Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx: WNBA Preview, Odds, and How to Watch
- 2 hours ago
- 8 min read
The Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx game tips off Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at 7:30 PM ET from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, and it lands 48 hours after one of the season's biggest upsets. These two just played on Monday, when the last-place Sun walked into Minnesota and stunned the league-best Lynx by a single point. Now the rematch is in Connecticut, the Lynx are the road favorite, and both teams are managing notable absences. Here is everything you need before the opening tip: the exact time, how to watch, team form, the injury picture, the head-to-head, the odds, and how to bet it with the BettorEdge community.
Watch: Sun vs Lynx last meeting highlights
Quick comparison
Records: Minnesota Lynx come in at 15-6, Connecticut Sun at 5-16.
Form: Connecticut beat Minnesota 90-89 on the road on July 6. The Lynx have owned the league's best point differential this season, around plus nine per game.
Last meeting: The Sun edged the Lynx 90-89 in Minneapolis on July 6, just two days before this rematch.
Injury watch: Minnesota is still without Napheesa Collier, and rookie guard Olivia Miles is questionable with a right calf issue. Connecticut has ruled out Aneesah Morrow and Hailey Van Lith.
Key names: Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, and Natasha Howard drive Minnesota. Brittney Griner and Leila Lacan lead Connecticut.
Match: Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx, WNBA regular season Tip-off: Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 7:30 PM ET (6:30 PM CT, 4:30 PM PT) Venue: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut Watch: USA Network nationally
Match overview: date, time, and how to watch
Game basics: a two-day turnaround with a twist
This is a quick, back-to-back rematch, and the twist is that the underdog just won the first leg. Minnesota has been the class of the WNBA all season, carrying the league's best point differential at roughly plus nine per game and one of the most efficient offenses in the sport at about 90 points a night. Connecticut, in the middle of a rebuild, sits at the bottom of the standings with a differential near minus seven. And yet the Sun went into Target Center on Monday and won by one. That result is exactly why this rematch is worth your attention: the market still favors Minnesota, but Connecticut just proved it can hang with them.
Tip-off time in every US time zone
The Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx game tips off Wednesday, July 8 at 7:30 PM ET. That is 6:30 PM CT, 5:30 PM MT, and 4:30 PM PT. It is a standard midweek evening window on the East Coast and an early-evening slot out west.
TV and streaming options for US viewers
Nationally, the game is set to air on USA Network, which means it is also available through live-TV streaming services that carry USA, such as YouTube TV and Fubo. Lynx fans can also stream the broadcast through the team's direct-to-consumer platform, Victory+, where streaming restrictions may apply. Check your provider for the exact channel in your market, since national and local windows can vary.
Sun vs Lynx on the court: form, players, and the injury picture
Minnesota Lynx: the league's best team, but shorthanded
Minnesota has been the story of the first half of the WNBA season. Cheryl Reeve's group holds the best record in the league at 15-6 and the best point differential in the sport, and it has done it without its franchise star. Kayla McBride has been a steady scoring source, and she poured in 28 points in the July 6 loss. Courtney Williams is the engine that makes the offense run, and she filled the box score with 23 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in that same game. Natasha Howard has been quietly excellent, averaging around 17.7 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting better than 60 percent from the field, which is one of the most efficient forward seasons in the league.
The absences are real, though. Napheesa Collier, the reigning centerpiece of this team, has not played a single game in 2026 as she recovers from offseason surgery on both ankles. She returned to practice in early July, which is an encouraging step, but the Lynx have not set a return date and she remains ruled out for this one. Rookie guard Olivia Miles, who has been terrific when available at nearly 19 points per game, is questionable with a right calf injury and is in danger of missing her first game of the season. Emma Cechova is out with a knee issue, and Dorka Juhasz is listed as probable with a foot injury. If Miles cannot go, Minnesota's backcourt depth gets tested.
Connecticut Sun: rebuilding, but dangerous at home
Connecticut is in the middle of a reset. The Sun lost Marina Mabrey to the Toronto Tempo in the expansion draft, and franchise legend Tina Charles retired before the season, leaving a young core to grow up fast. The headline addition is Brittney Griner, who signed a one-year free-agent deal with Connecticut in April and has anchored the frontcourt. Griner was the difference on Monday, scoring a season-high 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting with 10 rebounds. Around her, guard Leila Lacan chipped in 13, center Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 10 points and eight rebounds, and reserve Kennedy Burke delivered the dagger, scoring 16 off the bench including two three-pointers inside the final three minutes.
The Sun will be shorthanded for the rematch. Connecticut has ruled out Aneesah Morrow for personal reasons, her first missed game since June 26, and Hailey Van Lith is out on a coach's decision for a ninth straight contest. That thins an already young rotation, so Griner and the guards will again have to carry the load. The upside for Connecticut is that this game is at Mohegan Sun Arena, where the crowd is behind them and the shorthanded Sun just showed they can trade punches with the best team in the league.
