It was shaping up to be an exciting game tonight, but unfortunately, the injury bug made an appearance today. The Sparks will be without some of their key starters as the team strives to meet the challenges of this season. On the bright side, the Storm are presented with a great opportunity to strengthen their lead in the standings. With the Valkyrie and Aces closely trailing, this is a crucial game for the Storm against a shorthanded Sparks roster.
Katie Lou Samuelson Out
Cameron Brink Out
Kelsey Plum Out
Odyssey Sims Out
Julie Allemand Out
Rae Burrell Out
Unfortunately, we won’t get to see the best from both teams tonight. The Sparks have been laden with injuries all season, but without Brink, Plum, or Sims tonight, it could be one of their worst nights. Their backcourt was already looking thin, but now it’s going to be held together with shoestrings and bubble gum. However, the frontcourt could still pose an issue for the Storm. With Hamby and Stevens battling down low, this game could turn into a grind-it-out rock fight.
For Seattle, this game is going to be quite interesting. They have the guards to pressure the Sparks all over the court. Diggins will be the main challenge, though. Her ability to drive deep into the paint and finish over larger defenders will be the Sparks’ number one concern. Even so, the Storm have Williams, who has been terrific as a playmaker and shooter. She is currently hitting 43% of her threes, keeping the floor wide open for Ogwumike and Diggins. Overall, this offense looks much more threatening than the Sparks.
Even on defense, the Storm should have the advantage. With Williams and Magbegor, they should be in good shape. With Plum out for the Sparks, there will be a massive hole in the point-of-attack defense for LA. Overall, I don’t see this game being too competitive tonight. Maybe the LA frontcourt can slow it down and grind out some points in the paint, but this team has already struggled this season, even when less injured. Now that they’re down two of their best guards and Brink, they’re at a disadvantage. I think we’ll see Seattle dominate from the first tip and take this one easily. That’s why I’m taking the Seattle moneyline, the over on the 155-point total, and the Seattle spread.
Money line: SEA (-395) / LAS (+310)
Total Points: 155
Spread: -9 SEA (-105) / +9 LAS (-115)
Diggins continues to be one of the most impressive guards in the league this year. Her ability to drive to the basket and finish with the softest touch makes her extremely dangerous. Averaging 18 points per game this year, this line looks excellent against a battered Sparks team. She’s made this line in 5 of her last 7 games, and her shooting remains efficient. The bigs on LA might present some challenges, but I don’t think LA has a point-of-attack defender who can even come close to keeping up with her. I expect her to get a substantial amount of work at the line tonight as well.
Stevens remains a streaky source of points for the Sparks. She fluctuates from 4 to 21 and back to 5 in just three nights. She has also been susceptible to foul trouble and has an inconsistent inside shot. However, I like her tonight with Plum out. I think we’ll see the Sparks battling in the paint all night. This should provide Stevens with some good looks inside or opportunities for putbacks. Overall, we’ll likely know if this line is going to hit in the first quarter based on how inconsistent Stevens is as a scorer.
I think the paint might get a bit crowded tonight for Hamby. Especially with Plum out, it’s going to be up to her to spark the offense as well. That will probably open up the Sparks' point-of-attack defense a bit, which could make it tough for them to contain the Storm's initial play. Particularly with Diggins running downhill, I could see Hamby getting into some foul trouble, impacting her productivity on the glass.
Williams has been somewhat inconsistent with her assists this year. However, she’s had several games where she easily exceeded 5 assists. With Plum, Sims, and Allen all out tonight, the guard lineup for the Sparks will be thin. This should open up the passing lanes for Williams to exploit. The over is a solid pick tonight!