The WNBA season is back in full swing, and fans will get to see a game against a top team vs. a bottom team on August 19th.
The Seattle Storm are currently in fifth place and will most likely have a solidified playoff spot this season. They lost their last game against the Indiana Fever 75-92. However, Jewell Lloyd had a great game with 26 points. Nneka Ogwumike also played well, with 14 points and nine rebounds. Lastly, Skylar Diggins-Smith had a 15-point game.
The Mystics are 12th in the league right now and last in their conference. They lost to the Minnesota Lynx 83-99 last game. Stefanie Dolson led the way for her team with 23 points. Shakira Austin had 16, but no other player had more than 11, which is a big reason why they lost and have struggled a lot this season.
Which of these teams will bounce back from their loss?
Game Details
Fixture: Washington Mystics @ Seattle Storm
Date and Time: August 19th, 2024 @ 7:00 pm EST
Location: Entertainment & Sports Arena, Washington, D.C.
Where to Watch: Fox 13 - MNMT - Amazon Prim Video - WNBA League Pass
Seattle Storm Team Review
Jewell Lloyd is currently the lead scorer for Washington, with 20.4 points per game. Lloyd is also doing well in the rebounding and assist department, with 4.6 REB and 4.0 AST per game. Ezi Magbegor is leading in rebounds with 8.6 per game and in blocks with 2.4 per game.
Skylar Diggins-Smith is the assist leader with 6.4 per game, and Nneka Ogwumike is the steal leader with 2.0 per game. It's interesting to look at this team's PPG column. They're doing well this season, as they are in fifth place, but they don't have a lot of big-time scorers.
Lloyd and Ogwumike are the main providers for the roster, and after them, the scoring drops off a bit. There was a game where Lloyd was the lead scorer with just 13 points. However, they do well because the whole team typically contributes to every game, giving them a big boost.
Washington Mystics Team Review
The Mystics leading scorer is Ariel Atikins with 15.5 points per game. She also leads the team in steals with 1.5. Aaliyah Edwards is the rebounding leader with 5.8 per game and the blocking leader with .9 per game. Lastly, Julie Vanloo leads in assists with 4.9 per game.
Washington's problem is that they don't have consistent scorers. They have multiple games where they don't get more than 70 points and a game where they just had 59. It's a pretty flat offense that could use a big boost. There's a good chance they get the No. 1 draft pick next year and pull Paige Beuckers which could be huge for them.
Who to Watch
Seattle Storm
Keep an eye on Jordan Horston this game if you want to see someone who could have a surprising scoring night. She had a 20-point game this season and has had some decent numbers while averaging 25.0 minutes per game. She is also a consistent rebounder and decent at getting her hand in the cookie jar for a quick steal. We could see her having a 13+ point game.
Washington Mystics
Aaliyah Edwards is going to be a solid player for a long time. She's been a rebounding machine, but she's still working on getting more buckets. The forward has had some fantastic 20+ point games this season and could do it again. In a game against a top team, it'll be important for her to show out for Washington.