With one game remaining in the WNBA regular season, the Dallas Wings remain in a precarious position. A loss could hand them the eighth seed and a first-round date with the dreaded Minnesota Lynx; a win might improve their path to the Finals. Standing in their way is a plucky Seattle Storm team looking to end their season on a bright note. This one should be a treat.
The Wings enter as 9.5-point road favorites with -425 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Storm are +330 underdogs, with the game total set at 170.5 points.
Let’s dive into a preview, prediction, and pick for this Wings-Storm matchup.
Wings vs. Storm Preview
First things first, we have to look at the injury report, as both teams are quite banged up.
Dallas won’t see Azzi Fudd again anytime soon, as she’s out for the rest of the regular season. Alanna Smith doesn’t have a return date quite yet, and her leg injury might keep her out for part of the playoffs. You can also add Alysha Clark to the list; after being hit in the face on Monday, Clark was removed from the game, and her status for Wednesday’s matchup is up in the air.
Seattle has been bitten by the injury bug, too. Ezi Magbegor, who got a late start to her season, will miss the rest of the year with a torn ACL. Tough news for their star defender. Katie Lou Samuelson will join her on the shelf for the remainder of the season, while Zia Cooke and Taina Mair are banged up. That leaves this struggling Storm team a bit shorthanded.
So far, this matchup has been awfully kind to the Dallas Wings. They’ve beaten the Storm in all three games this year, twice by 20+ points. Their last matchup was a Paige Bueckers masterclass; the star guard racked up 32 points, shooting 12-of-16 from the field. If Bueckers delivers that kind of performance on Wednesday night, a win is sure to follow.
Dallas’s key is its game plan against Dominique Malonga. Seattle’s colossal center causes all kinds of headaches on both sides of the floor, but head coach Jose Fernandez has deployed some solid strategies against her. They need Jessica Shepard to be a menace on the roll, which has been her wheelhouse all season. Arike Ogunbowale needs to knock down some shots over her contests, and pick the right spots to drive when she can. On the other end of the floor, Awak Kuier will shoulder another heavy defensive load trying to rotate into Malonga’s path.
A significant X-factor here is Natisha Hiedeman. Seattle’s point guard is in the midst of a career year despite the team’s struggles; her downhill game and passing skills could make a big difference against a crumbling Wings defense. She has to put pressure on them all night, or the Storm won’t stand a chance.
Now that we know these two teams a bit better, who will take home the win?
Wings vs. Storm Pick, Best Bet
Dallas’ winning ways will continue here. The Mercury needed a miracle effort to snap their six-game winning streak on Monday, and I can’t see the Storm putting in that same kind of effort. The Wings will know what’s on the line here, and with Seattle resigned to the worst record in the league, they won’t be pressing all that hard for a win. The talent gap will be compounded by the motivation gap, handing the Wings a crucial road victory.
