The Seattle Storm travel to Dallas to face the Wings on Sunday, with both teams dealing with significant injuries but heading in opposite directions.
The Seattle Storm (7-30, 8th in Western Conference) will look to snap a losing skid when they visit the Dallas Wings (21-16, 4th in Western Conference) on August 23 at 8:00 PM UTC. The Wings are coming off a 91-85 home win over the Indiana Fever that snapped Indiana’s five-game winning streak, while the Storm dropped an 82-80 heartbreaker to the Chicago Sky on August 16. With both teams missing key players, the edge appears to lie with Dallas, who have the better record and home-court advantage, but Seattle’s recent close losses show they can compete.
Seattle Storm: Battling Through Adversity
The Storm’s 7-30 record reflects a difficult season, but they’ve been competitive in recent outings, including an 84-82 loss to Portland and the two-point defeat to Chicago. In that game, Dominique Malonga posted a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds, continuing her emergence as a bright spot. Jade Melbourne added 6 assists. However, Seattle’s injury report is extensive: Jordan Horston, Natisha Hiedeman, DiJonai Carrington, Skylar Diggins, and Rickea Jackson are all out, while Aicha Coulibaly is day-to-day. That leaves the bench to step up significantly, and Malonga will need to carry the load again. The Storm’s margin for error is razor-thin, but they’ve shown they can hang with teams late.
Dallas Wings: Riding High After Big Win
The Wings snapped Indiana’s five-game streak with a 91-85 victory, powered by a season-high 32 points from Arike Ogunbowale and a career-best 26 from Jessica Shepard, who also grabbed 8 rebounds. Paige Bueckers dished out 8 assists, though she and Caitlin Clark both had off shooting nights. Dallas sits 4th in the West with playoff seeding still in flux, and they’ll want to protect home court. However, they’re not without injury concerns: rookie star Azzi Fudd is out for the season with a knee injury, and the list also includes Christyn Williams, Haley Jones, Aziaha James, Costanza Verona, Michelle Onyiah, Bree Hall, and Damiris Dantas. Despite that, the Wings have enough firepower in Ogunbowale and Shepard to be dangerous.
Head-to-Head: Key Matchups and X-Factors
This game pits a shorthanded Storm squad against a Wings team that, despite injuries, has more depth and recent success. The key will be whether Seattle can contain Arike Ogunbowale, who is capable of taking over games. On the other side, Dallas will likely focus on limiting Dominique Malonga’s production in the paint. Both teams have struggled with consistency, but the Wings’ home-court advantage and momentum from their last win give them a clear edge. The X-factor could be Seattle’s bench, which will need to produce points against a Dallas defense that just held the Fever to 85.
- Dominique Malonga: 19 points and 13 rebounds in last game for Seattle
- Arike Ogunbowale: Season-high 32 points against Indiana
- Jessica Shepard: Career-best 26 points in the Wings’ last outing
- Seattle’s injury list: 5 players out, 1 day-to-day
- Dallas’s injury list: 8 players out, including Azzi Fudd
Prediction
Given Dallas’s superior record, home court, and recent victory over a strong Indiana team, they should be favored. Seattle has shown resilience but lacks the depth to sustain a full game against a Wings team that just scored 91. Expect Ogunbowale to lead the Wings to a comfortable win, covering the spread. Prediction: Dallas Wings 88, Seattle Storm 74.
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