Sparks vs Mercury WNBA Pick: Who Has The Edge In This Western Conference Showdown? (Aug 26)

• The Los Angeles Sparks are 17-18 and have the second-worst record in the Western Conference.
• The Phoenix Mercury are 22-14 and tied with Las Vegas for the No. 3 spot in the league playoff race.
• These teams previously squared off on Jun. 1, with the Mercury claiming an 85-80 victory.

One of the games on Tuesday’s WNBA slate features the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Phoenix Mercury. Who emerges victorious in our Sparks vs Mercury pick?

Sparks Look To Make It Two Straight

Los Angeles has gone 2-1 in its last three contests, including an 81-80 victory over the Dallas Wings on Aug. 20.

The Sparks led 18-16 after the first quarter and held a 44-37 advantage at the break. However, Dallas responded with a 29-15 scoring edge in the third quarter, setting the stage for a memorable finish.

Los Angeles trailed 80-79 with 1:03 left to play. Fortunately, Dallas committed a turnover and Aziaha James missed a 3-pointer, giving the Sparks the final possession. Kelsey Plum came off a screen set by Dearica Hamby and hit a left-hand floater as time expired, enabling the home team to escape with a narrow victory.

Rickea Jackson was the Sparks’ top scorer. She paced the offense with 25 points, five rebounds, and two steals. Despite a poor shooting night (9-for-23 overall and 1-for-9 from deep), Plum contributed 20 points and grabbed four rebounds.

Phoenix Shooting For Its Fourth Win in Five Games

Following an 86-83 loss to the Las Vegas Aces, the Mercury have gone 3-1 across their previous four contests. This stretch includes an 81-72 win against the Golden State Valkyries on Friday.

Phoenix led 41-31 at the break and 67-54 through three quarters. While the Valkyries won the fourth-quarter scoring battle by an 18-14 margin, it wasn’t enough to keep the Mercury from notching their 22nd victory of the season.

Monique Akoa Makani led the way with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. DeWanna Bonner added 14 points and six rebounds off the bench. Alyssa Thomas finished with a triple-double that included 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 16 assists. This marked the sixth time she’s accomplished the feat this season.

Sparks vs Mercury WNBA Pick

Los Angeles is ranked last in scoring, but owns the second-best scoring average in the league (86.4 PPG). Meanwhile, Phoenix is ranked seventh in offensive efficiency and has the fourth-lowest defensive rating, allowing 101.9 points per 100 possessions.

The Sparks are winless in the previous five meetings between these franchises. That said, look for the Mercury to cruise to an easy victory in this Western Conference matchup.