With the FIBA World Cup break right around the corner, every team in the WNBA is putting everything they’ve got into these games. The Dallas Wings are fighting hard to move up the playoff standings, but the Seattle Storm won’t just roll over and hand them the win. This should be an exciting matchup.
The Wings enter as 8.5-point home favorites with -375 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Storm are +295 underdogs, with the game total set at 172.5 points.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction, and pick for this Storm-Wings matchup.
Storm vs. Wings Preview
This is the third of four regular-season matchups between these two Western Conference teams. If this game is anything like their second matchup, we are in for a show.
In late June, these two teams linked up for an instant classic in Seattle. The Wings ended up with a 112-110 win in overtime, as rookie Azzi Fudd netted a game-winning layup with 13 seconds left on the clock. It was a big night for Dallas’ backcourt, as Fuzz and Paige Bueckers combined for 53 points. Aziaha James stepped up in a big way off the bench, contributing 18/6/6 on a night when Arike Ogunbowale didn’t have it going.
And they sure needed every point, as the Natisha Hiedeman-Dominique Malonga connection was unstoppable. Their star point guard racked up 21 points and 11 assists, while their All-Star center Malonga put up a whopping 37 points and 12 rebounds. Though it wasn’t enough for the win, it exposed Dallas’ inability to defend their paint.
Unfortunately for the Wings, things have changed in a big way. Fudd will miss the remainder of the season after having arthroscopic knee surgery, which is a serious blow to their defense. Fudd was their most valuable point-of-attack defender on the perimeter, and leaves an already-shaky defense in a bad spot.
For the Storm to get the upset, they need to lean on the Hiedeman-Malonga connection once again. Dallas’ defense hasn’t proven it can stop either player from getting buckets. However, Dallas has to apply better defensive pressure on Bueckers. A lot of that burden falls on rookie Flau’jae Johnson to defend on the perimeter, but they have to be better in rotation as well. Fellow rookie Awa Fam’s ability to rotate and cover for her teammates is crucial.
For the Wings to make it another win, they need Bueckers at her best. Luckily, that hasn’t been a problem for most of the year. However, their game plan against Malonga needs some work, and that’s where Awak Kuier comes into the picture. She showed out in a big way against the Fever in their last game, blocking seven shots and grabbing eight rebounds. Over her last three games, the versatile defender has 21 boards and 13 blocks. If they get a repeat performance from Awak, they’ll feel good about their chances.
Now that we know these teams a bit better, who will pull out the win, and how should we bet on this game?
Storm vs. Wings Pick, Best Bet
Dallas’ defense is in a very tough spot without Fudd. Despite Kuier’s excellence, they are drinking from the firehose defensively, and it’s not a winning formula right now. They’ve lost seven of their last ten games for a reason. While I’m not confident enough in the Storm to pick them outright, I do believe we will be seeing a fair bit of offense from both sides here, so I’m taking the over.
