Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
Los Angeles Sparks by 7Welcome to this tantalising WNBA matchup as the Los Angeles Sparks square off against Golden State Valkyries. Now forgive me for not breaking out the bubbly, but it's worth noting this is Golden State's first ever game, so how they'll perform is about as uncertain as my teenage son's plans for the future.
The Sparks, for lack of a better term, were anything but sparky last season, registering an underwhelming record of 8-32. Despite this, have some players who can flash on the court. Dearica Hamby, for instance, showing more consistency than my Wi-Fi, averaged 17.2 points and 9.3 rebounds last season. Let's also note Kelsey Plum, producing more buckets than a beach vacation with her 18.1 points per game.
Unfortunately, our crystal ball is on the fritz for Golden State. They're a Smorgasbord of mystery and potential. Though quite a few players might be names to remember. All eyes should be on Monique Billings, known to scrape the boards with a mean of 5.9 rebounds, not to mention scoring 7.7 points per game. Tiffany Hayes is another, putting up 9.7 points on an average game – let's see if she can turn those into golden numbers.
Now, recent history is as useful to the Valkyries as a chocolate teapot, but it does highlight sparks of hope for the Sparks. Despite losing more than winning, they've shown the ability to catch fire, like when they scorched Minnesota Lynx 68-51.
So, where does that leave us for this WNBA opener? Well, I'm predicting the advantage to lean towards the Sparks. Experience in the league is like good cheese, it's hard to beat. So with fingers crossed that it's not as error-prone as my holiday barbecue, here's my prediction:
Albert’s Prediction: Los Angeles Sparks by 7
Albert
See some of the stats I‘m using to make this prediction
Top Player Stats
Recent Results
Win-Loss Record
Seeds