WNBA Preview | August 19, 2026

A two-game Wednesday closes with a genuine rarity, the top-seeded Lynx visiting the only team they haven't beaten yet. Tempo at Mystics tips at 7:30, followed by Lynx at Valkyries at 10:00.

Tempo Visit a Washington Team Locking Down a Playoff Spot

Toronto Tempo @ Washington Mystics | 7:30 PM ET | WNBA League Pass

Washington sits seventh at 20-14, firmly in the playoff field, while Toronto remains 13th at 10-24 and hasn't won in ten straight games. The Mystics enter fully healthy, a real advantage against a Toronto roster that had Julie Allemand and Maria Conde sit out their last game, with Nyara Sabally also out.

DraftKings has Washington -9.5, with the total at 170.5. A healthy, playoff-positioned Washington team against a Toronto squad missing multiple rotation pieces and mired in a ten-game losing streak is about as clean a favorite as the schedule offers. Lean Washington -9.5.

Toronto wins if they finally snap their ten-game losing streak and their shorthanded rotation finds enough offense to keep pace with a healthy Washington team.

Washington wins if Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen continue the form that has defined their playoff push, and the Mystics take care of business against a clearly overmatched opponent.

PICK

WAS -9.5

O/U 170.5

Under ↓

Mystics win and cover behind health and playoff positioning.

Lynx Visit the Only Team They Haven't Beaten

Minnesota Lynx @ Golden State Valkyries | 10:00 PM ET | WNBA League Pass

KEY STAT

101.4

Golden State's league-leading defensive rating, allowing 70 points or fewer in a league-high ten games this season.

This is a genuine rarity this late in a season: Golden State is the only active WNBA team Minnesota hasn't beaten yet, having lost both meetings so far despite being three games clear of the Valkyries in the standings. Both teams arrive red-hot, Golden State on a six-game winning streak just after clinching a playoff spot, Minnesota on a four-game streak of its own. Golden State's defense has been the story of their season, leading the league in defensive rating and holding opponents under 60 points twice, also a league high.

Minnesota boasts three All-Stars in this game, headlined by rookie sensation Olivia Miles and MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier, and the Lynx remain the best team in the league by record. But history in this specific matchup complicates the read, and Golden State's defensive identity is exactly the kind of system that has given Minnesota trouble twice already this season.

DraftKings has this close, Minnesota -2.5, with the total at 164.5, one of the lowest of the season. Given the head-to-head history and Golden State's defensive numbers, the underdog is worth real consideration even against the better overall team. Lean Golden State +2.5.

Golden State wins if their league-best defense continues suffocating Minnesota's offense the way it has in both meetings this season, and the Valkyries carry their six-game streak to a signature result.

Minnesota wins if Miles and Collier's two-way talent finally breaks through against the one defense that has given them trouble, and the Lynx's collective depth proves decisive down the stretch.

PICK

GSV +2.5

O/U 164.5

Under ↓

Valkyries keep it close behind the league's best defense and real head-to-head history.

What to Watch For Tonight.

Minnesota trying to solve the only defense that has beaten them twice this season is the story of the night, a genuine test for the league's top overall team against a Golden State squad playing its best basketball at exactly the right time. Washington's home game against Toronto is about as clean a spot as a playoff-positioned team gets, a fully healthy roster against a shorthanded opponent riding a ten-game losing streak.

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