Washington Mystics vs. Las Vegas Aces Prediction, Preview and Odds - 8/15/21
The second half of the WNBA season gets underway with an interconference matchup on the hardwood in the Silver State. It’s the Washington Mystics on the road as they make the trip to face the Las Vegas Aces Sunday evening. Washington went into the Olympic break on the strength of an 89-85 overtime road win over Chicago July 10 in their most recent contest. Las Vegas picked up a 95-79 road win over Dallas in their previous game on July 11. The Aces have won four of the last five matchups between the teams, including a 96-93 road triumph in the first meeting this season on June 5.
Washington Mystics Look to Build Momentum
Washington went into the Olympic break with a win as they snapped a four-game slide by edging the Sky in overtime on the road. The Mystics enter the second half of the season holding the eighth and final playoff spot in the WNBA playoff picture by half a game over the Wings. Against Chicago, Washington used a 15-4 run to end the first quarter with a nine-point advantage and led by as many as 11 in the fourth quarter only to see Chicago rally to force overtime. In the extra session, the Mystics scored the first six points and didn’t relinquish their advantage en route to the win. Washington shot 44.3% from the floor, including eight of 24 from three-point range, and won the rebounding battle 44-35. Tina Charles led the Mystics with 34 points and 17 rebounds in the win.
The Mystics are seventh in the league in scoring offense with an average of 81.9 points per contest this season. Washington comes in 9th in the league in rebounding (34.6 boards per game) and is 5th in assists by handing out 19.6 dimes a night. The Mystics are ninth in the league in scoring defense by allowing an average of 83.8 points a contest. Tina Charles leads the Mystics with 26.3 points and 10 rebounds per contest this season. Ariel Atkins is one of two other players scoring in double figures as she puts up 16.8 points a night. Erica McCall, Myisha Hines-Allen (14 points, 7.1 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 40.8% from the floor as a team. The Mystics are second in the league in threes per game (9.7) and stand 7th in the league in three-point percentage (33.5%) on the year. Washington is excellent at the charity stripe as they are fourth in the league by sinking 82.5% of their chances this season. Elena Delle Donne is currently still out as she continues her recovery from offseason back surgery. McCall (knee) and Zellous (ankle) are out indefinitely at this point in time.
Las Vegas Aces Fighting for Top Spot in WNBA Playoff Picture
Las Vegas won their final game before the Olympic break, snapping a two-game skid, as they beat the Wings on the road. The Aces enter this game 15-6 on the season, leaving them second in the WNBA standings, one game behind league-leading Seattle for the top spot. Against Dallas, Las Vegas started slowly as they trailed by six after the opening quarter and by seven early in the second quarter, before regrouping. The Aces rallied to lead by six at the half and then pulled away in the second half as their depth was too much for the Wings to handle. Las Vegas shot 50.7% from the floor, including three of eight from three-point range, and hit 24 of 30 free throws in the victory. Dearica Hamby and A’ja Wilson (13 rebounds, eight assists) each had 22 points to lead the Aces.
The Aces come into this contest at the top of the pack in scoring offense, ranking first with 90.7 points per game. Las Vegas is 1st in the league in rebounding (39.3 boards a game) and stand fourth in the league in assists by handing out 21 dimes per contest. The Aces have been average on the defensive end of the floor as they are 6th in the league in scoring defense by allowing 80.9 points a game. A’ja Wilson leads the Aces with 19.4 points, nine rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Liz Cambage (14.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.7 blocks), Jackie Young (12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds) and Kelsey Plum (13.5 points) are all solid secondary options on the offensive end. Coach Bill Laimbeer also can call on Chelsea Gray (11.5 points, 6.1 assists), Dearica Hamby (11.7 points, 7.1 boards), Riquna Williams (nine points), Ji-Su Park, Emma Cannon and Destiny Slocum to contribute on both ends of the floor. Las Vegas is first in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 46.7% from the field as a team this season. The Aces are 11th in the league in threes per game (five) and second in three-point shooting at 36.2% on the year. Las Vegas is currently sixth in free throw shooting at 82% on the season.
Pick: Las Vegas Aces
While the Mystics did win their final game before the All-Star and Olympic breaks, they had dropped four straight prior to that. Washington is also missing McCall and Zellous while Delle Donne has yet to play a minute of game action this season. Las Vegas is the league’s top scoring offense and they will beat you down inside with regularity. While Charles leads the league in scoring, she’s only one player and can’t guard both Wilson and Cambage in the low block. The Aces simply have too many weapons for most teams to handle at full strength. Being shorthanded proves to be the Mystics’ undoing as the Aces earn the home victory.
Total: Over
Both teams are going to be knocking off the rust from the break but the fact remains that the Aces are the league’s most dangerous offensive team. The only teams to really slow them down are the Sun (twice), the Lynx and the Sparks. All of those teams are good defensive teams, which is something that the Wings won’t be confused with by any stretch. Las Vegas has seen the over hit 14 of their 21 games on the season. Washington has seen the over hit in 12 of their 18 games go over the total this season. The first meeting this season saw the teams combine for 189 points. We might not get that high here but this one still is a high-scoring game that blows past the mark.
