The WNBA is set for a massive finish as the clock is ticking quicker than ever for the play-off spots to be sealed. On Saturday night, the Phoenix Mercury are desperate to resurrect their campaign when they play New York Liberty in an inter-conference clash.
The match will be played in the Footprint Center tonight. Both Mercury and Liberty have a big chance of playing in the postseason, but a loss here could worsen their chances. On the outlook, it looks like Mercury is the favorite here, with their opponents having a tough nut to crack.
New York Liberty vs Phoenix Mercury: Odds
| Platform | Mercury | Liberty | Predicted Winner |
| FiveThirtyEight | 60% | 40% | Mercury |
New York Liberty vs Phoenix Mercury: Recent Form
The Phoenix Mercury who were looking out of contention, have managed to claw their way back but they need a couple of results going their way. Overall, their season has been just about par considering their dismal performance streak in the middle of the season.
They have currently settled in 4th position having played 32 games and won 13 of them in the process. Despite having a strong record at home, their away record of 4-14 needs a massive improvement for them to go deep.
On the other hand, the New York Liberty weren’t lucky enough to be on the right side of the results, as they are battling with Dream for the prestigious playoff berth. They are currently sitting in the fourth position, closing the gap to Mystics.
Their ascent has been furthered by their recent victories against Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks respectively. They have a home record of 8-9 and an away record of 5-9 which needs rapid improvement for them to play post-season games.
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New York Liberty vs Phoenix Mercury: Head to head
Mercury have won 19 matches against the Liberty while the Liberty have won 5 times.
The teams have had 7 draws between them.
Both the teams can be exceptionally skilled if they are in good form. Always considered as underdogs, it can be confidently said that the Liberty will have a more versatile approach this time.
Nevertheless, they are always a fun couple of teams to watch.
New York Liberty vs Phoenix Mercury: Best Picks
Tina Charles
The 2012 WNBA MVP has been incredible this season. With her 3-pt prowess and superior rebounding skills, she is the best offensive and defensive package in a player. This center has a tendency to draw fouls AND score and shoot 3s as if they are nothing.
Charles averages 15.4 points, 7.3 rebounds with a 3-pt field goal percentage of 36.4%.
Sabrina Ionescu
Sabrina Ionescu is the Liberty’s lead scorer this season. She excels at three-point shooting and is very proficient in slashing through the defense to bank in a floater with a little finger-roll. Her speed and athleticism helps her get around the court fast enough to put a pause to defensive plays and turn them into offense.
This season, Ionescu has averaged 17.2 points, 6.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds this season. She seems to be on the way to become this season’s MVP with these stats.
Betnijah Laney
The 2021 All-Star Betnijah Laney is definitely one of the top picks for Sunday’s matchup. She excels at shooting, be it from beyond the arc or under the rim. Displaying extreme athleticism, she can weave through the defense with her layups and deploy a step-back-3 pt shot whenever required.
New York Liberty vs Phoenix Mercury: Possible Lineup
New York Liberty: Point Guard – Sabrina Ionescu, Shooting Guard – Sami Whitecomb, Small Forward – Betnijah Laney, Power Forward – Natasha Howard, Center – Stefanie Dolson
Phoenix Mercury: Guard– Skylar Diggins-Smith | Center – Tina Charles | Power Forward– Brianna Turner | Shooting Guard – Diana Taurasi | Small Forward – Diamond DeShields
New York Liberty vs Phoenix Mercury: Prediction
The odds and predictions for this encounter between Mercury and Liberty are not the easiest to call as both sides are capable of producing a high-quality performance. That being said, the pundits are bound to take sides before the battle begins and they have clearly picked Mercury to emerge as the winner.
The FiveThirtyEight website has got the back of Mercury in the clash with a 60% winning chance whereas Liberty has a 30% chance. On the other hand, the Phoenix-based side has the best odds of 100/1 while their opponents have similar odds of 100/1 stacked against them to win the championship, according to Oddschecker.
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