New York Liberty vs. Phoenix Mercury
July 7, 2022 10:00 pm EDT
The New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury face off on Thursday in a WNBA showdown at the Footprint Center. When these two teams faced off in September 2021 it was the Mercury that secured the 83-82 victory.
The Liberty came into Wednesday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces with an 8-12 record overall, and they had lost two games in a row. In the last game against the Los Angeles Sparks, they struggled in the 3rd quarter and that led to the 84-74 victory. The Liberty are averaging 77.3 points, while their defense is giving up 81.3 points per game. The offense is ranked 12th in the league, while their defense is ranked 6th in the WNBA. Sabrina Ionescu has been the top player for New York, averaging 16.5 points while shooting 40.9 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from behind the three-point line.
On the other side of this matchup is the Mercury, who sit with a 9-14 record overall, and they have lost two games in a row. In the last game against the Los Angeles Sparks, the Mercury were competitive, but they were defeated by three points. Phoenix is averaging 82.1 points, while their defense is giving up 85 points per game. The offense is ranked 4th in the league, while their defense is ranked 10th. In this game, if the Mercury want to win, they need to take advantage of the tired legs of the Liberty, who will be playing the second night of a back to back. Skylar Diggins-Smith has been the top player for the Mercury, averaging 19.1 points while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from behind the three-point line.
The Liberty are on tired legs and with that, I expect their defense is going to struggle even more. The Liberty are giving up 81.3 points per game, and they are going to give up even more than that against Phoenix. Look for the Mercury to run up the score, and Phoenix will get the job done. Back Phoenix against the spread.
