Subscribe
Follow Us
The Connecticut Sun take on the Atlanta Dream. Our WNBA odds series has our Sun Dream prediction, odds, and pick. Find out how to watch Sun Dream.
The Connecticut Sun are crafting a very interesting story in the first few weeks of the 2024 WNBA season. They are the only unbeaten team in the league, so that's obviously an outstanding result from Connecticut's first several games. However, one wonders if this team is truly the class of the league. Clearly, Connecticut is a top-five team, but are the Sun on the same plane as the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty? Right now, Connecticut is playing better, but when the playoffs arrive at the end of summer, will this team be expected to play last year's top two teams on even terms? The question is relevant because Connecticut is barely skating by in a number of its recent games. The Sun have not been a largely dominant team. They have scored an occasional blowout but have mostly won very close games. In the past two weeks, they have won one-possession games at home in which they trailed late. They trailed the Minnesota Lynx by four points within the last five minutes of regulation and won by one. This past Friday, they trailed the Dallas Wings by three points in the final 2:30 and won by two by getting several defensive stops in the last two minutes. Dallas had a number of chances to tie or take the lead in the last 35 seconds. The Sun thwarted all of them to remain unbeaten.
We see plenty of examples in all sports of teams which win a ton of close games in the regular season but then get blasted in the playoffs against top-tier competition. It's not to suggest that the Sun aren't as good as their record, only that they do need to display a greater degree of game control if they are to be viewed as on the same plane as Vegas and New York. Last year, the Sun were the third-best team in the WNBA, a notch or two behind the Aces and Liberty. If they want to take the next step in their evolution, they need to smother opponents more regularly. They're winning games, and that's great, but it's not as though this is a fully-formed team. There are more developmental goals to reach in the coming weeks.
Here are the Sun-Dream WNBA Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
WNBA Odds: Sun-Dream Odds
Connecticut Sun: -3 (-112)
Atlanta Dream: +3 (-108)
Over: 160 (-108)
Under: 160 (-112)
How to Watch Sun vs. Dream
TV: NBC Sports Boston (Sun) / Peachtree TV (Dream)
Stream: WNBA League Pass
Time: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
*Watch WNBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Sun Could Cover The Spread
The WNBA season is two and a half weeks old. The Sun have not lost a game. This team gets big defensive stops late in games. Connecticut has been the best last-two-minute team in the WNBA. Given that the point spread is just three points, Connecticut might lead by only one or two points with two minutes left. In that situation, the Sun would be more likely than Atlanta to make the game's defining plays and ultimately win by four or five points.
Why The Dream Could Cover The Spread
The Dream might be figuring things out. They defeated WNBA champion Las Vegas on Friday after trailing for much of the game. Atlanta played a brilliant second half and flourished down the stretch against the Aces. After coming up Aces on Friday, the Dream should be flying with confidence on Sunday at home.
Final Sun-Dream Prediction & Pick
This is a game to study and take in for at least the first quarter if not the first half. Is Atlanta for real? Will Connecticut play with fire again and go down to the wire? These are tough questions. Take a pass on this one.
Final Sun-Dream Prediction & Pick: Sun -3
