The chase for the WNBA playoffs continues on Wednesday. Two surprise playoff contenders, the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics, will go head-to-head in a star-studded affair. Washington has been steadily creeping up on Dallas in the standings over the past few weeks. Will the Wings be able to create some separation, or will the Mystics get within striking distance?
The Wings enter as 2.5-point road favorites with -142 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Mystics are +120 underdogs, with the game total set at 166.5 points.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction, and pick for this Wings-Mystics matchup.
Wings vs. Mystics Prediction, Preview
On the season, these teams have split their two matchups. Dallas won the first game in convincing fashion, defeating Washington 92-69 on May 18th. Of course, they were led by All-Star Paige Bueckers, who put up 18 points and seven assists. Jessica Shepard, Dallas’ breakout star, also made her presence felt with 12 points, 16 rebounds, and six assists. Washington’s stars were not able to equal them; Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen combined for only 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting.
In their second matchup last week, Washington got their get-back. This time, the stars showed up, and Shakira Austin went crazy with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Iriafen bounced back as well with 22 points and nine boards. Though Citron’s shot let her down, she got to the line a ton, finishing with 16 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Though Bueckers went off again, Washington managed to contain Shepard, which was the key to getting the win this time around.
So much rests on the frontcourt. Shepard has been a massive presence for Dallas as a scorer, rebounder, and playmaker, but not so much as a defender. It’s no surprise that Austin and Iriafen combined for 50 points in that last matchup, especially with Awak Kuier’s early exit from the game. Kuier has been an extremely important defender for Dallas this year, and her absence left Shepard on an island. Both teams will bring a clean injury report to this one, and the Wings will be hoping Kuier’s presence will keep Austin and Iriafen in check.
The other important duel is in the backcourt. Sonia Citron gets plenty of plaudits for her offense, as she should, but her defense has been exceptional. Citron will have her hands full trying to contain MVP candidate Paige Bueckers. Conversely, rookie Azzi Fudd will spend a lot of time guarding Citron and has done well so far in their matchups. Arike Ogunbowale is a wild card as always; her scoring efficiency can sink or swim the Wings on any given night.
Michaela Onyenwere is a huge X-factor here as well. If she can knock down threes for the Mystics and draw the defense out, it makes it even harder for Dallas to contend with Iriafen and Austin. But if the shots aren’t falling, it simplifies the defensive gameplan for the Wings, and makes life hard on Washington’s struggling offense.
Now that we know these teams a bit better, who is going to pull out the win, and how should we bet this game?
Wings vs. Mystics Pick, Best Bet
Form is everything here. The Mystics are rolling, winning four in a row, and have found excellent cohesion together. The frontcourt offense they can put together is awfully tough for Dallas to deal with. I like the value on Washington as a home underdog to get the win and move within one game of the Wings in the playoff picture.
