We have three WNBA games on Tuesday, with the headliner being a matchup between the 5-2 Phoenix Mercury and 7-0 Minnesota Lynx at 8 p.m. ET. Additionally, the 2-4 Indiana Fever look to pick up their first win since Caitlin Clark was sidelined with a quad injury, going up against the 3-4 Washington Mystics at 7 p.m. ET. In the nightcap, the 3-4 Seattle Storm host the 1-6 Dallas Wings at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Looking to get in on WNBA betting at the best betting sites? Want to play WNBA player props? Let’s check out the top plays for Tuesday, with odds from FanDuel and DraftKings.
Mystics +4.5 -114 (1 unit, FD)
The Fever have really struggled without Caitlin Clark, losing outright to the Mystics and the Connecticut Sun in the two games without her. The Fever scored their fewest points in any game this season against the Mystics (77) and tallied their third-fewest (83) vs. the Sun. The offensive performance against the Sun was more concerning as Connecticut has the worst defensive rating in the league, while Washington ranks fifth in that category.
Besides not having Clark, Sophie Cunningham is out with an ankle injury, another blow to Indiana’s backcourt. The Mystics allow the third-fewest points in the paint per game in the WNBA and have one of the league’s best interior defenders in Shakira Austin. If Washington is able to neutralize Aliyah Boston down low, this could be another game in which the Indiana offense struggles.
The Mystics are also coming off a 22-point defeat to the New York Liberty, easily their biggest loss of the season (their previous biggest was 6 points). You’ll see a motivated Mystics team going up against a Fever squad that they know they can beat, considering they led for the entire second half against Indiana last Wednesday. It’s one thing to ask the Fever to pick up their first win without Clark, but having to win by this margin seems like a tall order for this beat-up roster.
Mercury first half +7.5 -112 (0.5 units, DK)
Mercury second quarter +2.5 +100 (0.5 units, FD)
The Lynx are 7-0 and have the second-best net rating in the WNBA, but they’ve actually failed to cover five straight games. Minnesota has dealt with injuries to Kayla McBride and Napheesa Collier so far this season, but I don’t think the Lynx have been as good as their record.
So in how many games this season have the Lynx outscored their opponent by at least eight points at halftime? That would be one, where they led the Storm by 10 at home with McBride and Collier both playing. But in their last game, with both McBride and Collier in, they trailed by a point at half to the Golden State Valkyries. They’ve also trailed by 10 points at half to the 1-6 Sun and were tied at half in one of their meetings against the 1-6 Wings (they led by seven at half in the other).
The Lynx are in the top 4 in net rating in the first, third and fourth quarters, but have the third-worst net rating in second quarters this season—only in front of two of the worst teams in the league in the Sky and Sun. Why is that the case? In the beginning of the second quarter, they roll with a bench-heavy unit with Collier and McBride sitting for about the first three or so minutes of the quarter. The Lynx have been outscored in five of seven second quarters so far this season, with the two exceptions both coming against the Wings, where they outscored them by a combined six points in the two meetings.
I’ve been really impressed with how well-coached Phoenix has been, as the Mercury are 5-2 despite not having one of their three stars (Kahleah Copper) so far this season and missing another (Alyssa Thomas) the past two games. Satou Sabally has been a monster for the Mercury, but their role players have settled in nicely around her as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Lynx pull away from the shorthanded Mercury later in the game, but I like this tough bunch to hang around to start in what should be a lower-scoring game.
Season Record: 11-9, +4.94 units
