A lot has changed in the course of this WNBA season. The defending New York Liberty started the season 9-0, and looked like a lock to return to the Finals. The Aces came out flat and looked like a cooked product. Now their fortunes have changed, and they find themselves only a few games back of New York.
Las Vegas has surged since moving Jewell Loyd to the bench. Since head coach Becky Hammon made the call, the Aces have won six of their last seven games, going from out of the playoff picture to a tie for the fifth seed. With a new lease on their season, Vegas looks like the team no contender wants to face.
New York is one such team. Since their bout of invincibility at the beginning of the year, injuries have bogged them down. First, Jonquel Jones missed a whole month of action. Shortly after her return, Breanna Stewart went down and isn’t close to a return. They’re trying to weather the storm and remain on top of the dogpile that is seeds 2-9 in the playoff picture.
The Aces are 2.5-point favorites at home and hold -142 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 169.5 points. Let’s look at the best bets and predictions for this Liberty-Aces contest.
Liberty vs. Aces prediction, pick
Without Breanna Stewart in the lineup, this becomes quite the stylistic clash.
New York has their defensive anchor back with Jonquel Jones. With strong defenders like Natasha Cloud and Leonie Fiebich flanking her, Jones can make a huge impact on the uglier end of the floor. But without Stewie, this offense has bogged down in a major way.
Sabrina Ionescu has hit a rut offensively after a scorching hot run. Marine Johannes can only do so much in her bench role. Emma Meesseman is getting up to speed after a long layoff from hoops. Until Stewie returns at the end of the month, it’s going to be tough sledding for the Liberty offense.
Meanwhile, the Aces are rolling. They’ve scored 89+ points in five of their seven games with Jewell Loyd coming off the bench. Giving Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and A’ja Wilson room to breathe offensively has been a boon for the team. Loyd’s scoring is more lethal against bench units, bringing balance to the offense. It brings a confidence in the Aces that we haven’t felt all season, and makes them extremely difficult to pick against.
