Not only are the Seattle Storm and Connecticut Sun two of the WNBA's better teams, but they also just played each other a couple of days ago. The Sun won the matchup 93-86 — a victory that evened the season series between the two.
Just like Sunday's game, Tuesday's will be played in Connecticut where the home team is looking to reach the 25-win mark for the fourth consecutive season.
Seattle is hoping to win its 20th game as each team, having already clinched a playoff spot, vies for postseason positioning. The Seattle Storm's recent loss has dropped them behind the Las Vegas Aces for the No. 4 seed.
Storm vs. Sun Prediction
The Sun tend to win with defense, and the Storm don't have an elite offense. However, Connecticut has struggled to keep opponent point totals down of late and the Storm knows how to put points on the board.
This doesn't figure to be the highest-scoring game you will find, but with the Sun allowing at least 80 in four of their last five and the Storm scoring at least that many in four of their last five, the total is likely to resemble recent production.
Storm vs. Sun Pick: Over 160.5 (-108)
Storm vs. Sun Odds
Storm Odds | ||
---|---|---|
Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
171.5 / |
Sun Odds | ||
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Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
171.5 / |
Seattle Storm: Looking to Regain Traction
After a down 2023 the Storm have rebounded to once again take their place among the league's elite. Their fast start to the season has given way to a bit of uneven play of late, with the team losing five of its seven games since returning from the extended break.
Seattle's balanced approach is spearheaded by star Jewell Loyd, who is averaging 20.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. She's coming off a 27-point performance in the most recent loss to the Sun, where she made three of eight 3-point attempts and all eight of her free throws.
Nneka Ogwumike (17.2), Skylar Diggins-Smith (14.3) and Ezi Magbegor (12.1) all average in double figures for points, providing balance to a lineup that is more solid than explosive. Diggins-Smith is the team leader at 6.5 assists per game and Magbegor paces the team with 8.4 boards.
As a team the Storm are shooting 28.6 percent from the 3-point line, and their offensive rating is in the bottom third of the league. However, their defensive rating is in the top third while the team plays at the league's second-fastest pace.
Connecticut Sun: Perfectly Balanced, As All Things Should Be
The Sun have put together a very consistent season, one that includes a 6-2 record since the season resumed after the Olympics. Their Sunday victory over the Storm saw them find a new way to beat a good opponent, as leading scorer DeWanna Bonner scored just four points in the victory. The team was instead led by Brionna Jones, whose 26 points were twice her season average.
Bonner still leads the team in scoring, though she has struggled as of late. She's failed to reach double figures in scoring in three of her past eight games and has reached her average of 15.8 points per game just twice in that same span. Her 3-point shot has been especially inconsistent, as she's posted four games without making one at all.
Marina Mabrey, DiJonai Carrington, Tyasha Harris and Alyssa Thomas represent the bulk of the rest of the team's scoring, with all contributing at least 10.9 points per game. That offensive diversity has led to the fifth-highest offensive rating, which pairs nicely with a defense that has the second-best rating while allowing the fewest points per game in the league.
Storm vs. Sun: Expecting High Intensity
Betting Pick & Prediction
Given that both of these teams have much to play for and just faced off a couple days ago, the intensity figures to be high. The first time they played the teams combined to score 133 points, while the most recent matchup led to 179 being scored. The Sun have a great defense but have allowed at least 80 points in four of their last five games. Conversely, the Storm have scored at least 80 in four of their last five.