Minnesota Lynx vs. Connecticut Sun Prediction, Preview and Odds - 8/19/21
It’s an interconference tilt on the WNBA parquet as a pair of teams firmly in the playoff picture take the floor in the Nutmeg State. The Minnesota Lynx look to bounce back as they make the trip to face the Connecticut Sun in the second game of a two-game set Thursday night. In the first game of this two-game set, it was the Sun picking up a 72-60 victory at home Tuesday night. That victory snapped a five-game winning streak by the Lynx in the series, including a 79-74 overtime win at home in the first matchup this season May 30. Which team will take the advantage in the season series by prevailing here?
Minnesota Lynx Climbing WNBA Standings
Minnesota saw their eight-game win streak come to a halt as they were stifled on the offensive end by the Sun Tuesday night. The Lynx entered Wednesday 13-8 on the year and stood fourth in the WNBA playoff picture, three games behind the Aces for the top spot in the standings. On Tuesday night, Minnesota’s lone lead came at 4-2 before they gave up a 9-1 run to trail 11-5. The Lynx were unable to get closer than one the rest of the way as the Sun clamped down on them defensively. Minnesota shot 41.7% from the field in the contest, including five of 16 from three-point range, and lost the rebounding battle 30-22 while turning the ball over 17 times. Sylvia Fowles led the Lynx with 14 points and five rebounds in the loss.
On the season, the Lynx are 5th in the league in scoring offense with an average of 82.4 points per game. Minnesota is 8th in rebounding as they collect 34.7 boards a night while the team is third in assists by dishing 21 dimes a night. The Lynx are third in the league in scoring defense as they give up an average of 79.5 points per contest this season. Sylvia Fowles is second on the team with 16 points plus 9.7 rebounds per contest. Kayla McBride (14 points), Crystal Dangerfield (7.8 points, 3.6 assists) and Aerial Powers (10 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists) are solid secondary scoring options. Damiris Dantas, Napheesa Collier (16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists), Jessica Shepard, Layshia Clarendon (10 points, 5.5 assists), Bridget Carleton, Rachael Banham, Natalie Achonwa and Linnae Harper are looked at to be contributors for coach Cheryl Reeve. Minnesota stands second in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 46% from the field as a team this year. The Lynx are tied for 6th in the league in three-pointers per game (seven) and 6th in three-point shooting as they hit 34.4% of their attempts from beyond the arc. Minnesota is 5th in the league in free throw shooting as they hit 81.7% of their attempts at the charity stripe. Powers is out eight to 10 weeks after undergoing thumb surgery June 18 for a torn UCL. Rennia Davis (foot) is out indefinitely at this point in time.
Connecticut Sun Chasing Top Seed in WNBA Playoff Picture
Connecticut won their second straight coming out of the Olympic break as they seem to have regrouped after getting thumped in the Commissioner’s Cup final. The Sun improved to 16-6 on the year, leaving them tied for second with the Storm, half a game behind the Aces for the top spot in the playoff picture. Against the Lynx, Connecticut relied on their defense to slow down a Minnesota team that had been rolling offensively and picked up the win. The Sun used a 16-4 run over the final 4:56 of the opening quarter to turn a one-point edge into a 13-point advantage and didn’t look back. Connecticut never saw their lead drop below seven the rest of the way. The Sun shot 43.3% from the floor, including six of 17 from three-point range, and held a 30-22 edge on the glass. Jasmine Thomas led Connecticut with 19 points in the win.
The Sun is 10th in the league in scoring offense as they put up an average of 79.1 points per game so far this season. Connecticut is third in the league in rebounding (36.8 boards a night) while they stand 9th by dishing out 18 assists a game on the year. The Sun have been good defensively as they are first in scoring defense by allowing an average of 72 points per game. DeWanna Bonner is second on the Sun with 15.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game. Jonquel Jones (team-high 20.6 points, 11.4 rebounds), Natisha Hiedeman (7.9 points) and Brionna Jones (14.4 points, 6.8 rebounds) each are valuable contributors. Jasmine Thomas (11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists), Briann January, Beatrice Mompreier, Stephanie Jones, DiJonai Carrington and Kaila Charles are important pieces for coach Curt Miller. Connecticut is fourth in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 44% as a team. The Sun are fifth in three-pointers per game (7.2) and fourth in three-point percentage (35.9%) on the year. Connecticut has been mediocre at the charity stripe as they convert on 80.2% of their attempts, which is 7th in the league. Alyssa Thomas is still out as she recovers from offseason surgery for a torn Achilles.
Pick: Connecticut Sun
Minnesota had won eight straight but they were completely shut down by the Sun in the game Tuesday night. Connecticut has back-to-back wins now after falling in the Commissioner’s Cup final and they won both games convincingly. Limiting the Lynx to only 60 points when they were putting up 80 on a nightly basis during their win streak is a testament to how well the Sun plays defensively. Jonquel Jones is a legitimate MVP candidate and she’s the straw that stirs the drink for the Sun. Connecticut is at home here, where they are 9-1 on the season while outscoring opponents by 8.9 points a game. The Sun just handled Minnesota Tuesday and they sweep the two-game set by prevailing here.
Total: Under
Minnesota had been blasting away offensively, scoring at least 82 points in seven of their eight games in their win streak and not fewer than 77 points in any of those contests. That came to an abrupt halt as they were completely stymied by Connecticut’s suffocating defense. The Lynx have seen the over hit in 11 of their 21 games on the year though the under has hit in five of their last six games. Connecticut is a stingy defensive team, leading the league in scoring defense while ranking second in field goal percentage defense (40.9%) on the year. The Sun have seen the under hit in 15 of their 22 games on the season, including five of their previous seven heading into the break. That trend continued by falling 18 points short of the mark in the Commissioner’s Cup final Wednesday and continued with another 18-point under against Dallas. Tuesday’s game fell a whopping 21.5 points under the mark. These teams have stayed under the mark in each of the last six meetings. With the Sun’s defense controlling things, this one ends up under the mark.