Finally, the Seattle Storm have a chance under the bright lights of Michelob ULTRA Arena to win a pivotal game in the Western Conference battle. But, as always, it won’t be easy. Both teams will enter the game with identical 16-14 records, yet while the Storm arrive on a three-game slide, the Aces are heating up at just the right time.

Sure, the Storm have a shot at winning, but standing in their way is their biggest challenge yet: A’ja Wilson. The reigning and three-time MVP is in peak form, averaging 23 points over her last 10 games. Even in the Aces’ most recent outing, a narrow 78-72 win over the GVS, Wilson delivered a dominant performance with 27 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. So, can Seattle take down the Aces?

Where to Watch?

• TV Broadcast: The game tips off at 07:30 AM ET on ION.
• Streaming Option: Available via FuboTV (free trial available).

Injury Report

So, yes, taking over Aces won’t be easy for Storm. After all, fighting with injured soldiers isn’t gonna add up to your strength, right?

Seattle Storm

Las Vegas Aces

Starting Five

So who’s gonna start for both, Aces and Storm?

Seattle Storm

• Nneka Ogwumike
• Gabby Williams
• Ezi Megbagor
• Skylar Diggins
• Erica Wheeler

LV Aces

• A’ja Wilson
• Nalyssa Smith
• Chelsea Grey
• Jackie Young
• Kierstan Bell

Seattle Storm vs Las Vegas Aces: match preview and prediction

With both the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces sitting at 16-14, Friday night’s showdown at Michelob ULTRA Arena carries major playoff implications. The Storm come into the game on a three-game skid, looking to snap a frustrating home stretch that featured narrow losses to the Fever, Lynx, and LA, whereas the Aces are trending upward, having won back-to-back games over the Valks behind dominant outings from Wilson.

The Seattle Storm has the edge against the Aces as of now. They’ve taken two of the three matchups so far, both wins coming as underdogs. And in the one the Aces won, grinding out a 75-70 victory as three-point favorites, the Storm’s offense sputtered from deep (just 8-for-22) and they barely got to the free-throw line, attempting a grand total of seven shots.

Statistically, the Aces are in a bit of a weird spot. They’re scoring 81.4 points a night (ninth in the league) but giving up 82.7 (also ninth), which works out to a –40 point differential. They’re also getting nudged around on the glass, averaging 33.4 rebounds while letting opponents pull down 35.8. That’s a –2.4 board deficit that no coach likes to see. Still, they’ve got some pop from outside with 8.3 made threes a game (eighth in the WNBA), although they shoot a middling 32.4% from distance, and their opponents have been a touch sharper at 33.9%.

The Storm, meanwhile, sit just a smidge ahead offensively at 81.5 points per game (eighth) while keeping things tighter on defense, allowing only 79 points a night (fourth-best in the league). That gives them a +74 point differential, outscoring teams by 2.5 points per contest. The downside? They’re losing the rebounding battle by 4.2 per game, grabbing just 31.7 boards while opponents haul in 35.9. From beyond the arc, Seattle’s hitting 7.4 triples a game (ninth-most), but their opponents are knocking down seven of their own—basically trading long-range haymakers all night.

In short, both can shoot, both can win ugly, and both will happily hand you a loss if you let your guard down. However, ESPN gives the Aces 58.2% chances of winning.