Last season, the Valkyries and Storm battled it out for playoff seeding all the way down to the last day. This season, Golden State remains in the playoff picture, while Seattle’s rebuild has taken them to the bottom of the standings. Will the Valkyries continue to move up in the Western Conference standings? Or will the Storm get to play the spoiler?
Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET. The Valkyries are 10.5-point home favorites with -485 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. A Storm upset is priced at +370, with the game total set at O/U 157.5 points.
Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Storm-Valkyries game.
Valkyries vs. Storm Preview
Golden State is all about the defense. Defense gave them the platform last season, and this year is no different. Adding Gabby Williams to this group of extremely talented perimeter defenders feels unfair. Despite the lack of size on the roster, the Valkyries have done an incredible job funneling shots into the spots they want. They are in the top three in two-point attempts allowed and two-point percentage allowed. The trade-off is a lot of made threes: Golden State is dead last in three-point percentage allowed. But, considering their offensive style, they can live with the variance.
No team creates more points from beyond the arc than the Valkyries. They’re number one in three-point attempts and three-point percentage. And they can ALL shoot: eight of the nine Valkyries rotation players are shooting above 33% from deep. With Veronica Burton’s drive-and-kick game putting opposing defenses in rotation, they move the ball well, turning a good shot into a great one. It’s a formula that comes with issues, but they can tap into that variability with their shot-making, which raises their night-to-night ceiling.
Seattle’s rebuild was more or less forced on them, but early in the season, it felt like they could be scrappy. The Storm sat at 3-4, coming off back-to-back wins and riding their defense and youthful energy to victories. Since then, things have completely collapsed: Seattle has lost seven straight games, and the tank is fully on.
Still, they can’t help being competent defensively. Dominique Malonga is still quite raw and is an extremely impactful defensive force. Rookie No. 3 overall pick Awa Fam is beginning to figure things out on that end. Jordan Horston brings a strong presence on the less glamorous side of the floor. Their other first-round pick, Flau’jae Johnson, has brought a lot of energy. It all adds up to a defense that allows a measly 42.1% shooting from opponents, the third-best mark in the league.
Questions remain loud on the offensive end of the floor. Natisha Hiedeman is the de facto No. 1 option, a role that’s a bit beyond her talent level. Flau’jae has been awfully inefficient as a shooter. Malonga is struggling without playmakers to set the table for her. What this team desperately needs is a ball-moving point guard, and Hiedeman isn’t cutting it so far.
Now we have a good idea what to expect from these teams. Who is going to come out the winner?
Valkyries vs. Storm Pick, Best Bet
While both teams lean toward defense-first hoops, they come about it in two very different ways. The Storm are all size up front, trying to protect the paint while banging down low on offense. Golden State lacks size but has skill and spacing all over the court.
That’s a matchup that thoroughly favors Golden State. If the Storm had the passing to put their bigs in good spots, I’d be more confident in them. The Valkyries will test Seattle’s movement skills with their three-point shooting and ultimately break this defense. A barrage of threes, plus the ability to force turnovers, will be the difference for Golden State in this game.
