With two games remaining in the WNBA regular season, the Washington Mystics remain in a three-way tie for the sixth seed in the playoff picture. A loss could mean facing the dreaded Minnesota Lynx in the first round; calling these games crucial would be an understatement. Connecticut, playing out an emotional last few games before the franchise relocates to Houston, isn’t motivated by anything other than pride. Will that be enough to play the road spoilers?
The Mystics enter as 14.5-point home favorites with -1100 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Sun are +700 underdogs, with the game total set at 158.5 points.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction and pick for this Sun-Mystics matchup.
Sun vs. Mystics Preview
This will be the fourth and final meeting of the regular-season series between these two teams. Washington won the first game in Commissioner’s Cup play as Sonia Citron fueled the effort on both ends of the floor. Connecticut captured the next game at home, winning 68-57 behind a spectacular defensive effort against Washington’s stars. But the Mystics got the last laugh in the third matchup, winning 92-84 with a significant offensive bounce-back from their stars.
The battle in the frontcourt heavily influences this matchup. Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen have become one of the league’s best frontcourt pairings. With their defense, rebounding, and finishing, they create problems for every team they face. Brittney Griner held her own against that duo in the second matchup, but it’s a tall task for the veteran to repeat that kind of performance. Now that Aneesah Morrow is gone, Connecticut’s depth will be pressed even further; it doesn’t help that Griner and center Olivia Nelson-Ododa are both nursing injuries. But they could get some help if Austin’s injury issues force her to miss this game.
But we can’t forget about the electric matchup in the backcourt. Sonia Citron continues to rise as a two-way star for the Mystics. Her driving and shot-making are huge for their offense, and she regularly takes on top defensive assignments. Though she hasn’t been as successful so far, Leïla Lacan occupies a similar spot for the Sun. She drives hard, makes great passing looks, and can be elite in the right defensive matchups. Whoever wins that two-way battle will give their team a huge leg up.
A significant X-factor here is Lauren Betts. With Connecticut struggling to field consistent bench lineups, the Sun will throw everything they have at Austin and Iriafen. That will give Betts plenty of great matchups on both ends of the floor. If she sets the tone defensively and gets some easy finishes around the rim, Washington will crush the bench minutes and win this game. Can the rookie step up?
Now that we know these two teams a bit better, who will take home the win?
Sun vs. Mystics Pick, Best Bet
The Washington Mystics are the better team in every respect. However, they haven’t covered this kind of line against the Sun; their offense isn’t the kind of unit that runs away with games. Even if the defense does its job as expected, they don’t have the firepower to pile up a serious blowout win. Connecticut will cover this spread through sheer inertia.
