The WNBA is back after their month-long break from the Olympics, and open up with a matchup between the Phoenix Mercury (13-12, 6th overall) and the Chicago Sky (10-14, 8th overall). The Mercury had three players on their team win a gold medal in Paris in the games. This will be the first of three meetings between these teams this season. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 EST from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
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Phoenix Brings Home Gold Medals
It has been over a month since the Phoenix Mercury have played a game, but three of their players just went to Paris and picked up some gold medals to bring back home. Kahleah Copper, Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi all won gold in the Olympics as part of Team USA. Copper had 12 points in the gold medal game, playing a big role for team USA, while Griner played only a few minutes and Taurasi was a DNP for the final game. Phoenix has plenty of talent, but they are still only 6th in the overall standings, and are 3.5-games behind the Aces for the five-seed.
Copper played a big role for Team USA in the Olympics, and is having a strong season with 23.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG. She is a 6’1 guard and before the break she put up 36 points on the Fever and 32 on the Wings. Brittney Griner is getting back into form, she is a 6’9 center who missed the first few games of the season, but is not averaging 18.6 PPG and 6.4 RPG on the year. She played in the Olympics, but came off the bench as the coaching staff primarily used A’ja Wilson inside. Diana Taurasi was also an Olympian, but the 42-year old may have been given a spot due to her career-service rather than her currently being one of the best 12 American born players. She is still a threat in the WNBA, where she averages 16.1 PPG and 4.7 RPG, and is the top outside shooter on the team with 2.7 made threes per game.
The Mercury are currently 4th out of 12 teams in the league in scoring with 83.8 PPG, but their defense only ranks 10th by allowing 85.8 PPG. They are 5th in the league in made threes, but only 11th in rebounding, signifying that they may focus on their perimeter play as opposed to battling inside. Copper is their best player, and is currently second in the WNBA in scoring.
Sky Fighting for Playoff Berth
The Chicago Sky are currently sitting at 8th in the WNBA, which would give them the last spot in the WNBA Playoffs. They currently hold a three game lead over the Dream who sit in 9th, and are tied with the Fever who sit in 7th. Chicago did not have any Olympians, but Angel Reese is a rising star in the league, and Chennedy Carter is the leading scorer for the Sky and practiced against Team USA to help the team prepare for the global games.
Carter is averaging 17.2 PPG as a 5’9 guard. She tweaked her ankle in a practice against Team USA, she is listed as day-to-day, but is likely to play in this game. She is a tough perimeter defender, and also scored 34 points in her last game before the break against the Aces. Angel Reese is second in the league in rebounding, just behind A’ja Wilson, as Wilson gets 12.0 RPG and Reese gets 11.9. Reese also averages 13.5 PPG, and is a tough presence inside defensively as a 6’3 forward. Marina Mabrey is another scorer on the perimeter, she is a 5’11 guard with a strong all-around game, as she averages 14.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 4.5 APG. Mabrey had a 21, 12 and 7 game right before the Olympic break.
The Sky are 10th in the league in scoring at 79.3 PPG, and are sixth in scoring defense while allowing 81.2 PPG. They shoot the least threes per game by a wide margin, as they only attempt 14.5 threes per game, and the 11th ranked team shoots 17.5 per game. The Sky are the best rebounding team in the WNBA, averaging 36.8 boards per game to lead the league.
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Best Bets for Phoenix Mercury vs. Chicago Sky
Full-Game Side Bet
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There will be an Olympic hangover here, as the Mercury will come into this game slightly over confident after three of their players just won the gold medal, and the Sky will come in hungry as they fight for their final playoff spot. This Chicago team is better than any international team in the Olympics, and the three Mercury players will have to readjust to playing the actual top players in the world again. Their impact on the gold medal may also be overrated, as the only player on the Mercury who was a consistent contributor to the gold medal win was Copper. Griner supplied some minutes off the bench, and Taurasi was basically there as a veteran presence who did not even play in the gold medal game. The Sky are a strong team, and lead the WNBA in rebounding. They will look to play bully-ball inside and attack the paint, keeping this game close.
Take the Sky plus the points.
Prediction: Sky +3.5
Full-Game Total Pick
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The first game back after a month off will not be a game played in the 80s and 90s. This will go under the total. The defenses will be fresh, as fatigue will not be an issue, even for the three Mercury players who just played in Paris. The trouble will come offensively, where the teams will show signs of rust from not practicing together every day. The offensive sets will not be run as smoothly as usual, but the defensive effort will still be there, which is why this will go under the number. The Sky like to dominate the paint, they lead the WNBA in rebounds, and will be going up against Brittney Griner in the middle who can erase shots on the defensive end. Expect the first game back to be a low scoring battle.
Take the under.
Prediction: Under 164.5
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