Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Predictions and Betting Odds

Phoenix Mercury has set a showdown clash with Seattle Storm in the second round of the WNBA Playoffs.

Banking on the heroics of Sophie Cunningham and Brianna Turner Phoenix got a slender 83-82 win over New York  Liberty in the First Round Playoff clash On Thursday.

Phoenix will now travel to Seattle as the home side will have an edge when they take on Phoenix at the Angel of the Winds Arena.

Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Predictions and Betting Odds: Recent Form

A massive three-pointer from Betnijah Laney tied the game with the clock ticking very fast. But Turner came to the rescue of Phoenix against New York Liberty as she converted a free throw to lead her side to the second round of the playoffs.

Sami Whitcomb’s shooting foul allowed the Phoenix to have two free throws. Turner calmly put the second throw into the basket as Phoenix fixed a second-round playoff clash with Seattle.

Brittney Griner scored 16 points alongside 10 rebounds while Skylar Diggins-Smith came up with 22 points and five assists. Cunningham added another 21 points as Mercury cruised past New York Liberty in a very heated game.

Seattle Storm on the other hand incidentally finished their regular season with a high-profile win over Mercury. Jewell Loyd was the star of the match as Seattle got away with a 94-85 win.

Loyd was unplayable in the first quarter as she accumulated 22 points in the first 10 minutes. She was again at it as he snapped up a crucial five points to deny the Phoenix a chance to come back into the game.

Seattle had anticipated a win would give them a much-needed rest and they will have the time to prepare for their home clash in the second round elimination.

Loyd hit a perfect 4-for-4 as he ended the first half with 28 points with some impeccable shooting. Loyd ran the show as her couple of free throws saw Seattle taking a lead. The gap was quite healthy with the scoreline showing 61-47 in favor of the Storm at halftime.

Just before the final buzzer Loyd tried a shot from the left beyond the arc but was fouled by  Shea Peddy. Later a video referral showed the foul did happen before the final horn and the official awarded three free throws to Seattle.

Loyd converted all three to help Seattle taking a huge lead over their rivals.

But Phoenix kept the pressure and came back roaring in the final minutes as they reduced the gap to four points. But It was Loyd again in the closing minutes. She was fouled while trying a shot and hit the free throw to take a seven points lead.

Kia Nurse then had the chance to bring Phoenix to the game but he missed a three-pointer and Loyd took the ball in the rebound. But she was again fouled by Diggins-Smith and she put the free throw in to make it 94-85.

Phoenix had a couple of chances from downtown but couldn’t make it count.

Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Predictions and Betting Odds: Predicted Winner

Seattle Storm will be hosting Phoenix Mercury in the second round of the WNBA 2021 playoff. Seattle Storm has had a better tournament as compared to Phoenix Mercury. This season the two teams have met thrice with Seattle Storm winning twice and Phoenix Mercury winning just one game. The recent form and also considering the home advantage, Seattle Storm is well placed to win against the visitors, Phoenix Mercury.

The latest Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Predictions and Betting Odds also gives Seattle Storm an edge over Phoenix Mercury. According to FiveThirtyEight, the win probability of Seattle Storm for this game stands at 63% while the chances of Phoenix Mercury defeating Seattle Storm is 37%.

Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Predictions and Betting Odds: Match Details

Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury

Scheduled Date and Time: Sunday, 26th September, 3 PM EST

Host Team: Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena

Where to Watch: The national broadcast partners of the WNBA are ABC, TNT, ESPN and NBA TV.  For out of market or online viewing use WNBA League Pass.

Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Predictions and Betting Odds: Head to Head

Both Seattle and Phoenix have met each other in the past a number of times. Seattle has managed to claim 29 wins while the Mercury has 25 wins in their kitty. The former has 4205 points in their kitty in this fixture while the latter has 4164 points.

Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Predictions and Betting Odds: Team News

Sue Bird will be leading the Storm in the second-round playoff. She currently holds the record for delivering the most number of assists and is the best bet for Seattle to claim their third WNBA title in the last four years.

Bird has been with Storm since 2002 and has been a pivotal part of the core team setup. She is averaging a whopping 5.3 assists in the last 30 games.

Bird will be accompanied by Breanna Stewart and Loyd. Stewart is currently placed third in scoring and is second when it comes to blocking. Loyd is positioned seventh in the scoring chart.

On their day this trio could wreak havoc in the opposition ranks. With a place in the semifinal in offing, both the teams will try to match up each other’s standards.

Seattle was a part of the Seattle SuperSonics organization. The WNBA teams were on the verge of collapse as the USA’s economic crisis had sent the franchise’s future into the doldrums.

But avid Seattle supporter Dawn Trudeau, Ginny Gilder, and Lisa Brummel formed Force 10 Hoops LLC  to keep the franchise up and running.

On the other hand, Phoenix has been one of the most stable franchises. They are a part of the Phoenix Suns organization and are one of the eight original franchises since the inception of the WNBA. They have one of the most loyal fan bases who has been them in their ups and downs.

They lost the Championship final in 1998 and since then couldn’t make it to playoffs seven of the next eight years. But the arrival of Diana Taurasi changed their scheme of things and they eventually went on to lift the title in 2007. Since then except in 2008 and 2012 they have been one of the regulars in the playoffs.