Phoenix Mercury at Seattle Storm (-2.5, 171.5)
By filling up the basket at a record-setting pace and giving little thought to defense, the Phoenix Mercury are starting to look like another fast-break team from their hometown … the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.
The major difference is that the Mercury appear to be able to pull off this style over the long haul. Their 92 points per game is the best in the league and their 88.6 points per game on defense is the WNBA’s worst. However, Phoenix’s blissful ignorance of defense doesn’t seem to matter.
Diana Taurasi and friends have won and covered in five of their past six road games, and have won eight of 10 overall. They face a Seattle Storm (12-7) team that boasts the league’s best defense at 71.3 ppg, but history is on the Mercury’s side.
Last week, Connecticut (15-6) had the WNBA’s top defensive squad before Phoenix came in and delivered a 95-80 beat down. Given that road venues and vaunted defenses don’t bother the Mercury a bit, it’s hard to go against them here.
Pick: Phoenix
New York Liberty at Detroit Shock (-5, 147)
This game involves a tale of two teams struggling to find their way under new leadership amid a season of unfulfilled promise.
The defending-champion Shock have struggled to regain their form under Rick Mahorn, who took over when Bill Laimbeer resigned. Some Shock players have publicly admitted having difficulty in adjusting to Mahorn’s lower-key temperament.
Detroit (6-10) picked up some momentum with a 91-83 home win over the Minnesota Lynx, but was then routed by the Connecticut Sun 83-65 in Detroit.
The underachieving New York Liberty (6-12) fired coach Pat Coyle last week after the latest in a series of uninspired efforts. Coyle was replaced by Anne Donovan.
“I just felt with a full half of a season left perhaps a new voice would jump-start us to get us game by game out of the hole,” Liberty president and general manager Carol Blazejowski said.
Although both clubs continue to struggle, the Liberty have kept four of their past five losses to six points or fewer. They have also covered in two of their past three road games, despite losing and leaving bettors empty-handed in four straight overall.
One of these teams will come away with a renewed outlook on its season, while the other likely will start looking toward next year.
Pick: New York
