Washington Mystics vs. Atlanta Dream Prediction, Preview and Odds - 6/13/21
A pair of Eastern Conference teams take the floor in WNBA action down in Hotlanta looking to pick up a victory. The Washington Mystics are on the road as they make the trip to face the Atlanta Dream Sunday afternoon in the front half of a home-and-home set. Washington knocked off Los Angeles 89-71 at home Thursday night in their most recent contest. Atlanta played the second game of their two-game set at home with the Storm Friday night, losing 86-75 to get swept. Last season, the Mystics won both meetings, including an 85-78 “road” win in the bubble in the most recent contest on September 13, 2020. That gave Washington seven straight wins in the series.
Washington Mystics Look to Build Off Win
Washington took care of business against a shorthanded Los Angeles squad to earn their second straight victory Thursday. The Mystics improved to 4-5 on the year and entered Saturday holding the eighth and final playoff spot in the WNBA playoff picture. Against Los Angeles, Washington jumped to a 6-0 lead in the opening 1:37 and didn’t let the Sparks closer than four after that. The Mystics led by nine after the opening quarter, by 10 at the half and by as many as 24 in the second half en route to the easy win. Washington shot 42.3% from the field, including 11 of 26 from three-point range, and controlled the glass by a 43-31 margin. Ariel Atkins led the Mystics with 23 points while Tina Charles moved into second all-time in WNBA history in double-doubles with her 158th as she had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
The Mystics are fourth in the league in scoring offense with an average of 81.9 points per contest this season. Washington comes in eighth in the league in rebounding (35.3 boards per game) and is 8th in assists by handing out 18.4 dimes a night. The Mystics are sixth in the league in scoring defense by allowing an average of 80.6 points a contest. Tina Charles leads the Mystics with 25.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest this season. Ariel Atkins is one of two other players scoring in double figures as she puts up 18.3 points a night. Erica McCall, Myisha Hines-Allen (14.5 points, 7.8 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 10th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 39.9% from the floor as a team. The Mystics are third in the league in threes per game (9.2) and stand 7th in the league in three-point percentage (33.2%) on the year. Washington is excellent at the charity stripe as they are second in the league by sinking 85.7% 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 three games and is questionable here.
Atlanta Dream Hoping to Get Back on Track
Atlanta dropped their fourth straight game after a four-game win streak as they were swept in a two-game home set with the defending champion Storm. The Dream entered Saturday 4-6 on the season and stood tied for ninth in the WNBA standings, half a game behind the Mystics for the final playoff spot. Atlanta held a two-point edge after the opening quarter but was outscored 25-13 in the second quarter to go down 10 at the half. The Dream was unable to make a sustained push in the second half as they failed to get closer than six the rest of the way. Atlanta was held to 36.1% shooting from the floor, including four of 18 from beyond the arc, and lost the battle of the boards 41-33 while allowing Seattle to shoot 50.8% in the contest. Courtney Williams led the Dream with 19 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.
The Dream is 5th in the league in scoring offense coming into this contest as they average 81.8 points a game this season. Atlanta is 9th in the league in rebounding (35.2 boards a night) and stands 11th in assists with an average of 17.5 per game. The Dream are 11th in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 87.4 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 (17.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists), Aari McDonald, Cheyenne Parker and Shekinna Strickland are other key rotation pieces for coach Nicki Collen. The Dream are 8th in field goal percentage as they shoot 40.9% from the floor as a team. Atlanta stands tied for seventh in threes per game (6.8) and 9th in three-point percentage as they hit 32.1% of their long-range attempts. The Dream is 12th in the league in free throw percentage as they shoot 71.6% from the stripe as a team this year. Carter (elbow) is out indefinitely after getting injured in the game against the Liberty May 29.
Pick: Washington Mystics -4
Atlanta simply hasn’t been the same without Carter in the mix for their backcourt as she was a good scoring option, not to mention a valuable facilitator. Without her, McDonald has tried to step in but she’s not the scoring option that Carter is right now. Washington has won two straight games coming into this one as the return of Hines-Allen to play alongside Charles and Atkins has made them a more dangerous team. Atlanta has been streaky all season long and even playing at home doesn’t inspire confidence in them at this point. The Mystics are just 1-2 on the road, including a loss that gave the lone victory to the Fever this season, but they are playing well at the moment. Give Washington the edge here.
Total: Over 166
Washington is in the middle of the pack on both ends of the floor, though they need to find a way to knock down some shots with more consistency in order to have success. The Mystics have gone over the total in six of their nine contests this season. Atlanta has struggled on the defensive end of the floor and that has helped lead to the over hitting in six of their 11 games entering this one. Five of the last seven meetings between these teams have gone over the mark. With Atlanta sputtering on the defensive end and Washington clicking offensively at the moment, you have to think that this one winds up over the mark.
