Washington Mystics vs. Seattle Storm
August 18, 2022 10:00 pm EDT
The Line: Seattle -4 / Total: 159.5
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The Seattle Storm and Washington Mystics face off on Thursday in a WNBA playoff game at Climate Pledge Arena. This is a best of three series, with the Storm will have the first two home playoff games. When these two teams faced off on July 31st, it was Mystics that secured the 78-75 victory.
The Storm currently sits with a 22-14 record overall, but they are coming off a loss in the last game. The defense really struggled against the Las Vegas Aces, giving up 109 points, and that led to the nine-point defeat. The Storm’s defense has been good for the most part this season, but they really struggled in the last game. Seattle is averaging 82.5 points, while their defense is giving up 78.4 points per game. The offense is ranked 5th in the league, while their defense is ranked 3rd in the league. Breanna Stewart could be named the MVP in the upcoming days, and he is averaging 21.8 points while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from behind the three-point line.
On the other side of this matchup is the Washington Mystics who sit with a 22-14 record overall and in their last game against the Indiana Fever they had another strong offensive game. The offense scored 95 points and that was enough to win by 12 points. Washington is averaging 80.2 points, while their defense is giving up 75.9 points per game. The offense is ranked 8th in the league, while their defense is ranked 1st in the league. In this game, the Mystics need the defense to step up and have a big game. Elena Delle Donne has been the top player for Washington, averaging 17.2 points while shooting 48 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from behind the three-point line.
The Mystics were able to beat the Storm the last time they faced off because the defense made the stops late. The Mystics have the top-ranked defense in the league, and they are going to slow down the Storm’s offense here. It might not be enough to win this game, but Washington will cover the spread.
