Phoenix Mercury vs Minnesota Lynx Prediction, 9/22/2024 WNBA Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Phoenix Mercury vs Minnesota Lynx

Date: Sunday, September 22, 2024

Location: Target Center in Minneapolis, MN

TV: ESPN

Target Center is the site where and the Minnesota Lynx (30-9) will play the Phoenix Mercury (19-20) on Sunday in Game 1 of their 1st round series.

The Phoenix Mercury played the Seattle Storm and took a loss by a score of 89-70 in their last contest. Phoenix walked away from the contest having earned a 38.1% field goal percentage (24 of 63) and made 6 of their 26 shots from distance. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Mercury buried 16 of their 23 attempts for a percentage of 69.6%. When it comes to pulling down rebounds, they compiled 25 with 7 of them being of the offensive sort. They also recorded 19 assists in the game as well as forcing 10 turnovers and earning 8 steals. When discussing defending, Phoenix allowed 44.9% from the floor on 35 out of 78 shooting. Seattle earned 23 dimes and had 5 steals for the contest. Moreover, Seattle totaled 49 rebounds (23 offensive, 26 defensive) and added 2 blocks. Seattle finished shooting 75.0% at the free throw line by knocking down 6 of their 8 tries. They also buried 13 out of their 36 shots from distance.

Brittney Griner is a player who was a major factor in the matchup. She scored 11 points on 4 out of 7 shooting. She played 22 minutes played and also grabbed 8 rebounds. Griner went 57.1% from the floor but finished the game without a dime.

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Phoenix steps onto the hardwood with a record of 19-20 so far this season. They are averaging 81.7 points per game (7th in the league) on 44.0% from the field. The Mercury are shooting 32.8% on shots beyond the perimeter (335 of 1,020) and 80.3% from the free throw line. As a unit, Phoenix is grabbing 32.3 boards per contest and has accumulated 775 assists for the campaign, which has them ranked 8th in the league in terms of passing the rock. They lose possession by turning the ball over 13.3 times per game and as a squad are committing 17.0 fouls on a nightly basis. When they are on the defensive end, the Mercury are forcing 12.0 turnovers per contest while drawing 16.9 fouls. The Mercury are giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 43.1% (468 of 661) and they relinquish 36.9 rebounds per game as a basketball team. They are 11th in the WNBA in giving up assists to the opposition with 852 surrendered for the season. They give up 34.1% from beyond the arc and they are 10th in the league in points per game from their opponents (84.6).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Minnesota Lynx took a loss by a final score of 68-51 against the Los Angeles Sparks. The Lynx snagged 25 defensive rebounds and 6 offensive boards for a total of 31 for this contest. They also turned it over 17 times, while earning 8 steals for this contest. The Sparks had 12 personal fouls in this game which took the Lynx to the charity stripe for a total of 16 tries. They were able to bury 12 of the free throws for a rate of 75.0%. Concerning 3-point shots, Minnesota converted 7 out of their 23 tries (30.4%). At the conclusion of this game, the Lynx ended up going 16 for 56 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 28.6%. The Lynx allowed the Sparks to convert 25 of 59 attempts from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 42.4% in the matchup. They shot 32.3% from three-point range by connecting on 10 of 31 and ended up shooting 8 of 9 at the charity stripe (88.9%). Concerning team rebounding, Minnesota allowed Los Angeles to snag 31 in total (8 on the offensive side).

Diamond Miller ended up having an impact for the Lynx for this contest. She buried 2 of 8 for the contest for a field goal rate of 25.0%, and added 3 rebounds. Miller recorded 8 points in her 20 minutes on the court, but wasn't able to tally an assist.

Minnesota has a win-loss mark of 30-9 for the campaign. Minnesota has accounted for 3,228 points for the year (82.8 per game) and they grab 34.4 boards per game. The Lynx are responsible for committing 16.5 fouls per contest and they go 79.1% from the charity stripe. When it comes to offense, the Lynx are hitting on 45.1% from the floor, which ranks them 3rd in basketball. They are dishing out assists 23.3 times per contest (1st in the WNBA) and they turn the ball over 13.3 times per game. The Lynx are ranked 3rd in the WNBA in points given up per game with 75.8. The Minnesota defense concedes 30.0% on shots from 3-point land (263 of 876) and their opposition makes 78.6% of their foul shots. They relinquish 18.6 assists and 35.3 boards per contest, which ranks them 1st and 8th in basketball. They are forcing 14.8 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 41.0% from the floor (1st in basketball).

Who will win tonight's WNBA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Phoenix

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