WNBA Thursday: O'Sullivan picks Connecticut Sun vs Seattle Storm in first Commissioner's Cup Championship

Okay, the WNBA is back after its Olympic-induced hiatus. I’ve included my (cough) lackluster (cough) performance during the Games in my overall record, but please recall, before we all had to put our lives on hold to support our country AND our gambling habit, I was doing pretty well…

Seattle O’Sullivan so far: 72-60-1

Connecticut Sun vs. Seattle Storm, 9 pm EDT

(Game in Phoenix, AZ)

The Pick: Seattle +1 (-110)

True, Seattle will be playing with five Olympians, including Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, and Jewel Loyd, returning to league play without the luxury of a multi-week break. True, the Storm will be playing with Katie Lou Samuelson recovering from COVID. But this is the inaugural Commissioner's Cup championship, which means bragging rights and, perhaps more important, a whole lot of cash going to the winner. Each winning player gets $30,000, while each losing player only gets $10,000. I’m betting the money, plus the sort of pride and competitiveness that helps make you an Olympian, will be more consequential than being less-rested than the Sun, who may well be rusty. Seattle’s the best team in the WNBA, tonight is a potential preview of the Finals, and I think they pull it out.