Valkyries vs. Storm prediction: Golden State favored to win WNBA Opening Night matchup [5/8/2026]

The Seattle Storm and Golden State Valkyries are scheduled to meet in the WNBA at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday, starting at 10:00 PM ET.

Based on the latest simulation results, Dimers' proven WNBA model predicts the Valkyries as the most likely winner of the Valkyries vs. Storm game.

The Storm, with star players such as Dominique Malonga, Natisha Hiedeman and Flau'jae Johnson, will face off against the Valkyries, whose lineup includes Tiffany Hayes, Gabby Williams and Veronica Burton.

This article offers further insights into Friday's matchup, including best bets and player prop picks.

Valkyries vs. Storm prediction: Who will win and cover?

Using innovative machine learning and statistical analysis, we have simulated the result of Friday's WNBA matchup between the Valkyries and Storm, forming part of our WNBA predictions coverage.

Our famous predictive model currently gives the Valkyries a 72% chance of beating the Storm.

According to our model, the Valkyries (-5.5) have a 54% chance of covering the spread, while the 156.5-point over/under has a 62% chance of going over.

Valkyries vs. Storm odds

We have sourced the best WNBA odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

Bet Type	Valkyries	Storm
Spread	-5.5 (-110)	+5.5 (-102)
Moneyline	-238	+210
Total	o156.5 (-110)	u156.5 (-105)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Valkyries vs. Storm picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best available odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

Bet Type	Pick	Bet Now
Spread	Valkyries -5.5	-110
Moneyline	Valkyries	-238
Total	Over 156.5	-110

According to our WNBA best bets, the top play to make on this game is Over 156.5 total points.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the sportsbook odds.

Valkyries vs. Storm player props

WNBA prop bets are a popular way to wager on Friday's Valkyries vs. Storm game without necessarily betting on the outcome. We use the best information available to project how each team's leading players will perform at Climate Pledge Arena.

Tiffany Hayes is expected to lead the Valkyries with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, while Dominique Malonga is projected to have 15 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists for the Storm.

Check out our WNBA player projections for a full range of projected box scores, including points, assists, rebounds and today's WNBA first basket picks.

Valkyries prediction

Our model's projected player stats for the Valkyries are:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	3PM	DFS
Tiffany Hayes	13	5	3	2	28
Gabby Williams	12	4	4	1	28
Veronica Burton	11	5	6	1	32
Janelle Salaun	10	4	1	1	20
Kayla Thornton	9	5	1	1	20

Storm prediction

Projected points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers made for the Storm:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	3PM	DFS
D. Malonga	15	9	2	0	36
N. Hiedeman	14	3	4	2	28
F. Johnson	11	3	2	1	23
Jade Melbourne	5	2	2	1	13
Stefanie Dolson	5	3	2	1	14

Valkyries vs. Storm game-day updates and essential details

Friday's game between the Storm and Valkyries at Climate Pledge Arena is scheduled to commence at 10:00 PM ET.

• Who: Golden State Valkyries vs. Seattle Storm
• Date: Friday, May 8, 2026
• Time: 10:00 PM ET/7:00PM PT
• Venue: Climate Pledge Arena

Conclusion

We predict the Valkyries, with a 72% win probability, will likely beat the Storm in Friday's WNBA matchup.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.