Washington Mystics vs New York Liberty Prediction 5-14-24 Picks

The New York Liberty and Washington Mystics meet Tuesday in WNBA action at the Entertainment & Sports Arena. Here’s a Washington Mystics vs New York Liberty Prediction.

New York Liberty Betting Preview

The New York Liberty are coming off a finals appearance and enter the third year under coach Sandy Brondello. The Liberty are in a posiition to make another run at a championship as they return their top-5 scorers from last season. Of course Breanna Stewart leads the way as one of the best players in the league, but Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Jonquel Jones provide the depth that separates them from most other teams. The Liberty have the scoring and experience to get the job done, but the defense was an issue in the WNBA Finals. Adding first round pick and first-team All-SEC in Marquesha Davis could fix some of those issues if she’s able to hit the ground running. Either way, the Liberty are on the short list of legit WNBA title contenders in 2024.

Washington Mystics Betting Preview

The Washington Mystics made the first round last year with 19 wins and enter the second year under coach Eric Thibault. Many aren’t that high on the Mystics this season, with Natasha Cloud leaving for Phoenix and Elena Delle Donne taking a leave of absence until further notice. That’s two of the Mystics top-3 scorers from last season no longer around, and creates questions. With that said, Brittney Sykes is coming off her best season yet as a 16 point per game scorer on 44 percent shooting. Fan favorite Stefanie Dolson returns to her old stomping grounds, and the Mystics get back Ariel Atkins and Shakira Austin from injury. The Mystics also added Aaliyah Edwards out of UConn with the sixth overall pick, somebody who can contribute right away. The Mystics may be entering a new era and don’t have the star power they had last year, but Washington could still surprise some this season. There are pieces to work with here.

Washington Mystics vs New York Liberty Injury Report

The New York Liberty don’t have any player on their injury report. Third year center Shakira Austin is day to day for the Mystics and is questionable for the season opener, but she did practice yesterday.

Washington Mystics vs New York Liberty Prediction

The New York Liberty are obvious big favorites, given the gap in talent and expectations. The Liberty are one of two elite teams in the WNBA, while the Mystics appear to be entering a bit of a reset. However, as previously mentioned, there’s still enough talent in Washington to where the Mystics could surprise some folks. The cupboard isn’t completely bare for the Mystics, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they made bettors money this season. This line feels a bit iNFLated, and we must remember it is the season opener, where we could see some jitters from both sides. I’ll take a shot with the Mystics and the boatload of points.