Mercury vs Valkyries predictions
If you’re looking at the Phoenix Mercury heading into this matchup, all eyes turn to Satou Sabally—well, except she’ll be sidelined with that ankle injury. That leaves a huge scoring and rebounding gap for Phoenix to fill, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Alyssa Thomas has been a force as a facilitator, racking up assists at a wild pace all season, and I’d expect her to really get the ball moving tonight. Somebody’s going to have to step up on the glass and scoring-wise for the Mercury, and if they can rally behind Thomas’s playmaking, you might see a breakout performance from one of their secondary wings or bigs. Who’s ready for a “next player up” moment?
Now, if you’re following the Golden State Valkyries this year, you know Kayla Thornton has been their go-to scorer and the leader on the boards. She’s been especially relentless at home—and with the crowd at Chase Center behind her, it wouldn’t surprise me if she puts up a double-double. Veronica Burton has quietly become the team’s compass, smoothly controlling the pace and stacking up assists. If Burton can continue to feed Thornton (and maybe catch the Mercury off-guard in transition), the Valkyries’ offense could gain serious traction. Home-court advantage is a real thing here, and that might give these young Valkyries just the boost they need.
Picking a winner always comes with some suspense, doesn’t it? While the Mercury’s overall record is definitely impressive, it’s hard to ignore the absence of Sabally and what that does to Phoenix’s rhythm, especially against a Golden State squad that seems to thrive in front of their own fans. If the Valkyries’ key players click, and their defense keeps up with Phoenix’s ball movement, I’m leaning toward Golden State pulling this one out. Could we see a statement win at Chase Center for the home team? It sure feels like the stage is set for it.
