The Storm are hosting the Valkyries on Tuesday. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Seattle is favored by 6.5 points and this game presents a total of 152 points.
Below, I break down the matchup between the Storm and the Valkyries and give a pick for the game.
Storm vs. Valkyries preview, prediction
The No. 6-seeded Valkyries just clinched a playoff spot last week, while the No. 8-seeded Storm can clinch a playoff berth with a win over Golden State tonight. Seattle will obviously be extremely motivated and while this is a bigger game for the Storm, the Valkyries are also fighting to hang onto the No. 6 seed, as they are only a half game ahead of the Fever for that spot.
The Valkyries are 2-1 vs. the Storm this season and Golden State has been the better team over Seattle as of late. Since the All-Star break, the Valkyries are 13-7 and rank fourth in net rating, while the Storm are 8-12 and rank seventh in net rating.
The Valkyries are a slow-paced, defense-first team that uses a very well-balanced attack on the offense, with Veronica Burton leading the way with 13.1 points and 6.5 assists per game since the All-Star break. Seattle is also a strong defensive club and on the offensive end, the Storm feature Nneka Ogwumike, who is leading the team with 19.1 PPG and a 24.9% usage rate since the All-Star break.
Ogwumike has scored 20+ points in three straight games, but she has had issues vs. Golden State this season, averaging just 12.0 PPG in three matchups with the Valkyries, which is her lowest average against any team in the WNBA this season. That being said, Ogwumike did score 22 points in Seattle’s last matchup with Golden State back in July, which resulted in a nine-point win for the Storm and she will need to have another strong offensive outing Tuesday in order for Seattle to win this matchup again.
Storm vs. Valkyries pick, best bet
The Storm have home-court advantage tonight and more at stake than the Valkyries, making Seattle the favorite for this crucial tilt. The Storm should be able to pull of a win and clinch a playoff spot, but the club being favored by 6.5 points is dramatic for many reasons and Golden State +6.5 is a strong wager to consider.
As noted above, the Valkyries are 2-1 vs. the Storm this season and Golden State is a strong 26-15-1 ATS in 2025, which is the second-best ATS record in the league.
