Minnesota Lynx vs Washington Mystics Prediction, 8/21/2026 WNBA Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Minnesota Lynx vs Washington Mystics

Date: Friday, August 21, 2026

Location: CareFirst Arena in Washington, DC

TV: ION

Odds/Point Spread: Minnesota (-4.5)

The Minnesota Lynx (30-7) are headed to CareFirst Arena on Friday where they'll meet the Washington Mystics (21-14). Washington opens this matchup as 4.5 point underdogs. The over/under has been set at 164.5.

The Minnesota Lynx faced off with the Golden State Valkyries and earned the victory with a final of 77-66 in their last game. Minnesota walked away from the contest with a 50.0% field goal percentage (28 of 56) and knocked down 7 of their 19 3-pointers. From the charity stripe, the Lynx converted 14 of their 16 tries for a rate of 87.5%. With respect to hauling in boards, they compiled a total of 32 with 7 of them being offensive. They also doled out 14 dimes in this matchup while forcing 13 turnovers and having 9 steals. In relation to the defense, Minnesota allowed the other team to shoot 32.5% from the floor on 25 of 77 shooting. Golden State distributed 12 dimes and had 7 steals in this contest. Moreover, Golden State snagged 29 rebounds (12 offensive, 17 defensive) and added 2 rejections. Golden State ended up going 81.8% from the free throw line by converting 9 of 11 shots. They buried 7 out of their 37 shots from distance.

Kayla McBride is someone who played a role for this contest. She accumulated 20 points on 6 out of 13 shooting. She was on the court for 36 mins and grabbed 1 rebound. McBride finished the game shooting 46.2% from the field and also earned 1 assist.

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Minnesota heads into this game with a win-loss mark of 30-7 on the year. The Lynx are connecting on 39.4% on shots from 3-point land (343 of 871) and 80.9% from the free throw line. They average 92.2 pts per game (2nd in the WNBA) while hitting 48.5% from the field. They lose possession via turnover 12.5 times per game and as a unit are committing 18.4 fouls on a nightly basis. As a team, Minnesota is pulling in 34.6 boards per contest and has totaled 808 dimes this season, which has them ranked 1st in basketball in terms of passing the ball. On defense, the Lynx are forcing their opponents into 14.7 turnovers per game while drawing 16.5 personal fouls. The Lynx defensively are giving up a field goal percentage of 43.1% (543 of 610) and they surrender 32.7 rebounds per game as a group. They rank 9th in the league in allowing assists to the opposition with 756 relinquished so far this season. They give up 32.3% on 3-point attempts and they rank 3rd in the WNBA in points per game allowed (83.4).

When they last stepped on the court, the Washington Mystics went home victorious with a score of 93-82 against the Toronto Tempo. The Mystics were able to pull down 29 defensive boards and 14 offensive rebounds totaling 43 for this contest. They turned the ball over 16 times, while recording 5 steals in the matchup. The Tempo were called for 25 fouls in this game which took the Mystics to the charity stripe for 28 shots. They were able to convert 24 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 85.7%. When it comes to 3-point shots, Washington made 9 of their 27 attempts (33.3%). When the final whistle blew, the Mystics ended up going 30 for 66 from the field which had them shooting 45.5%. The Mystics allowed the Tempo to convert 28 of 65 tries from the field which had them at 43.1% in this contest. They finished 40.7% from 3-point land via 11 out of 27 and ended up shooting 15 out of 23 at the free throw line (65.2%). In the matter of rebounding, Washington allowed Toronto to pull down 27 overall (7 on the offensive side).

Kiki Iriafen ended up being important for the Mystics in the game. She buried 8 out of 12 for this contest for a field goal rate of 66.7%, and totaled 13 rebounds. Iriafen earned 21 points in her 29 minutes on the hardwood, but didn't record an assist.

Washington has a win-loss mark of 21-14 this season. Washington has tallied 2,868 pts for the season (81.9 per game) and they grab 37.9 boards per game. The Mystics are responsible for committing 19.9 fouls per contest and they hit 73.1% from the charity stripe. As an offense, the Mystics are connecting on 44.3% from the field, which ranks 11th in basketball. They are dishing out assists 19.4 times per contest (12th in the WNBA) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 15.2 times per contest. The Mystics defensively are ranked 2nd in the WNBA in points given up per game with 82.3. They have conceded 19.5 dimes and 30.5 rebounds per contest, which ranks them 4th and 1st in the WNBA. The Washington defense gives up 33.2% on shots from 3-point land (306 of 921) and opponents are knocking down 78.0% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have forced 12.2 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 42.4% from the field (1st in the league).

Who will win tonight's WNBA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Minnesota (-4.5)

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