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The Money Line: May 20 WNBA spreads, totals and analysis, part 1

By Blake DuDonis

DES MOINES, IA - MAY 6: a general view of the WNBA Championships trophies during the game between the Washington Mystics vs the Minnesota Lynx in a WNBA pre-season game on May 6, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jason Bradwell/NBAE via Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IA - MAY 6: a general view of the WNBA Championships trophies during the game between the Washington Mystics vs the Minnesota Lynx in a WNBA pre-season game on May 6, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jason Bradwell/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Connecticut Sun (-15, -110)
Las Vegas Aces
Total: 155.5, -110

It seems fitting that two of the trendiest teams in the WNBA are squaring off on day 1. The Connecticut Sun have been a sexy pick by many members of the media to compete for a championship, while the Las Vegas Aces have become the adopted team of famed Shea Serrano and his FOH Army.

For the Sun, I totally get it. They were a top 4 team in both offensive and defensive rating last season, and they led the league in the all important turnover percentage category at 15.3%. Jonquel Jones has legitimately put herself in the category of best post player in the league after just two seasons. Last year she increased her scoring from 6.8 PPG to 15.4 and went from averaging a modest 3.7 RPG to 11.9 (which led the league) in route to winning the Most Improved Player award. She, along with Courtney Williams, Alyssa Thomas and Jasmine Thomas led the Sun to a 21-13 record a year ago before getting bounced in the second round of the playoffs. Toss in Chiney Ogwumike after missing last season with an injury and it would appear that the Sun are among the most talented teams in the league.

Meanwhile, the Aces have all the looks to be a contender in the future. #1 overall pick A’ja Wilson has the chance to be a transformative player, Kayla McBride, Kelsey Plum and Moriah Jefferson are all 25 or younger, and Isabelle Harrison quietly became a steady force in the paint last season. Unfortunately for the Aces, three of those players (McBride, Plum and Harrison) are still playing overseas and will be unavailable for tonight’s matchup. Looking beyond just tonight, it will be interesting to see how head coach Bill Laimbeer deploys his young talent. There were not nearly as many Plum-Jefferson-McBride lineups as many would have liked to see last season but I would expect that to change with Laimbeer coming over from New York.

For tonight, the lack of player’s significantly hurts the Aces, so I’ll take the Sun (sorry Shea) and the under. 

*Note-since writing this, the line has moved all the way up to 17 in some places, so getting it at 15 was a nice little snag*

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