We have one more slate of games before the FIBA World Cup break. Though the end of the regular season is weeks away, everyone knows where they stand in the playoff race. Golden State has clinched a second straight playoff appearance, and this time they are fighting for the top overall seed in the playoffs. The ninth-seeded Portland Fire won’t squeeze into the playoffs this year, but are looking to close out a promising first season in the league. Defeating these Valkyries would sure be a feather in their cap.
The Valkyries enter as 5.5-point road favorites with -218 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Fire are +180 underdogs, with the game total set at 160.5 points.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction, and pick for this Valkyries-Fire matchup.
Valkyries vs. Fire Preview
This is the first of three meetings between these two teams in their last five regular-season games, an interesting scheduling wrinkle. Their first game back in June was decisive for Golden State and a perfect example of the brand of basketball the Valkyries want to play. Playing with Ballhalla at their backs, Golden State forced lots of turnovers and set the tone with their league-best defense. On the other end, they rained threes as usual, knocking down 18-of-40 attempts to fuel the 95-77 win. Head coach Natalie Nakase trusted her depth as usual; no player on the Valkyries played more than 27 minutes, while twelve different players set foot on the court.
If Portland wants to win this game, they’ll need to find some offensive pressure points. That will be especially difficult without Carla Leite. Portland’s rising star at point guard would have relished this matchup against the team that left her exposed in the expansion draft; however, she has temporarily left the Fire to prepare for the World Cup. That leaves them dangerously low on scoring talent, especially with Sarah Ashlee Barker out for the season.
That scoring will have to come from Bridget Carleton first and foremost. Though she has cooled off after a hot start to the season, she can still generate enough shots off the bounce to pull her team out of tough spots. Megan DiLeo has been a steady supply of paint buckets, and Emily Engstler has her moments. This would be a great spot for Karlie Samuelson to get it going.
For the Valkyries, the formula is the same. Portland already allows a lot of threes, and the Valkyries have no problem letting it fly from beyond the arc. Their deep roster of shooters can go to work against this struggling Fire defense. On their own end of the floor, it’s time to ramp up the ball pressure. Portland already struggles with turnovers, and Leite’s absence will only make taking care of the ball harder. Golden State’s rangy defenders will thrive in the passing lanes if all goes to plan.
Now that we know these two teams a bit better, who will take home the win?
Valkyries vs. Fire Pick, Best Bet
Perhaps if the Fire were healthier, this would be a better contest. Leite and Barker’s absences won’t make conquering the WNBA’s best defense any easier. I’m counting on the Valkyries to put on another clinical two-way performance to secure the road win.
