Minnesota Lynx vs. Chicago Sky Prediction, Preview and Odds - 8/21/21
A pair of teams solidly on the right side of the playoff cut line do battle in interconference WNBA action in the Windy City. The Minnesota Lynx are on the road as they travel to face the Chicago Sky Saturday night. Minnesota was swept in a two-game road set by Connecticut as they were dropped 82-71 in the second game Thursday night. Chicago fell 80-76 at home to Dallas in their most recent contest Tuesday night. The Sky won the first meeting between the teams this season, taking a 105-89 victory on the road June 15. That snapped Minnesota’ five-game win streak in the series. Which team comes up with the upper hand in this contest?
Minnesota Lynx Hoping to Bounce Back
Minnesota had been flying high with eight straight wins before running into the buzzsaw that is the Sun as they were swept in a two-game set after falling Thursday night. The Lynx entered Friday 13-9 on the year and stood fourth in the WNBA playoff picture, 3.5 games behind the Aces for the top spot in the standings. On Thursday night, Minnesota never led in the contest as they struggled on the offensive end by the Sun. The Lynx trailed by three after the opening quarter, by six at the half and then were outscored 20-12 in the third quarter to trail by 14. Minnesota closed to within five with 1:14 to play but couldn’t get any closer. The Lynx shot 42.4% from the floor, including five of 14 from three-point range, and lost the rebounding battle 31-22. Sylvia Fowles led Minnesota with 18 points and 11 rebounds in the contest.
On the season, the Lynx are 5th in the league in scoring offense with an average of 81.9 points per game. Minnesota is 9th in rebounding as they collect 34.1 boards a night while the team is fourth in assists by dishing 20.8 dimes a night. The Lynx are tied for third in the league in scoring defense as they give up an average of 79.6 points per contest this season. Sylvia Fowles is second on the team with 16.1 points plus 9.7 rebounds per contest. Kayla McBride (13.8 points), Crystal Dangerfield (7.8 points, 3.3 assists) and Aerial Powers (10 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists) are solid secondary scoring options. Damiris Dantas, Napheesa Collier (16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists), Jessica Shepard, Layshia Clarendon (10.3 points, 5.7 assists), Bridget Carleton, Rachael Banham, Natalie Achonwa and Linnae Harper are looked at to be contributors for coach Cheryl Reeve. Minnesota stands second in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 45.8% from the field as a team this year. The Lynx are tied for 6th in the league in three-pointers per game (seven) and 6th in three-point shooting as they hit 34.5% of their attempts from beyond the arc. Minnesota is 4th in the league in free throw shooting as they hit 82.2% of their attempts at the charity stripe. Powers is out eight to 10 weeks after undergoing thumb surgery June 18 for a torn UCL. Rennia Davis (foot) is out indefinitely at this point in time.
Chicago Sky Looking to Regroup at Home
Chicago lost for the fourth time in six games since their seven-game win streak as they were knocked off at home by Dallas Tuesday night. The Sky entered Friday 11-11 on the season and hold the sixth seed in the WNBA playoff picture, 5.5 games behind the Aces for the top seed. Against Dallas, Chicago trailed by 12 six minutes into the game before cutting the deficit to three after the opening quarter. The Sky led by three at the half and were within one late in the third quarter before giving up a 12-2 run that left them down 67-56 with 7:19 to play. Chicago was unable to get closer than two after that. The Sky shot 41.7% from the field, including eight of 24 from three-point range, and lost the rebounding battle 45-32. Allie Quigley led Chicago with 27 points in the loss.
The Sky is 4th in the league in scoring offense as they muster 82.1 points per contest this season. Chicago is sixth in rebounding (36.3 boards a night) and first in assists by dishing out 21.5 dimes a game. The Sky is good on defense as they are tied for third in the league by allowing an average of 79.6 points a contest. Kahleah Copper is one of five players averaging in double figures for the team with 14.1 points plus 4.8 rebounds a night this season. Candace Parker (12.4 points, 8.6 boards), Astou Ndour-Fall (7.7 points, 5.4 rebounds) and Ruthy Hebard (7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds) are solid secondary options. The Sky can also look to Diamond DeShields (11.8 points), Courtney Vandersloot (10.7 points, 9.3 assists), Allie Quigley (13.4 points), Stefanie Dolson, Brittany Boyd-Jones, Azura Stevens, Natasha Mack and Stephanie Watts to contribute for coach James Wade. Chicago is 7th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 42.8% as a team. The Sky are in the middle of the pack in threes per game as they are tied for 6th with seven per contest: they are 7th in three-point shooting at 33.6%. Chicago comes in first at the free throw line this season as they are shooting 86% at the stripe. Parker left Tuesday’s game with an ankle injury and is questionable here.
Pick: Minnesota Lynx
Both teams had lengthy win streaks but have sputtered since those came to an end. Minnesota had won eight straight but dropped two straight games by double figures to Connecticut on the road. Chicago had won seven in a row but they have lost four of their previous six games entering this contest. The Sky have struggled at home this year, going 4-7 in those contests. Chicago won the first meeting between the teams this season but Minnesota has been playing much better once Collier and Clarendon got into the mix full time. The Lynx are a .500 team on the road and that is enough to help them win a close game here.
Total: Over
The first meeting between the teams this season saw a ridiculous 194 points on the board at the final buzzer. We might not see numbers like that here with these teams being tied for third in the league in scoring defense, but these teams have the ability to put points on the board. Three of the last four matchups between these teams have gone over the mark. Both teams have seen the over hit in 12 of their 22 contests on the season. Seeing how Chicago has seen four of their last five games go over the mark, look for this one to be an offensive bonanza. The over hits here as both teams are content pushing the pace.
