player props, total, and spread here.
Seattle Storm: Need to do better against elite squads
The Storm will come into this game after a 6-point win against the Dallas Wings, as Gabby Williams contributed 18 points and 3 steals. The victory broke a three-game losing streak. All those defeats came against the top-five squads, which has been a huge problem in the previous seasons too.
The only comfort is that the losses were in the 5-7 point margin, meaning that minor adjustments can fix their woes. One big problem has been Storm’s first-quarter starts, and even the short-handed Wings built a one-point lead in the opening quarter.
The team has the roster make-up to become a top-four squad, but they need more out of their center Ezi Magbebor, who is averaging career-low points (7.1) since her sophomore season in 2021. At any rate, the Storm is an incredible defensive team, conceding just 79 points per game (4th).
Phoenix Mercury: Defensive juggernaut with an inspiring rookie combination
The Mercury comes into this game after an impressive 86-77 win behind a 24-point performance by rookie Lexi Held. The team was trailing by eight points in the final quarter but then unleashed an 18-1 run to seal the deal against the pesky Valkyries.
They are now 2-1 without their superstar, Alyssa Thomas. Satou Saballay has been on a tear(20.5 PPG), whereas rookies Held, Kathryn Westbeld, Monique Akoa Makani, and Kitija Laksa have stood up to the challenge.
Phoenix has a lot of potential considering their impressive rookie, and they will have the services of isolation master Kahleah Copper soon, bolstering their offense. As of now, they are playing gutsy defense, having the third-best defensive rating in the W.
Mercury Expected Starting Lineup
SG: Monique Akoa Makani | SG: Kitija Laksa | SF: Sami Whitcomb | PF: Kathyrn Westbeld | PF/C: Satou Sabally
Key bench players: SG: Lexi Held, C: Murtanja Musa, C: Kalani Brown, PG: Haley Jones
Injuries/Updates: The status of Alyssa Thomas is UNCLEAR.
Storm Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Skylar Diggins | SG/SF: Alysha Clark | SF: Gabby Williams | PF: Nneka Ogwumike | C: Ezi Magbebor
Key bench players: C: Dominique Malonga, SG: Zia Cooke, PG: Erica Wheeler.
Injuries/Updates: Katie Lou Samuelson is listed as OUT.
Both teams are capable of containing their opponents below 80 or so. Their offense is a work in progress. For example, the Storm have scored below 80 points in five of the eight games.
Meanwhile, the Mercury has breached the 80 points more often in six of the nine instances. During their latest battle, they were both in their 70s, with the total reaching 147. Thus, there is a high chance the statline is on a similar trajectory here.
Gabby Williams to snatch O 2.5 steals: Williams is averaging 2 SPG right now and has clinched 2 or more steals in six of the eight games. I believe she will come up with 2+ steals here.
Satou Sabally O 8.5 rebounds: Sabally is tallying 8 RPG. She has collected 8 or more rebounds in six of the last seven games. I believe she will pull down 9-10 rebounds here since I see more opportunities in this potential low-scorer.
Nneka Ogwumike O 7.5 rebounds: The Storm forward is tallying 9 RPG. She is mostly in the 7-9 rebounds range, so she may go “over” here, too.
Main pick: Points: Sabally Over 8.5 rebounds at BetMGM
The Mercury have been playing some of the most motivating basketball lately. They are a tough team to deal with even without Thomas. On the other hand, the Storm have not played convincing basketball, and take a lot of time to get into the groove.
They dig themselves a hole and keep chasing the deficit. At any rate, this promises to be an exciting battle. Let us see if Alyssa Thomas returns here. Whether she does or not, I choose the Storm to win this game.
Spread/Money Line Pick: Spread: Storm -5.5 for -110 at BetMGM
*Odds will be updated after they are released.
Photo Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
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