WNBA Picks & Predictions: Friday (5/8)
After a long offseason, the 2026 WNBA season is finally upon us. We get three fantastic matchups on this opening night to get the action started. Let's take a look at a few of the matchups for some best WNBA picks and bets.
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Friday's Best WNBA Picks & Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Connecticut Sun at New York Liberty
This is a matchup between one of last year's worst teams against one of the most talented in the league. Connecticut was a putrid offense last year, ranking dead last in ORtg which was led by the worst eFG% in the league. The Sun didn't do a whole lot in the offseason to address these issues besides replacing the legendary Tina Charles with Brittney Griner. Griner can be effective but she managed just 9.8 PPG and 5.2 RPG last year in Atlanta.
The wheels fell off a bit for the Liberty in the second half of the season, but through much of the year, they were one of the best offenses and defenses. Led by their trio of stars, New York was a team that shot the ball with a lot of success and also defended the shot with a top four eFG% defense on the season. They started off the season incredibly hot by going 9-0 before finishing the season 18-17.
The Liberty were also elite at home going 17-5 SU in 2025. New York dealt with some injuries last year that resulted in struggles in the back half of the season. At their core though, this is one of the best teams in the league still and a mismatch for the Sun. I expect the Liberty defense to shut down the Sun and win a low scoring game fairly comfortably.
Picks: Liberty -10.5 (-110) & Over 160.5 Total Points (-110)
Golden State Valkyries at Seattle Storm
Perhaps no team went through as jarring of a roster transformation as Seattle this offseason. The Storm lost all five of their top five scorers after a season that saw them battle with the eventual league champion Aces in the first round of the playoffs. However, in losing so much talent and looking to replace it with younger players, they look poised to take the same kind of fall that befell the Sun last year.
Golden State raised some eyebrows with the way they handled draft night and the preseason, but the addition of Gabby Williams from Seattle will be a positive for them. This will once again be a team that will look to slow the pace down. They were easily the slowest-paced team in the league last year and that helped lead to a top four DRtg and a playoff appearance despite being one of the worst shooting teams in the league by eFG%.
Golden State tried to make some efforts to improve the offense, but this will be a team that relies on their defense. Seattle also focused on their defense but given the roster turnover they might not have a choice as they try to figure out where they're going to turn for scoring. This feels like a game where both teams are going to try to feel out what they have and that should lead to a slower-paced defensive battle.
Pick: Under 156.5 Total Points (-110)