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The WNBA’s 24th season is set to begin on May 1, 2020. That is if this coronavirus pandemic isn’t going to move its opening night.
The 2020 WNBA Season will be something to look forward to. Not only did we see a wild offseason where we saw several key players going to other cities, but this year will also feature a 36-game season instead of 34. Then there is also the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup tournament which will be introduced this year. This is also the WNBA’s first season under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Here are the key dates for the 2020 WNBA season:
- April 17: WNBA Draft
- April 10-19: Local Team Tryouts
- April 26: Training Camp Begins
- May 1: Preseason Games Begin
- May 12: Last Possible Date for Preseason Games
- May 14: Final Roster Cutdown Date
- May 15: Regular Season Begins
- June 29: Mid-Season Cutdown Date
- July 1: Mid-Season
- July 10: Last Date for Games before Olympic Break
- July 11-August 13: Olympic Break
- August 16: Second Half Schedule Begins
- August 21: Trade Deadline
- September 20: Regular Season Ends
- September TBD: Playoffs Begin
- October TBD: Last Possible Finals Date
*Per the WNBA’s website
Of course, we’re expecting some delays in some of those events. Many WNBA teams share the same facilities as NBA teams that use the city as their home.
In a statement, the WNBA said that they are continuing to plan around their upcoming events, particularly the April 17 draft, and the start of training camp on April 26. The recommendation of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to ban gatherings of 50 or more people in the United States for eight weeks, virtually wipes out the WNBA’s training camp and possibly the start of the season. But because the league is currently in offseason, they can be flexible to pan out the entire year to play out its 2020 season.
Despite the uncertainty as to when the WNBA season will begin, the betting sites continue to post the odds on who will be the 2020 WNBA champions. The Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks are current the co-betting favorites to win the 2020 title. Here are the odds to win the 2020 WNBA title. Odds were taken from the online sportsbook SportsBetting as of 03/23/20:
| Teams | Odds |
|---|---|
| Las Vegas Aces | +350 |
| Los Angeles Sparks | +350 |
| Connecticut Sun | +450 | Washington Mystics | +450 |
| Phoenix Mercury | +700 |
| Seattle Storm | +800 |
| Chicago Sky | +1600 |
| Minnesota Lynx | +2500 |
| Indiana Fever | +5000 |
| New York Liberty | +5000 |
| Atlanta Dream | +6600 |
| Dallas Wings | +8000 |
Who Are the Favorites?
The Las Vegas Aces made a good playoff run last season and were aided by Dearica Hamby’s last-second shot to eliminate the Chicago Sky before they were beaten by the Washington Mystics in the semi-final round. The Aces rose on top of the odds board after signing Angel McCoughtry. The five-time All-Star was the #1 overall pick in 2009 and the franchise player of the Atlanta Dream. McCoughtry joins Liz Cambage and A’ja Wilson in a trio that makes the Aces the most talented team in the league. I think this team will advance to the playoffs easily.
The Los Angeles Sparks already have a line-up that resembles an All-Star team: Candace Parker, Chiney Ogwumike, Nneka Ogwumike, and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt. Then they added the likes of Seimone Augustus, Marie Gulich, Brittney Skyes, and Kristi Toliver. Toliver is the key addition here as she is coming off a title win with the Washington Mystics, her second WNBA title win after helping the Sparks win in 2016. Like the Aces, this team has all the talent in the world needed to win the WNBA title.
The Connecticut Sun exceeded expectations last season as they went all the way to the WNBA Finals without relying on one superstar. Sure, they lost to the Mystics but this team showed plenty of balance. Then the Sun landed one of the top four free agents during the offseason in DeWanna Bonner who is a two-time WNBA champion and three-time WNBA All-Star selection. With Jonquel Jones re-signed, the Sun now have two players they can rely on in big situations. However, Connecticut lost some of the key players of its playoff team in Courtney Williams and Shekinna Stricklen.
The defending champions Washington Mystics are currently just in 4th place after they lost Kristi Tolliver to the Los Angeles Sparks. Despite losing Tolliver, the Mystics still have their core led by Elen Della Donne. Washington signed Most Improved Player winner Leilani Mitchell to help compensate for Tolliver’s departure. The 34-year old Mitchell is coming off her best season ever and should fit nicely in Washington’s pace and space offense.
The Phoenix Mercury suffered a blow when they lost DeWanna Bonner in free agency but they also made a big splash by netting the biggest free agent of the offseason in Skylar Diggins-Smith. Diggins-Smith forms a Big Three with Diana Taurasi and Britney Griner which puts the Mercury in the ranks of the Aces, Sparks, Sun, and Mystic. There is no question about the talent here in Phoenix however, it remains to be seen if Taurasi can stay healthy after she missed most of last season with back injuries.
Who Wins?
I agree with the betting odds here. There is no doubt that Vegas and L.A. have the most talented lineups in the league. The problem I have with the Aces is that Bill Laimbeer coaches like he wants his teams to be like the 1989 Bad Boys: lots of post play, limited three-pointers, and a physical brand of basketball. Also, McCoughtry is coming off a major injury. I’m not sure if they can be consistent to the end. As for the Sparks, they also have a talent-laden squad however, I’m not sure if they can jell together right away and I’m not sure if Derek Fisher is the guy to help them do that.
I like the Sun because they got Bonner and they made the most out of a bad situation by signing Briann January to help make up for the loss of Williams and Stricklen. I think they made a good job during the offseason and should be very competitive in 2020.
The Mystics are also interesting picks because while they lost Tolliver, the team went 12-2 with her injured last season. They also signed Mitchell who just had the best year of her WNBA career.
I think this will be an interesting season and among the contenders, I like the extra +100 on last season’s finalists. I like how the Sun and Mystics are priced right now. They are the teams that will battle it out in the East. Meanwhile, I think that the West is down to the Aces, Sparks and Mercury. The West has dominated the WNBA, winning nine out of the last 11 titles. But the East has the current champions in the Mystics and after a crazy offseason, I think they will be in good shape to defend their title. There has been no repeat winner in the WNBA since 2010. But if there’s a team that can beat the odds, I think it’s the Mystics who still have their core and have added Leilani Mitchell.
Prediction: Washington Mystics
