The unbeaten Minnesota Lynx welcome the win-starved Connecticut Sun to Target Center on Friday, May 23 at 7:30 PM ET, wrapping up the first week of the WNBA season with a contest that should draw some betting action. Minnesota’s electric 3-0 start features league-leading offense and a highlight reel from Napheesa Collier, while Connecticut is still looking for its first victory after back-to-back home losses. With sportsbooks dealing the Lynx as double-digit favorites and totals hovering in the low 160s, the stage is set for an interesting Sun vs Lynx matchup.
Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx Game Preview
Minnesota has stormed out of the gate, averaging 91 points on 49.5% shooting and pacing the league with 27 assists per game. Collier tops the early MVP conversation at 28.3 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, shredding defenders from the mid-post and beyond the arc. Playmaking guard Courtney Williams has been the perfect conductor, dishing 8.7 assists per game, and forward Jessica Shepard’s interior presence has produced 9.3 boards and 64.7% shooting from the field. Even without veteran sniper Kayla McBride, ruled out for personal reasons, Minnesota has buried 8.5 threes per game and forced opponents into 16 turnovers on average.
Connecticut’s story is far different. The Sun have managed just 73.5 points per game, ranking near the bottom in offensive output, and their 39.2% field-goal clip has not been good enough alongside a defense that allows 88.5 points per game. Veteran center Tina Charles has supplied 21.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, but the ing cast has been shaky around her. First-round pick Aneesah Morrow remains sidelined by a knee sprain, limiting Connecticut’s rotation to nine healthy players. Head coach Rachid Meziane has emphasized ball movement, but the club has generated only three made triples per game, the fewest in the league.
The tactical battle hinges on pace: Minnesota thrives in early offense, pulling defenses apart with quick-hitting handoffs and back-cuts, while Connecticut prefers to feed Charles on the block and shorten the possession count. If the Sun cannot slow Collier in single coverage, doubling will open ing lanes for shooters Bridget Carleton and Alanna Smith. On the other end, Minnesota’s switch-heavy scheme will try to front Charles and deny entry es, daring the Sun guards to beat them from outside. Rebounding could offer Connecticut a lifeline; the Sun grab nine offensive boards per game against Minnesota’s 6.5, and second-chance points may be their best source of momentum.
Betting Insights
- Spread: Lynx -15.5 at bet365.
- Moneyline: Lynx -1700, Sun +950.
- Total: 161, evenly juiced at -110 to either side.
- Against the Spread Trends: Minnesota 2-1 ATS this season and 4-1 over its last five overall. Connecticut 0-2 ATS to begin 2025 and 2-6 dating to last postseason.
- Over-Under Trends: Two of Minnesota’s three games have cleared the closing number, while both Sun games landed Under thanks to their offensive droughts.
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Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx Prediction
Momentum, depth, and shot-making all favor Minnesota. Collier is in dominant physical condition, finishing through and stretching defenses to the corners. Williams orchestrates with pace that Connecticut has yet to handle, and the Lynx bench has delivered a reliable punch. The Sun’s half-court offense remains disted, and their perimeter shooting woes allow defenses to crowd Charles without consequence.
Connecticut must slow the tempo, win the glass, and manufacture free throws to stay close. Yet Minnesota’s disciplined help rotations have limited opponents to 18 free-throw attempts per game, and their ball security offsets the Sun’s preference for transition opportunities. Unless Charles produces a vintage 30-point, 12-rebound night and the Sun guards find the range from deep, this looks like another uphill climb for the visitors.
Best Bet: Lay the points with Minnesota -14.5. Connecticut’s offense lacks the spacing to exploit potential mismatches, and fatigue from a two-game slide should show in the second half.
Final score projection: Lynx 92, Sun 71.
