Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) fights with Seattle Storm forwards Nneka Ogwumike (3) for the ball on Sept. 19, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix. - Source: Imagn

Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Prediction and Betting Tips | May 17, 2025

Modified May 17, 2025 10:02 GMT

The Seattle Storm begin their 2025 WNBA season on Saturday with a trip to Arizona as they face the Phoenix Mercury at PHX Arena. Both teams were dumped out of the playoffs in the first round last year and had complete rebuilds before the season.

Key long-term players from both teams have moved on, and looking to a fresh start, each team will be eager to secure a win. Pre-season results indicate that Seattle has performed better overall, but the Mercury will have the advantage of playing on their home court.

After a disappointing end to their respective seasons last year, both the Storm and the Mercury are eager to start strong. Unlike other games in the opening round, this game doesn't have a clear favorite, making it an interesting watch.

Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Preview, Predicted Starting Lineups, Odds, and Prediction

The game between the Seattle Storm and the Phoenix Mercury is scheduled for tip-off at 10 p.m. ET. Fans can follow the action live on the Arizona Family Sports, CBS 5, KOMO 4 and CW Seattle networks. Viewers online can live stream the game by purchasing the WNBA League Pass.

Here are the odds listed at the time of writing:

Teams	Spread	Total (o/u)	Moneyline
Seattle Storm	-3.5	o158.5 (-111)	-162
Phoenix Mercury	+3.5	u158.5 (-109)	+135

Note: Odds are subject to change closer to tip-off.

Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Preview

The two teams enter this game after a complete overhaul during the offseason. The Phoenix Mercury saw a few key players leave, with Britney Griner and Natasha Cloud being traded, while legend Diana Taurasi retired from the WNBA.

Cloud, alongside Rebecca Allen and Kiki Herbert Harrigan were a part of a three team trade that saw All-Star forwards Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas join the Mercury.

Furthermore, they also signed veteran center Kalani Brown and guard Sevgi Uzun as a part of the deal, leaving them with a revamped roster. Nevertheless, the Mercury have had a slow start, losing both their pre-season games, to the Valkyries and the Aces, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Storm lost their best player, Jewel Lloyd, this offseason after she was traded to the Las Vegas Aces in a three-team deal. In return, they received center Li Yueru and the second pick in the 2025 WNBA draft with which they selected French talent Dominique Molonga.

Nevertheless, the Seattle Storm have started this season with a win and a loss in their two preseason games. They lost to the Las Vegas Aces in their first game before beating the Connecticut Suns by 20 points.

Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Starting Lineups

The Seattle Storm enter the game against the Phoenix Mercury with three players on their injury list: Katie Lou Samuelson, Nika Muhl and Jordan Hortston are out with an ACL injury.

Position	Starter
PG	Skylar Diggins-Smith
SG	Erica Wheeler
SF	Alysha Clark
PF	Nneka Ogwumike
C	Li Yueru

The Mercury, on the other hand, has six players on their injury list. This includes star player Kahleah Cooper (back), Natasha Mack (Undisclosed), Kitija Laksa (Personal), Murjanatu Musa (Personal), Monique Akoa-Makani (knee), and Alexa Held (hamstring).

Position	Starter
PG	Sami Whitcomb
SG	Sevgi Uzun
SF	Satou Sabaly
PF	Alyssa Thomas
C	Kalani Brown

Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Betting Tips

For the Storm, forward Nneka Ogwumike is touted to be their highest scorer. She has an odd of 1.88 for scoring over 17.5 points, which is a great figure, given she had 18 points in the win over the Sun.

Meanwhile, new signing Satou Sabally is expected to be the Mercury's highest scorer with a 1.87 return for over 18.5 points. This is a good betting pick, as the forward will have more of the ball in Cooper's absence.

Seattle Storm vs Phoenix Mercury Prediction

This game is expected to be a competitive one, as both teams have undergone significant rebuilding. However, the Storm have key players like Diggins-Smith and Ogwumike, who could give them a slight advantage.

Moreover, the Mercury haven't won any of their preseason games and are dealing with a long injury list, making the Storm the favored team in this matchup.

About the author

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

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