WNBA Title Futures: A Closer Look

WNBA TITLE FUTURES: A CLOSER LOOK – Happy Sunday basketball fans. Welcome back to our weekend coverage of the WNBA here at Godzilla Wins. Due to the All-Star game, there are no games on the schedule this weekend.

While that is certainly a bummer, this does provide an opportunity to discuss which teams are in the title contender conversation. So, without further delay, here is a short list of teams that have the best odds to win it all. 

Click here to read more WNBA coverage. 

WNBA Third-Best Title Odds: Connecticut Sun (+1800)

Most of the talk this season has been about how well the defending champion, Las Vegas Aces, have been playing. But there are a few other teams that should not be overlooked. One of those teams is the Connecticut Sun.

This team has posted 15 wins across their first 20 games of the season. Consequently, they went into the break riding a three-game winning streak. This is good enough for the third-best record in the league.  

From an offensive standpoint, the Sun are a top-five team in both scoring (4th) and efficiency (3rd).

In some instances, when a team plays well at one end of the floor, the exact opposite could be taking place at the other end of the floor, but that is not the case with Connecticut.

This ball club is ranked third in both scoring defense (79.1 PPG) and defensive rating (99.3 points per 100 possessions). It is also worth noting that the Sun are ranked third in overall shooting percentage (.505) and 3-point shooting (.364). 

Who knows if this team has enough firepower to overtake the New York Liberty for the top spot in the eastern conference? What is a certainty is that the Sun are not a team we should sleep on going into the second half of the season.

And speaking of New York…

WNBA Second-Best Title Odds: New York Liberty (+280)

The New York Liberty are as hot as any team in the league right now. They have won eight of their last 10 games and went into the All-Star break with a four-game winning streak. As was the case with the Sun, the Liberty are a formidable opponent at both ends of the floor as well. 

New York is ranked second in scoring (87.8 PPG) and they have the second-best offense in the association, scoring 108.3 points per 100 possessions.

Defensively, the Liberty are allowing 81.2 points per contest – the fourth-highest scoring average in the association. New York also has the fourth-best defensive rating – allowing 100.2 points per 100 possessions. 

The Liberty have a balanced attack with five players who are averaging 10-plus points per contest.

None more important than MVP frontrunner Breanna Stewart. She leads the teams in scoring (23.1) and rebounds (9.8). Stewart is also averaging career-highs in rebounds, assists (4.1), shooting (47.6 percent), and 3-point shooting as well (41.1). Given these trends, it would not be surprising if the Sun or Liberty represented the eastern conference in the WNBA Finals. 

WNBA Best Title Odds: Las Vegas Aces (-290)

While the other two teams we have mentioned are playing well, to say the same of the defending champion Las Vegas Aces would be a gross understatement, given their 19-2 record. The Aces are riding a three-game winning streak in which they have won those games by an average of 23 points per contest. Additionally, Las Vegas has produced nine wins in their last 10 outings.  

This ball club does a bit of everything well. They average 94 points per game, which is the highest scoring average in the league. Las Vegas also has the most efficient team from an offensive standpoint, averaging 116.6 points per 100 possessions. 

The defensive narrative is just as impressive. Las Vegas is limiting opponents to a league-low 78.6 points per game. This team also has the best defensive rating as well. 

Las Vegas is the most prolific shooting team in the association, converting 50.5 percent of its overall attempts. This team is also first in 3-point shooting, knocking down 38.2 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc. And opposing teams are shooting 41.2 percent against the Aces’ defense – the third-best mark in the league. 

Look for this team to continue to be the favorite to win it all. And if Las Vegas does win it all again, it will become just the third team in history to accomplish this feat. The Houston Comets (1997-2000) and the Los Angeles Sparks (2001-02).