Connecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty Prediction, Betting Pick, Latest WNBA Odds - Friday, May 8th
The New York Liberty will take on the Connecticut Sun on Friday night in the WNBA season opener. Can the Liberty cruise at home without Sabrina Ionescu? Let's take a look at this Sun vs. Liberty prediction for Friday, May 8th.
OC Staff - May 8, 2026, 3:30 PM EDT
4 Minute ReadConnecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty Prediction: Can Breanna Stewart, Satou Sabally Roll Over Sun in Season Opener Without Sabrina Ionescu?
The New York Liberty open the season as title favorites on Friday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. ET with 11-point home spread against the Connecticut Sun. The Liberty remain one of the league’s deepest teams, but they will begin the season without Sabrina Ionescu after she suffered a left ankle injury in last weekend’s preseason meeting with Connecticut. Ionescu is expected to miss at least two weeks, leaving New York to redistribute touches through Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and newcomer Satou Sabally.
Connecticut enters a very different season after finishing near the bottom of the league last year and continuing its roster reset. The Sun added Brittney Griner, whose points prop is set at 12.5, and also brought in Hailey Van Lith after she was waived by Chicago, giving the franchise more scoring punch and guard depth. Still, the matchup is demanding right away against a Liberty team with Stewart at 19.5 points, Jones at 14.5, and enough frontcourt size to punish a Sun team that may need time to settle into its new identity.
Connecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Friday, May 8, 2026
- Time: 7:30 PM ET
- How to Watch: ION
Looking for advanced AI predictions and props to enhance your basketball betting? Try out oddschecker+ now on this limited time 7-day free trial!
Connecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty Odds
Click here for complete Sun vs. Liberty Odds
Connecticut Sun vs. New York Liberty Prediction
New York’s biggest question is not whether it has enough talent, but how the offense functions without Ionescu’s spacing, pull-up shooting, and half-court organization. Stewart should take on more creation responsibility, Sabally gives the Liberty another versatile scorer if fully available, and Jonquel Jones becomes even more important as an interior stabilizer. Ionescu averaged 18.2 points, 5.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals last season, so her absence is not minor, but New York’s roster construction gives it more ways to absorb the loss than most teams.
Connecticut’s path to keeping this close starts with Griner controlling touches in the paint and forcing New York to defend without overhelping. The Sun need efficient half-court possessions, second-chance chances, and enough perimeter shooting to prevent the Liberty from loading up inside.
The problem is that New York can answer with more size, more championship-level shot creation, and a much cleaner late-game hierarchy. Even without Ionescu, the Liberty should be able to play through Stewart and Jones while using Sabally’s versatility to create matchup pressure.
The game script sets up well for Jones because New York should emphasize paint touches, rebounding, and interior control. Connecticut has added star power with Griner, but this is still a weaker Sun team than the Liberty will expect to see later in the season, and Jones’ role should expand with Ionescu sidelined.
Sun vs. Liberty Best Bet
- Pick: Jonquel Jones Double Double (+135) Click here to get the best odds at FanDuel Sportsbook
Her 14.5-point prop reflects scoring expectations, but the double-double market is the sharper angle because she can get there through both usage and boards in a matchup where New York should own long stretches of frontcourt play.
WNBA ODDS
Affiliate Disclosure.
We are not a gambling or betting operator, but we receive a commission from these companies when we advertise their brands and refer customers to them (affiliate marketing). We provide information, odds information and links to websites of these companies. Some of the information made available on our site may be positioned as a result of a commission paid to us by a third party. We do not take or place bets/transactions and any information on Our Products is provided for entertainment purposes only.
