WNBA Semifinals Odds, Preview and Predictions – Sun vs Sky & Aces vs Mercury Game 1
- The semifinal round of the WNBA Playoffs kicks off a pair of best-of-five series between the final four teams in the league starting with Game 1 on Tuesday, Sept. 28th on ESPN2
- The fifth seed Phoenix Mercury will face the top seed Connecticut Sun, while the sixth seed Chicago Sky take on the second seed Las Vegas Aces
- See below for the latest odds, schedule, analysis and the best bet for the two Game 1 contests
After the conclusion of the single-elimination second round over the weekend, the final four teams are set in the WNBA Playoffs to begin the semifinal round for a trip to the WNBA Finals on the line.
The best-of-five semifinals will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 28th when the sixth seed Chicago Sky face the top seed Connecticut Sun and the fifth seed Phoenix Mercury take on the second seed Las Vegas Aces. Chicago and Connecticut will begin at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2, followed by Phoenix and Las Vegas battling at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
WNBA Semifinals Game 1 Odds: Mercury vs Aces & Sky vs Sun
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Mercury | +5.5 (-108) | +198 | Over 169.5 (-110) |
| Las Vegas Aces | -5.5 (-112) | -250 | Under 169.5 (-110) |
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| Chicago Sky | +7.5 (-110) | +265 | Over 152.5 (-110) |
| Connecticut Sun | -7.5 (-110) | -350 | Under 152.5 (-110) |
Odds as of Sept. 28th at FanDuel
Semifinal Round Schedule
Th semifinals will be a best-of-five series, with the first team to three wins claiming the series to advance to the WNBA Finals. Here’s the schedule of the semifinals, with games airing on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.
WNBA Semifinal Series Schedule and TV Times
| Game 1 – Sept. 28th | Time | TV information |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago at Connecticut | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN2 |
| Phoenix at Las Vegas | 10 p.m. ET | ESPN2 |
| Game 2 – Sept. 30th | Time | TV information |
| Chicago at Connecticut | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN2 |
| Phoenix at Las Vegas | 10 p.m. ET | ESPN2 |
| Game 3 – Oct. 3rd | Time | TV information |
| Connecticut at Chicago | 1 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Las Vegas at Phoenix | 3 p.m. ET | ABC |
| Game 4 (if necessary) – Oct. 6th | Time | TV information |
| Connecticut at Chicago | TBD | ESPN |
| Las Vegas at Phoenix | TBD | ESPN |
| Game 5 (if necessary) – Oct. 8th | Time | TV information |
| Chicago at Connecticut | TBD | ESPN2 |
| Phoenix at Las Vegas | TBD | ESPN2 |
With Connecticut sports betting launching on October 7th, Sun fans will be hoping for a deep run so they can place a wager on their team to win the 2021 WNBA title. For Mercury fans, Arizona sports betting has been up and running for just under a month – and you can bet the Mercury at a variety of sportsbooks.
Sun Enter as Heavy Favorites Over Sky
Connecticut will come into the semifinal round as heavy favorites over Chicago, with the Sun carrying the top overall seed and having played extremely well to finish the regular season and now having a two-round bye to rest up and prepare for the Sky.
Connecticut finished the year with a record of 26-6, capped with a 14-game winning streak, which placed it two games ahead of Las Vegas in the standings.
Leading the way for the Sun during the regular season was 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones with 19.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks, followed by DeWanna Bonner with 15.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists and Brionna Jones with 14.7 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Chicago took down the seventh seed Dallas Wings in the opening round of the postseason, following that up with an upset win on the road over the third seed Minnesota Lynx to advance to the semifinals.
For the Sky during the regular season, Kahleah Copper led the charge with 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists and Candace Parker added 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. Behind them, Allie Quigley averaged 13.2 points and Courtney Vandersloot tallied 10.5 points, a WNBA-best 8.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds a game.
During the season, Chicago owned a 2-1 series advantage over Connecticut, coming away with wins on June 17 and June 19 in Chicago. The Sun claimed the lone win on June 27 in Connecticut.
Aces Aim to Fend Off Mercury
Las Vegas will use a two-round bye and the rest it resulted in to avoid an upset by Phoenix in the semifinals in order to advance to the championship series.
The Aces ended the year with an overall record of 24-8, winning eight of their last 10 games and four in a row. Leading Las Vegas this season was A’ja Wilson with 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 blocks, followed by Kelsey Plum with 14.8 points and 3.6 assists and Liz Cambage with 14.2 points and 8.2 rebounds.
Phoenix enters the semifinals having taken down the eighth seed New York Liberty in the first round and having pulled off an upset over the fourth seed Seattle Storm in Sunday’s second round.
The Mercury have been paced by Brittney Griner, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi. Griner this season, with Griner averaging 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 blocks per game, followed by Diggins-Smith with 17.7 points, 5.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals and Taurasi with 15.2 points, 4.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds.
Las Vegas took the season series 2-1 during the regular season, taking down Phoenix May 26th and Sept. 19th in Phoenix. The Mercury won their lone game on July 7th in Las Vegas
Predictions and Best Bet for Game 1
In Tuesday’s Game 1 contests, we will likely see both top seeds well rested and ready to go right out of the gate, resulting in both Connecticut and Las Vegas taking the first game of the best-of-five series on their home courts.
The Sun and Aces will continue to be heavy favorites throughout the semifinals, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see both teams pull off 3-0 series sweeps to battle in the championship series in mid-October.
As far as the best bet in the two Game 1 games, look at the over/under for the Connecticut and Chicago game, which is listed at 152.5 going into the game. Those two squads will likely combine for the over in Game 1.
- The Pick: Sky vs Sun Over/Under: Over 152.5 (-110)
Mitchell has a decade of experience in journalism, marketing, communications and digital fields, having covered sports teams and leagues on all levels. He has spent more than seven years covering the WNBA and NBA, among other sports. You can follow him on Twitter @M_Hansen13.
