Dallas out to stun Sun
A Phoenix Mercury team missing several key players wasn’t expected to put up much of a fight against the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces. That was pretty much the way it unfolded. The Dallas Wings, playing without leading scorer Arike Ogunbowale, were not supposed offer much resistance against the Connecticut Sun. Remind that to the Wings, forcing a deciding Game 3 with a 10-point road win.
Now the WNBA series shifts to Texas, with the winner advancing to the semifinals. Connecticut was tied for the second-best record on the road (12-6) during the regular season, while Dallas’ 8-10 home ledger was worst among the eight playoff teams.
Surprisingly, the Wings are expected to have Ogunbowale back in the lineup for the deciding game. Initially ruled out for the series after undergoing surgery on Aug. 9, Ogunbowale was upgraded to probable for Wednesday’s game. The All-Star guard was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice.
Connecticut (+350) trails only Las Vegas in the odds to win the WNBA championship, according to the WNBA playoff odds. Dallas comes in at +4000.
Check the latest WNBA picks, stats, WNBA news, injury reports and WNBA odds for Sun vs Wings. There are plenty of WNBA championship odds for you to consider.
Defense Needs Improving for Sun
When a team makes 10 more foul shots and shoots 45% from the field, this while playing at home, expect that side to win. Again, the Wings did not get the memo. Dallas not only shoot 48% from the field, but had 13 more field-goal attempts. That was too much for the Connecticut Sun to overcome.
Playing a Wings’ team without its top offensive player-Dallas lost this series opener by 25 points-was too much prosperity for the Sun.
While Jonquel Jones had her typical solid game with 20 points and nine rebounds, and Brionna Jones came off the bench to add 20 points, the Sun struggled to slow down the opposition frontcourt.
Connecticut needs to win on the road to reach the semis.
Connecticut is 5-1 against the WNBA lines over its last six, 5-0 in the last five on the road.
Thornton, McCowan Piloted Wings
While Kayla Thornton and Teaira McCowan had minimal impact in the opening game of the series (eight points, 2-of-8 field goals, eight rebounds), Connecticut’s frontcourt players DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones and Brionna Jones combined for 54 and 23.
It is safe to say that the tables were turned in Game 2.
Thornton had 20 points, five rebounds and four assists, while McCowan came off the bench to add 17 and 11. They were a combined 16-of-25 from the field as Dallas led 22-7 at the end of the first quarter, then by 29 points heading into the fourth.
These two balled OUT. pic.twitter.com/jKZfcKJfuW
— X – Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) August 21, 2022
Something to consider for those who bet online is the total has gone over in six of the last seven Wings’ games.
Sun vs Wings Game Information
- Game: Sun 25-11; Wings 18-18
- Location: College Park Center, Arlington, TX
- Day/Time: Wednesday, Aug. 24, 9 p.m. ET
- Sun vs Wings Live Stream: WNBA.com
Sun vs Wings Betting Lines
| Team | Point Spread | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Connecticut Sun | -6½ -110 | -250 | 164-110o | 85-115o
85-115u |
| Dallas Wings | +6½ -110 | +210 | 164-110u | 79-115o
79-115u |
Sun vs Wings Prediction
Connecticut has won seven of the last nine road games in the series, though the Wings won the last meeting, 82-71, in July.
Each of the last five times the Wings hosted the Sun, the game finished as an under proposition.
Dallas has won three of the last five games against Connecticut, that after the Sun won seven in a row (12-of-13).
The last time the Dallas franchise played a home playoff game was 2015, when the franchise was the Tulsa Shock..
Connecticut has lost its last five road games in the playoffs (0-4-1 against the spread in those contests).
Three of Dallas’ top four scorers in the series are shooting better than 52% from the field, led by Thornton’s mark of 57.1. Allisha Gray leads the Wings in scoring (16 points per game, five rpg, five apg).
Jonquel Jones leads the Sun (19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds) per game, with reserves Brionna Jones and Dijonai Carrington contributing 14 and 13 points per contest.
The Sun were heavily favored with a series price of -800, while the Wings were priced at at +600.
While Dallas is playing at home, it is pretty hard to go against the favored Connecticut Sun in this one, even with the return of Ogunbowale. Although seven of the last 10 games between the teams have been under totals, this total of 164 is going to be tempting.
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