The WNBA playoffs begin Sunday and the Mercury are hosting the Liberty for Game 1 of their best-of-three first-round series. On DraftKings Sportsbook, New York is favored by two points and this game carries a total of 164.5 points.
Below, I break down the matchup between the Mercury and the Liberty and give a pick for the game.
Mercury vs. Liberty preview, prediction
The defending champion Liberty slipped to the No. 5 seed due to many injuries this season, but New York heads into the postseason healthy, as the club seeks its second straight championship. The Liberty rank third in net rating this season and are led by stars Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, who are both averaging just over 18 PPG.
Emma Meesseman has also been an excellent addition for New York, averaging 13.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game since signing with the Liberty midway through the season. New York has only played three games with Ionescu, Stewart and Meesseman active this season, but the team is a perfect 3-0 in those contests.
As for the Mercury, Phoenix ranks sixth in net rating this season and the team is led by Kahleah Copper, Satou Sabally and most importantly, Alyssa Thomas, who set the WNBA record for assists in a season at 352. The versatile veteran is averaging 15.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and a league-high 8.9 assists per game since the All-Star break, but the Mercury are just 12-10 over this time and they lost three in a row to conclude the regular season.
Phoenix went 3-1 vs. New York in the regular season, but the Mercury haven’t faced the Liberty with Ionescu, Stewart and Meesseman all available and Phoenix’s poor form to end the regular season is concerning for the club.
Mercury vs. Liberty pick, best bet
While the Liberty are the road team for Sunday’s Game 1, New York at full strength is a true title contender and the much better squad over this Mercury team that simply isn’t playing well right now.
The Liberty should take Game 1 in Phoenix and New York -2 is a very strong bet.
