Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner (42) shoots a hook shot over New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones (35) on June 18, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix.
- Breanna Stewart and the league-leading New York Liberty visit Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury on Monday
- New York had an eight-game win streak snapped last time out
- Below, see the New York Liberty vs Phoenix Mercury odds, player props, and predictions for August 26
Coming off a rare loss, the WNBA-leading New York Liberty (25-5, 11-3 away) are back in action on Monday night when they visit the Phoenix Mercury (16-4, 9-4 home) at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ, at 7:00 pm PT/10:00 pm ET.
Despite the Mercury playing the Liberty tough in their two previous matchups this season, the visitors are listed as sizable 5.5-point favorites on Monday night.
New York Liberty vs Phoenix Mercury Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Liberty | -5.5 (-110) | -250 | O 166.5 (-108) |
| Phoenix Mercury | +5.5 (-110) | +205 | U 166.5 (-112) |
New York is also a -250 road favorite on the moneyline while the Mercury come back at +205 to win straight-up. The game total is sitting at 166.5 with the under slightly favored.
Both teams have been decent under bets this season. The Liberty bring a 14-16 O/U record into Monday night. The Mercury are 13-16-1 O/U.
Odds as of August 26 at DraftKings. Check out the top sports betting sites in your state/province.
The Liberty (+143, on average) have surged to the pinnacle of the WNBA championship odds, surpassing two-time defending champion Las Vegas (+285). No other team is shorter than +525. Sitting sixth in the league standings – and poised for a first-round playoff series with the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Lynx – Phoenix is currently a +4000 longshot.
Mercury and Liberty Split First Two Games of Season Series
Matchups with the WNBA’s best have brought out the best in Phoenix this season. The first time the Liberty and Mercury tangled this year – in New York on May 29 – the Liberty emerged with an 81-78 win in a back-and-forth affair which Phoenix led by as many as five in the fourth quarter.
In the rematch in Phoenix on June 18, the Mercury used a massive fourth quarter (30-17) to earn a 99-93 comeback victory, shooting 50% from three in the process (15-of-30). Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi led the Mercury with 19 points apiece while leading scorer Kahleah Copper added 17 and seven assists.
Two-time MVP Breanna Stewart had 28 in a losing effort for the Liberty.
That victory snapped Phoenix’s four-game losing streak against New York, which included losing all three regular-season games in the 2023 season.
New York had been riding an eight-game win streak that spanned the Olympic break until their matchup with Connecticut on Saturday. The Sun overcame a five-point deficit at the end of the first quarter to hand New York its first loss since July 6, and its first home loss since May 23 (a run of 12 straight home wins).
NY Liberty vs PHO Mercury Player Props
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Three-Pointers Made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breanna Stewart (NYL) | 19.5 (Ov -110 | Un -120) | 8.5 (Ov -120 | Un -110) | OFF | OFF |
| Brittney Griner (PHO) | 17.5 (Ov -110 | Un -120) | 6.5 (Ov -105 | Un -125) | OFF | OFF |
| Diana Taurasi (PHO) | OFF | OFF | OFF | OFF |
| Kahleah Copper (PHO) | OFF | OFF | OFF | OFF |
| Sabrina Ionescu (NYL) | 18.5 (Ov -145 | Un +114) | OFF | 5.5 (Ov +110 | Un -140) | 2.5 (Ov -155 | Un +115) |
Player props as of Aug. 26 at DraftKings. See the DraftKings minimum deposit to fund your account.
The player props on offer for this game are a little slimmer than usual. Breanna Stewart is listed with a game-high point total of 19.5, while teammate Sabrina Ionescu is just behind her at 18.5. Griner is the only Mercury player on the board at the time of publication and has a point total over/under of 17.5.
New York’s Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (12.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.6 APG), who hasn’t played since July 6, is listed as “questionable” with a lingering knee injury.
New York Liberty vs Phoenix Mercury Predictions
I have been saying for a few weeks now that the Liberty deserve to be the WNBA title favorites, the lingering presence of presumptive MVP A’ja Wilson notwithstanding. The growth of Ionescu into arguably the league’s best guard has propelled New York into another tier.
That said, Phoenix is well equipped to battle the Liberty. They have excellent backcourt/frontcourt balance – Griner is one of the few players in the league who can truly compete with Stewart in the post – and the Taurasi simply refuses to age.
I will very happily take the points with the home team, along with the under on Stewart’s point total.
Liberty vs Mercury picks:
- Mercury +5.5 (-110)
- Stewart under 19.5 points (-120)
Sascha has been working in the sports-betting industry since 2014, and quickly paired his strong writing skills with a burgeoning knowledge of probability and statistics. He holds an undergraduate degree in linguistics and a Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia.