The WNBA season tips off Tuesday with four games, headlined by the much-anticipated Caitlin Clark debut as Indiana visits Connecticut.
The Fever won the Clark sweepstakes thanks to a unique WNBA format where only the four teams with the fewest wins over the last two seasons can qualify for a lottery pick.
Thus, despite having the third-worst record at 13-27, Indiana’s 18-58 mark over the last two years was the lowest in the league, resulting in the highest odds (44.2%) to land the No. 1 pick.
The addition of Clark should improve the Fever’s perimeter game, but you can be sure opposing teams will make a concerted effort to slow her down.
In two preseason games, Clark shot 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) from 3, and she’ll be up against a Sun team that ranked first in opponent 3-point percentage last season and second in opponent 3-point FGs.
The Sun are also going through a transition in the backcourt after they traded Natisha Hiedeman to Minnesota and Tiffany Hayes retired.
Fever vs. Sun WNBA prediction
(8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Tyasha Harris and DiJonai Carrington will likely replace the two outgoing players by moving from the bench to the starting lineup.
And the Sun had just one preseason game, which might not be enough when trying to jell as a new unit.
It’s worth noting that none of Connecticut’s four draft picks made the opening-game roster.
Look for Connecticut to be rusty right out the gate while having to rely on its defense. With Clark’s games likely to draw plenty of attention, there’s a tendency for sportsbooks to inflate some of their lines. The total opened at 170.5, and the highest total in a Sun game last season was 168.5.
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When you combine Connecticut’s defensive quality with its propensity to play at a slower pace, the Under is a bet worth considering.
THE PLAY: Fever-Sun Under 170.5 (-110, BetMGM)