WNBA pay gap comes because more apparent ahead of regular season
As the WNBA season begins, many are noticing the extreme pay gap between players and their NBA counterparts for the first time.
A warning to the WNBA: Caitlin Clark has arrived.
Clark will make her long-awaited pro debut on Tuesday night when the Indiana Fever open their season against the Connecticut Sun in Connecticut.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft elevated women’s college basketball to new heights during her time at Iowa. Now that she’s made it to the pro stage, she’ll try to keep up that growth in interest as she faces stronger competition and harder tests on the court.
It won’t be an easy first test for Clark and the Fever. The Sun are coming off of back-to-back strong seasons, having made a WNBA Finals run in 2022 and making it to last year’s semifinals despite a long-term injury to one of the team’s top scorers in Brionna Jones. Alyssa Thomas is also coming off of a first-team All-WNBA and MVP runner-up season.
Here’s everything to know about the WNBA opening night matchup between the Fever and the Sun.
Fever vs. Sun predictions
Picks and Parlays: Sun 83, Fever 72
David Anicetti writes: “Indiana has a talented roster with No. 1 picks in the last two WNBA drafts and a second selection in the draft from 2022. However, it may take time for the three players to gel as a unit and with the other players on the roster, therefore Connecticut has the advantage in this opening game of the season.”
Action Network: Leaning Sun to cover the spread
Jim Turvey writes: “[T]he return of Jones is enough to mostly offset the backcourt losses when it comes to power rating the Sun. I have them as around a +3 net rating side as we start the season (they were 27-13 with a +4.4 net rating last season). The Fever, I make around -1.5, especially as the pieces still have to come together. If we add in three points for home court on opening night (adjusted up a tiny bit from standard 2.5 points), we get to that 7.5 number that I make this game.”
ESPN: Sun favored significantly in home-opener
An ESPN Analytics model gives the Sun a 65.2% chance to win their first game of the season at home, even with No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark lining up on the other side. The same model leaves Clark’s Fever with a 34.8% chance to win on opening night.
Fever vs. Sun: Odds, spread and lines for Caitlin Clark’s pro debut
The Sun are favorites to defeat the Fever in Tuesday’s WNBA opening night game according to the BetMGM basketball odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering sports betting promos in 2024.
Spread: Sun (-6.5)Moneyline: Sun (-275); Fever (+220)O/U: 167.5Caitlin Clark points O/U: 20.5How to watch Fever vs. Sun: TV channel, streaming and scheduleDate: Tuesday, May 14Time: 8 p.m. ETLocation: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, ConnecticutCable TV: ESPN2Streaming: ESPN+; Disney+; YouTube TV; fuboTV
HOW TO WATCH: See Caitlin Clark make her pro debut with an ESPN+ subscription
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Publish date : 2024-05-14 03:00:00
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