Team USA at Team WNBA 7/14/21 - Basketball Picks & Predictions
Last Updated: 07/13/2021 at 10:50 AM ET
On Wednesday, the WNBA will hold its All-Star Game in Las Vegas. For the first time, the All-Star Game will pit the WNBA All-Stars against the USA Basketball Women's National Team. Fans, players, the media and coaches voted on picking the final 12 WNBA All-Stars. The WNBA All-Star team will be loaded in the frontcourt with stars such as DeWanna Bonner, Liz Cambage, Dearica Hamby, Jonquel Jones, and Candace Parker. The backcourt also has veterans such as Courtney Vandersloot and young stars such as Arike Ogunbowale, Betnijah Laney, and Kahleah Copper.
Seven of the 12 all stars from the WNBA are playing in their first All-Star Game. Arike Ogunbowale is playing in her first and is fourth in the league in scoring at 20.3 points per game. Other first-timers include Copper, Hamby, Brionna Jones, Laney and Courtney Williams. The WNBA has an excellent inside-outside game with Ogunbowale and Bonner while Candace Parker gives them years of experience.
The US Women’s National Team includes Ariel Atkins, Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Napheesa Collier, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Sylvia Fowles, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Jewel Loyd, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi and A’ja Wilson. Ariel Atkins is the only player on the US National Team playing in her first WNBA All-Star Game. The roster is a mix of Olympic gold medal winners and WNBA champions.
Dawn Staley, who is the head coach at the University of South Carolina, will be the head coach for the USA Olympic team, while former stars in the WNBA Tina Thompson and Lisa Leslie will coach the WNBA All-Stars. This will be the final game for the WNBA until August 11, as the league worked a close-to month-long break into its regular season schedule to allow players representing their countries to participate in the Olympic Games.
All Star Games in any sport are difficult to handicap and this one is no exception. The U.S. Women’s National Team is loaded with WNBA stars and will be led by frontcourt stars A’ja Wilson, Brittney Griner and Breanna Stewart, who are three of the best players in the world. Although the WNBA roster is deep with talent, the U.S. National Team has deeper talent, years of experience with players such as Diana Taurasi and Sylvia Fowles and will use that advantage to pick up a victory on Wednesday. Final Score Prediction, US Basketball Women’s National Team wins and covers ATS 113-104
