The Wings are heading to the Pacific Northwest today to take on the surging Storm. Coming off a strong pre-All-Star Break push, the Storm managed to climb the standings. With the Wings finding some success in July as well, we’ll see which team can keep up the pace as we move toward the final stretch.
Maddy Siegrist Out
Myisha Hines-Allen Questionable
DiJonai Carrington Probable
Katie Lou Samuelson out
This is going to be one of the better matchups tonight, even though the sportsbook doesn’t agree. The Wings have really shown a solid turnaround, and while they’re not a playoff team, they’ve had their moments. Bueckers has been the main reason for optimism here. She’s having one of the most impressive rookie years ever and is nearly on track with some of Clark's numbers. She’s been an incredible resource, with her scoring ability coming out in full force lately. She’s not alone on this team, as the addition of Li Yueru has made a world of difference in filling in for Siegrist. Her post presence helped the Wings go on a mini run in June. Since then, though, it’s been four straight losses for this team, as they struggle to keep up the intensity. However, even with their record at 6-17, this team can still be feisty on any given night.
The Storm, on the other hand, look like professionals in comparison. They’re made up of some of the best role players in the league, with Diggins leading the group. While their star power might be less than, say, the Lynx or Liberty, they’ve shown they can get it done. They’re a middle-of-the-road offense, averaging 80 points a game, but their defense is third in the league for points allowed. There aren’t many weak spots on this team at all. Everyone is capable of playing high-tier team basketball, which can be some of the best to watch in the entire league. Overall, the needle on this team is only trending upward lately, as they’ve crawled to a 14-9 record halfway through the season.
The matchup between these two should be excellent. Bueckers will be a challenge for Seattle, but without another scoring threat behind her, I don’t think she can carry the team alone. I expect Bueckers to have a good night, but the rest of the Wings might struggle to keep up around her. For the Storm, I believe they’ll prioritize the post tonight. Going against Li Yueru, their former teammate, could create some scoring opportunities and lead to consistent points. Since Ogwumike and Magbegor have both been increasing their scoring, I don’t feel confident about the Wings' frontcourt defense tonight. That’s why I’m choosing the Seattle moneyline, the under on 165 total points, and the Dallas +9 spread.
Money line: DAL (+340) / SEA (-440)
Total Points: 165
Spread: +9 DAL (-108) / -9 SEA (-112)
Bueckers has gradually become one of my favorite players this year. Even with the team struggling, she’s gaining experience, and you can see real improvement in her games. Her scoring has recently improved. She’s scored over 18 points in 7 of her last 10 games, often reaching the 20s. Her ability to drive and attack the paint makes her a very dependable scorer. Even though her three-point shooting is still weak, 18 points is well within her comfort zone.
Diggins has not been a scoring tsunami lately. Even as the leading scorer on the team, her performance over the last month has been much more modest, averaging around 12 points per game. The ball just hasn’t been flowing for her. With a limited range, too, if she’s not getting around a player and attacking, her offense can dry up in an instant. Even though she’s one of my favorite players in the league, I don’t see her hitting the 17-point mark tonight against Dallas.
This is the first time that Yueru is facing off against Seattle after they traded her. However, the trade has worked out tremendously for Yueru and Dallas. She’s been the rebounding and post presence they desperately need to help lock down the post. Even though she’s not getting any massive 30-minute runs, she’s been rock solid on the boards since arriving in Dallas, with over half her games grabbing at least 7 boards. I think she’s a good bet to hit that number again tonight.