Atlanta Dream vs. Washington Mystics Prediction, Preview and Odds - 6/17/21
A pair of Eastern Conference teams take the floor in WNBA action down in Hotlanta looking to pick up a victory. The Atlanta Dream are on the road as they make the trip to face the Washington Mystics Thursday night in the back half of a home-and-home set. In the first game of the home-and-home series, it was Atlanta defending their home floor with a convincing 101-78 demolition of Washington to ensure no worse than a split. That victory for the Dream snapped a seven-game Mystics’ win streak in the series. Will Atlanta sweep the home-and-home set or will Washington bounce back to pick up a victory in this one?
Atlanta Dream Seeking Sweep of Home-and-Home
Atlanta snapped a four-game skid as they took down Washington in one-sided fashion at home in the first game of this home-and-home series. The Dream entered Wednesday 5-6 on the season, leaving them with the fifth seed in the WNBA playoff picture though they are just half a game ahead of the ninth-place Sky to remain on the right side of the playoff cut line. On Sunday, Atlanta trailed 7-0 less than two minutes into the game and were down 11 in the second quarter before regrouping. The Dream took a two-point lead at the half and, after the Mystics tied the game in the opening minute of the third quarter, used a 14-2 run to go up 65-53 with 6:25 to play in the third. Atlanta didn’t look back from there en route to the win. The Dream shot 50.7% from the field, including 13 of 29 from three-point range, and forced 17 Washington turnovers. Courtney Williams led Atlanta with 21 points and three steals in the victory.
The Dream is 4th in the league in scoring offense coming into this contest as they average 83.5 points a game this season. Atlanta is 9th in the league in rebounding (35 boards a night) and stands 10th in assists with an average of 17.7 per game. The Dream are 11th in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 86.5 points a contest this season. Tiffany Hayes is one of three players for the Dream scoring in double figures as she puts up 17.8 points a night. Chennedy Carter contributes 15.7 points plus 3.5 assists per contest. Odyssey Sims, Crystal Bradford, Tianna Hawkins, Elizabeth Williams, Monique Billings, Courtney Williams (17.5 points, seven rebounds, 4.1 assists), Aari McDonald, Cheyenne Parker and Shekinna Strickland are other key rotation pieces for coach Nicki Collen. The Dream are 7th in field goal percentage as they shoot 41.8% from the floor as a team. Atlanta stands tied for seventh in threes per game (7.4) and 9th in three-point percentage as they hit 33.6% of their long-range attempts. The Dream is 12th in the league in free throw percentage as they shoot 72.1% from the stripe as a team this year. Carter (elbow) is out indefinitely after getting injured in the game against the Liberty May 29.
Washington Mystics Looking to Bounce Back
Washington saw their two-game win streak come to an end as they were drubbed soundly by Atlanta on the road Sunday. The Mystics fell to 4-6 on the season and entered Wednesday 10th in the WNBA standings, half a game behind the Sparks for the final playoff spot. Washington started strong, leading 7-0 early and 33-22 with 8:11 to play in the first half before getting outscored 29-16 to trail by two at intermission. The Mystics tied the game in the opening seconds of the second half before seeing the Dream go on a 14-2 run to put them in a 12-point hole. Washington couldn’t get closer than 10 the rest of the way. The Mystics shot 37.7% from the field, including 11 of 27 from beyond the arc, and allowed Atlanta to shoot 50.7% in the game. Myisha Hines-Allen led Washington with 16 points and six rebounds in the loss.
The Mystics are sixth in the league in scoring offense with an average of 81.5 points per contest this season. Washington comes in seventh in the league in rebounding (35.1 boards per game) and is 9th in assists by handing out 18.1 dimes a night. The Mystics are seventh in the league in scoring defense by allowing an average of 82.6 points a contest. Tina Charles leads the Mystics with 24 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest this season. Ariel Atkins is one of two other players scoring in double figures as she puts up 18 points a night. Erica McCall, Myisha Hines-Allen (14.7 points, 7.6 boards), Natasha Cloud, Theresa Plaisance, Sydney Wiese, Kiara Leslie, Stella Johnson, Shavonte Zellous, Leilani Mitchell and Jillian Alleyne are key pieces for coach Mike Thibault. Washington is 11th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 39.7% from the floor as a team. The Mystics are third in the league in threes per game (9.4) and stand 8th in the league in three-point percentage (33.9%) on the year. Washington is excellent at the charity stripe as they are second in the league by sinking 85% of their chances this season. Elena Delle Donne is currently still out as she continues her recovery from offseason back surgery. Wiese (ankle) left the game against the Sun May 28, missed the last four games and is questionable here. Charles is out here as she will be at the Tribeca Film Festival for the premiere of her film, “Game Changer.”
Pick: Atlanta Dream
We saw Atlanta take care of business with an emphatic victory on Sunday at home. Strangely, the Dream have been better on the road (3-2) this season than they have been at home (2-4), so they have that going for them. Throw in that the Mystics still don’t have a timetable for Delle Donne to take the floor and they won’t have Charles for this game to make things look bleak for Washington. After all, Charles leads the league in points per game while ranking tied for sixth in rebounding this season. Without her, Washington doesn’t have enough firepower to come up with a win. Look for Atlanta to sweep the home-and-home series as they prevail here.
Total: Under
While Sunday’s meeting went over the total, one has to temper expectations for this contest in regards to the number here. Losing Charles for this game is a massive blow for the Mystics because of her production. Without her, that means Atkins and Hines-Allen have to shoulder the load while hoping that some of the other rotation pieces can step up and contribute. Atlanta has seen the over hit in six of their 11 games on the year while Washington has seen the over connect in seven of their 10 contests. Without Charles though, it’s too much to expect the Mystics to dent Atlanta’s suspect defensive play enough to push this total. Look for the contest to end up falling short of the mark.
