Dallas Wings vs. Washington Mystics Prediction, Preview and Odds - 8/28/21
A pair of teams fighting for playoff positioning do battle in an interconference matchup on the WNBA hardwood in the nation’s capital. The Dallas Wings are on the road as they travel to face the Washington Mystics in the second game of a two-game set Saturday night. In the first game of the two-game series, it was Dallas earning an 82-77 road victory Thursday night to gain the early upper hand. That extended the Wings’ win streak to four games in the series, including a pair of triumphs this year. Will Dallas continue their mastery of the Mystics or will Washington bounce back at home and earn a split of the series?
Dallas Wings Going for Two-Game Sweep
Dallas managed to come up with a win on the road over Washington to take the first game of this two-game set of teams jostling for playoff position. The Wings entered Friday 11-14 on the year and held the seventh seed in the WNBA playoff picture, one game ahead of ninth-place Los Angeles to remain on the right side of the cut line. Against Washington, Dallas was flat in the first half before getting things going in the second half to earn the win. The Wings were down eight after the opening quarter, by 12 in the second quarter and by nine at the half. Dallas cut the lead to one after three quarters and trailed by three with 2:50 to play before closing the game on an 8-0 run to earn the victory. The Wings shot 47.8% from the field, including five of 18 from three-point range, and held a 35-25 advantage on the glass. Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 26 points and nine assists in the victory.
The Wings come into this one third in the league in scoring with 83.6 points per game this season. Dallas is fifth in rebounding (36.2 boards per contest) but rank 8th in the league in assists with 18 per game. The Wings are struggling defensively, ranking 8th by allowing 82.9 points per contest. Arike Ogunbowale (18.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists) is one of five players scoring in double figures for the Wings this season. Allisha Gray (11.5 points), Marina Mabrey (13.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists), Isabelle Harrison (10.5 points, 5.7 rebounds) and Kayla Thornton (7.8 points, 5.5 rebounds) are all capable scoring options as well. Charli Collier, Tyasha Harris, Chelsea Dungee, Awak Kuier, Moriah Jefferson, Satou Sabally (12.4 points, 6.3 boards), Dana Evans and Bella Alarie all can be looked to for minutes for coach Vickie Johnson. The Wings are eighth in the league in field goal percentage as they hit 42.8% as a team. Dallas is fourth in three-pointers per game (8.3) and stand third in the league in three-point shooting as they hit 36.6% from long range. The Wings are second in free throw shooting as they convert 83.9% of their chances at the stripe. Sabally (Achilles) missed the last three games and is questionable for this contest. Gray (concussion) missed Thursday’s game and is questionable here.
Washington Mystics Looking to Earn Split of Two-Game Set
Washington lost for the fifth time in their last six games as they faded in the second half again against Dallas. The Mystics dropped to 9-15 on the year and entered Friday 10th in the WNBA playoff picture, one game behind the Liberty for the final playoff spot. On Thursday, Washington led by eight after the first quarter and held a 12-point edge in the second quarter. The Mystics were up nine at the half and still held a three-point advantage with 2:50 to go in regulation but failed to score again. Washington surrendered the last eight points of the game to end up with the loss. The Mystics shot 48.3% from the floor, including nine of 22 from three-point range, but they clanked six of 18 free throws while committing 13 turnovers in the game. Myisha Hines-Allen led Washington with 16 points, five boards and four assists in the loss.
The Mystics are seventh in the league in scoring offense with an average of 80.8 points per contest this season. Washington comes in 8th in the league in rebounding (34.4 boards per game) and is 7th in assists by handing out 19 dimes a night. The Mystics are ninth in the league in scoring defense by allowing an average of 83.3 points a contest. Tina Charles leads the Mystics with 25.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per contest this season. Ariel Atkins is one of two other players scoring in double figures as she puts up 16.1 points a night. Erica McCall, Myisha Hines-Allen (13.5 points, 7.6 boards), Natasha Cloud, Theresa Plaisance, Sydney Wiese, Stella Johnson, Shavonte Zellous, Leilani Mitchell, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Megan Gustafson are key pieces for coach Mike Thibault. Washington is 11th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 40.7% from the floor as a team. The Mystics are second in the league in threes per game (9.2) and stand 8th in the league in three-point percentage (33%) on the year. Washington is in the middle of the pack at the charity stripe as they are fifth in the league by sinking 81.6% of their chances this season. Elena Delle Donne made her season debut against the Storm August 22 after recovering from offseason back surgery. She left Thursday’s game early with a back issue and is questionable here. Charles (hip) has been ruled out for the third straight game here.
Pick: Dallas Wings
Dallas took the opening game of this two-game set as they rallied down the stretch to earn the road victory. Injuries are critical on both sides with Sabally and Gray questionable for the Wings while Delle Donne is questionable for Washington. Missing Charles, who leads the WNBA in scoring, remains out with a glute injury. We’ve seen Washington lose three games since the Olympic break where they held the lead in the second half, including a pair of road losses to Las Vegas. That happened Thursday night and with the Mystics being a bit shorthanded, it’s tough to have faith in them right now. Fade the Mystics as the Wings sweep the two-game series.
Total: Under
Dallas has seen the under go 14-10-1 in their 25 games on the season after Thursday’s contest. The Wings have seen three of their four games since the Olympic break fall under the number and four of their last six dating back to before the All-Star Game. Washington has seen the under hit in 11 of their 24 games though each of their last four and five of their last six have ended up short of the mark. With Charles and potentially Delle Donne missing, that tempers offensive expectations for the Mystics. Seven of the last 10 meetings between the teams have ended up under the total after Thursday’s contest and this one is another one that comes up short of the number.
