It’s finally here, folks. The most anticipated WNBA season in history is about to begin. Two new expansion teams, a whirlwind free agency period, and one heck of a draft are in the books. With more talent in the league than ever before, this is going to be an excellent opening night. The Connecticut Sun make a quick trip to the Big Apple to face the New York Liberty to kick off our slate.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Liberty are -1600 moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while a Sun upset is priced at +900. The spread in favor of New York is -15.5, and the game total is set at O/U 160.5 points.
Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Sun-Liberty game.
Sun vs. Liberty Preview
The rich get richer in New York. Coming off a frustrating, injury-plagued 2025 season, the Liberty had the potential for a real franchise-altering offseason. They fired Sandy Brondello, replacing her with Golden State Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco. Management convinced Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones to all re-sign for max contracts. Crucially, none of those three took the supermax, opening the door for one more huge addition. Satou Sabally is coming to New York, turning their Big Three into a Core Four of stars.
It wasn’t an offseason without losses—Natasha Cloud departed despite the relationship she built with the team and the fans, as did Emma Meesseman. Ironically enough, Nyara Sabally left while her sister arrived. But they also retained Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, a crucial piece of the 2024 title team who missed the entire 2025 season with a knee injury. Han Xu is coming back as well, and GM Jonathan Kolb also brought in Rebecca Allen to shore up the guard spots. With Leonie Fiebich and Marine Johannes returning as well, they have the depth to match an improved championship core. The Liberty, on paper, are the team to beat.
The Connecticut Sun are on the opposite end of the spectrum. A massive exodus before the 2025 season forced a rebuild on a team that had been in the playoff mix for nearly a decade. Connecticut finished 11-33, the worst record in franchise history and the third-worst record in the league. It’s not going to get any better this year, their last season in Connecticut before moving to Houston.
But, at the very least, this team got a lot more interesting in the offseason. They did lose Marina Mabrey in the expansion draft, but made several gains by signing Brittney Griner, Diamond Miller, and Kennedy Burke. Though Connecticut didn’t have their top pick, they made good use of their later first-rounders by drafting Nell Angloma and Gianna Kneepkens. For a rebuilding team sorely lacking young talent, they are a welcome addition.
Leïla Lacan is the player to watch for the Sun this season. The No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft, expectations weren’t high for her rookie season, but she proved to be their most valuable commodity down the stretch. An electric driver and passer, Lacan looks like the captain of this offense, and is no slouch defensively. They’ll miss her early in the season due to her overseas commitment, but they won’t be too upset to watch her cook over there.
Now we have a good idea what to expect from these teams. Who is going to come out the winner?
Sun vs. Liberty Pick, Best Bet
It’s not a stretch to say this is a matchup between the best and worst teams in the WNBA. New York had the best offseason of anybody, and only the Las Vegas Aces can match them on star talent and depth. In the second year of a rebuild, the Connecticut Sun are highly motivated to lose with the WNBA’s rolling two-year lottery rules. It’s tough to handicap a matchup between the best and the worst, but with Lacan overseas, there’s nothing standing between the Liberty and a rousing blowout to start their title chase.
