Washington Mystics vs. Phoenix Mercury Prediction & Game Preview - July 23, 2023 | WNBA

On Sunday, July 23, the Washington Mystics and Phoenix Mercury will go toe-to-toe in a cross-conference matchup. Neither franchise has enjoyed a good season this year, with Washington sitting fourth in the East and Phoenix residing fifth in the West.

However, the Mystics have won almost double the amount of games to the Mercury, with 11 wins versus Phoenix's 6. While the Mercury is out of the playoff picture, the Mystics are one win streak away from crashing the party. As such, we should expect Washington to come into Sunday's looking to dominate from the opening tip.

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Washington Mystics vs. Phoenix Mercury: Prediction

It's hard to look past the Mystics in their upcoming game against the Mercury. While Phoenix is on a two-game win streak, they've struggled all season and boast a .286 win percentage after 21 games. As such, the Mystics will likely feel like Sunday's game is a chance for them to halt their two-game slide and get back into the win column.

At this point, the Mercury are playing for pride in the WNBA. While that could be a genuine motivating factor, it shouldn't be enough to see them overcome a Washington team that is looking to crack the top three in their conference and earn a postseason opportunity.

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Washington Mystics Roster

PLAYER	POS	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	DOB	EXP	FROM
Ariel Atkins	G	5-10 ft	167 lbs	JULY 30, 1996	5 yrs	TEXAS-AUSTIN/USA
Shakira Austin	C-F	6-5 ft	190 lbs	JULY 25, 2000	1 yrs	MISSISSIPPI/USA
Natasha Cloud	G	5-10 ft	160 lbs	FEBRUARY 22, 1992	7 yrs	ST. JOSEPH'S (PA)/USA
Elena Delle Donne	F-G	6-5 ft	187 lbs	SEPTEMBER 5, 1989	9 yrs	DELAWARE/USA
Queen Egbo	F-C	6-4 ft	190 lbs	JUNE 29, 2000	1 yrs	BAYLOR/USA
Cyesha Goree	F	6-2 ft	lbs	AUGUST 4, 1993	R	MICHIGAN/USA
Linnae Harper	G	5-7 ft	160 lbs	JANUARY 31, 1995	2 yrs	OHIO STATE/USA
Tianna Hawkins	F	6-3 ft	186 lbs	MARCH 2, 1991	9 yrs	MARYLAND/USA
Myisha Hines-Allen	F	6-1 ft	200 lbs	MAY 30, 1996	5 yrs	LOUISVILLE/USA
Li Meng	G	6-0 ft	198 lbs	JANUARY 2, 1995	R	CHINA/CHINA
Abby Meyers	G	6-0 ft	154 lbs	JULY 14, 1999	R	MARYLAND/USA
Brittney Sykes	G	5-9 ft	154 lbs	FEBRUARY 7, 1994	6 yrs	SYRACUSE/USA
Kristi Toliver	G	5-7 ft	130 lbs	JANUARY 27, 1987	13 yrs	MARYLAND/USA
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough	G	5-10 ft	140 lbs	MAY 18, 1995	6 yrs

Phoenix Mercury Roster

PLAYER	POS	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	DOB	EXP	FROM
Sophie Cunningham	G	6-1 ft	170 lbs	AUGUST 16, 1996	4 yrs	MISSOURI/USA
Skylar Diggins-Smith	G	5-9 ft	145 lbs	AUGUST 2, 1990	9 yrs	NOTRE DAME/USA
Liz Dixon	F	6-5 ft	195 lbs	SEPTEMBER 29, 2000	R	LOUISVILLE/USA
Brittney Griner	C	6-9 ft	205 lbs	OCTOBER 18, 1990	9 yrs	BAYLOR/USA
Megan Gustafson	C	6-3 ft	195 lbs	DECEMBER 13, 1996	4 yrs	IOWA/USA
Moriah Jefferson	G	5-6 ft	130 lbs	MARCH 8, 1994	6 yrs	CONNECTICUT/USA
Michaela Onyenwere	F	6-0 ft	178 lbs	AUGUST 10, 1999	2 yrs	UCLA/USA
Shey Peddy	G	5-7 ft	145 lbs	OCTOBER 28, 1988	4 yrs	TEMPLE/USA
Kadi Sissoko	F	6-2 ft	165 lbs	JANUARY 25, 1999	R	SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA/USA
Sug Sutton	G	5-8 ft	140 lbs	DECEMBER 17, 1998	1 yrs	TEXAS-AUSTIN/USA
Diana Taurasi	G	6-0 ft	163 lbs	JUNE 11, 1982	18 yrs	CONNECTICUT/USA
Brianna Turner	F	6-3 ft	170 lbs	JULY 5, 1996	4 yrs	NOTRE DAME/USA

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Washington Mystics vs. Phoenix Mercury: Where to watch

You can watch the contest on CBS, WNBA League Pass, and FUBO.

The game will be played at the Climate Pledge Arena and is set to tip off at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

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Washington Mystics vs. Phoenix Mercury: Players to watch

The Mystics will lean on the offensive production of Natasha Cloud and Brittney Sykes to help lead them past the Mercury. Both Cloud and Sykes are averaging double-digits in points per game, with the latter dropping 17 points per contest throughout the WNBA season.

On the other side of the court, Brittney Griner is having herself an impressive season and will likely be the most gifted offensive player in the game. However, the Mercury doesn't have the required depth to be a genuine threat against the Mystics.

It's worth noting that the Mystics will be missing four of their primary rotation players. Shakira Austin, Elena Delle Donne, Kristi Toliver, and Ariel Atkins are all set to miss the contest through injury. While the Mercury will be without Skylar Diggins-Smith due to personal reasons and Diana Taurasi due to a quad injury.