Minnesota at Washington

Minnesota is the best team in the league right now, and Wednesday it proved it again, winning on the road against the league's top-rated defense, 77-66, to extend its winning streak to six. That is the toughest fact working against Washington tonight, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. But the Mystics have been playing their best basketball too, winners of eight of their last ten, with a 93-82 statement win over Toronto their last time out. Washington will not out-score Minnesota. Nobody has managed that this season, and Minnesota ranks second in the league in offensive efficiency for a reason. Washington wins this by controlling the glass and locking in on the other end: Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen both rank inside the league's top five in rebounding, and Washington carries the second-best defensive rating in the WNBA, right behind Minnesota's own. Extra possessions and a slower pace are exactly how a team keeps a heavy favorite from pulling away. Minnesota's Olivia Miles is probable with an ankle issue, a small crack in an otherwise complete roster. Washington is live in a situation I like all season: a home underdog getting points against a team that has won 75% or more of its games, and this is as clean a fit as I will find. Take Washington with the points as my WNBA Game of the Week.