Golden State Valkyries vs Phoenix Mercury Prediction & Picks - WNBA

Prediction published on 8/22/25, 6:50 PM  by Paul Tamayo in WNBA Picks

The Golden State Valkyries (18-17) visit the Phoenix Mercury (21-14) on Friday, August 22, at the Footprint Center. 

This is the fourth time that the Mercury and Valkyries will face each other this season. The Mercury have won all three games so far, with an average winning margin of only 5.6 points.

However, the Mercury are coming off a disappointing 83-61 loss to the Las Vegas Aces. Only Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally scored in double digits for the team. As a whole, the Mercury only shot 31% from the field.

Meanwhile, the Valkyries are also coming off back-to-back losses. Interestingly, their last defeat came at a 98-91 loss to the Mercury. Veronica Burton impressed with a double-double performance of 24 points and 14 assists, but they didn't have an answer for the Mercury's balanced offense.

The Mercury and the Valkyries do share something in common: they're both good on defense. They're 4th and 5th in defensive rating, respectively. On the other end, they're 7th and 8th in offensive rating. 

Expect another tightly-contested battle between these two teams. Kahleah Cooper is listed as day-to-day in the Mercury's injury report, while Cecilia Zandalasini, Monique Billings, and Kayla Thornton will not suit up for the Valkyries.