The key battle
This game likely turns on two things: whether Olivia Miles suits up for Minnesota, and whether Connecticut can repeat its shooting night. On Monday the Sun shot 50 percent from the field and 47 percent from three, and they led for roughly 84 percent of the game. That is a hard formula to reproduce two nights later against a Minnesota team that will be motivated to avoid a sweep. If the Lynx tighten up on the perimeter and Miles is available to steady the backcourt, they have the talent to reassert control. If Griner dominates the paint again and the Sun keep hitting from outside, another close finish is on the table.
Head-to-head history and storylines
The most relevant history here could not be fresher. On July 6, 2026, the Connecticut Sun beat the Minnesota Lynx 90-89 at Target Center. Brittney Griner led all scorers with 29 points and 10 rebounds, Kayla McBride paced Minnesota with 28, and Courtney Williams posted 23 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Kennedy Burke buried a wide-open three from the top of the key with 44.5 seconds left to put the Sun ahead, and Connecticut held on for a one-point win. It was a genuine upset, a 5-16 team knocking off a 15-6 team on the road, and it resets the tone for this rematch.
The last-place Sun just beat the first-place Lynx by one on Minnesota's floor. Now Minnesota has to prove that was a fluke, in Connecticut.
Storylines to watch:
The bounce-back spot. Minnesota is the best team in the league and just lost to the worst by one. Elite teams usually answer. This is a classic revenge and pride game for the Lynx.
The Olivia Miles question. Her late calf call shapes Minnesota's backcourt and the line. The Lynx are deep, but losing a near-19-point scorer matters.
Griner carrying Connecticut. With Morrow and Van Lith out, the Sun lean even harder on Griner in the paint and on the guards to knock down shots again.
Betting odds, market read, and final takeaway
Here is a current market snapshot for Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx. Lines move right up to tip, and the Olivia Miles news will move them more, so treat these as a snapshot rather than a lock.
Spread: Minnesota Lynx -7.5, Connecticut Sun +7.5.
Moneyline: Minnesota Lynx around -285, Connecticut Sun around +270.
Total: around 167.5 points.
What the odds say
Even after losing on Monday, Minnesota is the clear favorite, and the math backs it. The Lynx have the best record and the best point differential in the WNBA, while the Sun sit last in both. A moneyline near -285 implies Minnesota winning close to three out of four times, and the +270 on Connecticut prices the Sun as a home underdog the market sees winning a little more than a quarter of the time. It is worth flagging that the price you see may vary by book and had been even wider before Monday's result, so shop the number. A 7.5-point spread is a meaningful gap, but it is also a smaller number than Minnesota's season-long dominance would suggest, and that is the market respecting what just happened on Connecticut's end.
Final pregame takeaway
The cleanest read is that Minnesota is the better team over a full season and will be motivated to answer an embarrassing loss, but laying 7.5 points against a team that just beat you outright is a real ask, especially on that team's home floor. If you back the Lynx, the moneyline near -285 is the more defensible bet than the spread, since it only asks Minnesota to win, not to win comfortably. If you want Connecticut, the value case is the points at +7.5, a home dog with a red-hot Griner and a proven ability to hang with this exact opponent 48 hours ago. The total sits around 167.5 after a 90-89 game that cleared it, so watch the Miles news there too, because a thinner Minnesota backcourt could pull the pace and the number in either direction. Either way, wait for the final injury report before you lock anything, because Olivia Miles is the one input that can reshape this game.
Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx FAQ
What time is the Sun vs Lynx game?
The Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx game tips off Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at 7:30 PM ET (6:30 PM CT, 5:30 PM MT, 4:30 PM PT).
What channel is Sun vs Lynx on?
The game is set to air nationally on USA Network, and it streams through live-TV services that carry USA, such as YouTube TV and Fubo, as well as the Lynx platform Victory+. Check your provider for the exact channel in your market.
Is Napheesa Collier playing against the Sun?
No. Collier has not played in 2026 as she recovers from offseason surgery on both ankles. She returned to practice in early July, but the Lynx have ruled her out for this game and have not set a return date.
Is Olivia Miles playing for the Lynx?
Miles is questionable with a right calf injury and is in danger of missing her first game of the season. Watch Minnesota's final injury report before tip.
Who won the last Sun vs Lynx game?
Connecticut won the most recent meeting 90-89 on July 6, 2026, in Minneapolis. Brittney Griner led all scorers with 29 points and 10 rebounds, and Kennedy Burke hit a late three to seal the upset.
Who is favored in Sun vs Lynx?
Minnesota is favored at around -7.5 on the spread, with a moneyline near -285. Connecticut is the home underdog at +7.5 and around +270 on the moneyline.
How do I bet on the Sun vs Lynx game?
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The bottom line
Connecticut Sun vs Minnesota Lynx tips off Wednesday, July 8 at 7:30 PM ET from Mohegan Sun Arena, a quick rematch of a game the last-place Sun stole from the first-place Lynx by one point. Minnesota is the better team and the market still favors them, but a confident, Griner-led Sun side at home makes this more live than the standings suggest. Watch the Olivia Miles team news, pick your side on BettorEdge, grab the $10 free to start, and enjoy the midweek hoops with your people. Better odds. You keep more.
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