Washington @ Minnesota picks

Washington traded away leading scorer Brittney Sykes and backup forward Aaliyah Edwards over the last three days. The team will naturally go through an adjustment period with the roster and new rotations, putting them in a vulnerable position on the road. I’ll take Minnesota to cover at home, even with Collier watching from the sideline.

I expect this stretch without Napheesa Collier to be a combination of efforts in scoring to absorb her 23.5 points per game, and tonight is a great chance for forward Alanna Smith to step up for the Lynx. Smith netted a season-high 26 against the Mystics on June 24, so there’s a betting chance she won’t go sub-10 for a third game.