WNBA Championship 2022 Predictions & Odds: Will anyone be able to stop the Aces?

Only four teams remain in the running for the 2022 WNBA championship, with the two best-of-five semifinal series set to tip off on Sunday.

Last season, the sixth-seeded Chicago Sky defeated the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury to win the franchise’s first title. To become the last two teams standing, the Sky and Mercury knocked off the top two seeds, the Connecticut Sun and Las Vegas Aces, in the semis.

Even if the top two seeds fall at this stage this season, the WNBA finals are guaranteed to feature two top-four seeds.

All four higher seeds advanced out of the first round, which sets up some exciting possibilities for the title tilt no matter how the semis turn out.

2022 WNBA Playoffs Semifinal Matchups

• #1 Las Vegas Aces (26-10) vs. #4 Seattle Storm (22-14)
• #2 Chicago Sky (26-10) vs. #3 Connecticut Sun (25-11)

Three of the final four from last year are back in the semis this year, with the Sky, Sun, and Aces all making it back. In fact, the Sun and Aces are in the semis for the fourth year in a row.

Here’s a look at the current WNBA championship odds, courtesy of BetOnline.

Odds to Win the 2022 WNBA Championship

• Las Vegas Aces +100
• Chicago Sky +300
• Connecticut Sun +430
• Seattle Storm +460

While the Aces and Sun are no strangers to this round, both franchises are still chasing an elusive title.

None of the iterations of the team now known as the Aces have achieved glory, whether as the Utah Starzz, San Antonio Silver Stars/Stars, or the Aces. The same can be said for the Sun, who were the Orlando Miracle from 1999 to 2002 before moving to Connecticut.

Aces a Worthy Favorite

Will this be the Aces’ year? The Aces have been the best team in the WNBA this season, and they are favored to finally take that next step for good reason.

They showed it in the first round with their demolition of the Phoenix Mercury.

In Game 1, they held Phoenix to 63 points in a 16-point win, then sealed their passage to the semis by coming up a point short of tying the all-time WNBA single-game scoring record in a 110-80 romp.

Sun, Sky Survive Upset-Minded Challengers to Advance

The Sun needed the maximum three games and a trip to Dallas to see off the sixth-seeded Dallas Wings after failing to clinch at home in Game 2.

But when they needed to step up, they did. After allowing 89 points in Game 2, they held the Wings to just 58 points on 36.4 percent shooting in a 15-point win.

What about the defending champions? Like the Sun, the Sky needed to go the distance and play a winner-take-all game on the road to see off Sabrina Ionescu and the seventh-seeded New York Liberty.

New York stunned Chicago in Game 1 at Wintrust Arena, but Candace Parker, 2021 finals MVP Kahleah Copper, and the champs responded like champions are expected to and defeated the Liberty by 38 in Game 2 and 20 in Game 3 to advance.

Will a Legend Ride Off into the Sunset with Another Title?

The Seattle Storm may not be getting a lot of love from the oddsmakers, but many would love to see Sue Bird end her legendary career with a fifth WNBA championship.

They certainly lit up the scoreboard in their first round series with the fifth-seeded Washington Mystics, continuing their form from down the stretch, in which they averaged 95.4 PPG and hit the century mark twice.

In Game 1, they put up 86 points as they edged Washington by three. And in Game 2, they sealed the sweep with a 97-84 win.

Breanna Stewart led the way with a double-double in both wins, putting up 23 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1 and 21 points and 10 rebounds in Game 2. With the two-time WNBA MVP in such stellar form, the Storm can’t be counted out against the Aces.

Who Will Win This Year’s WNBA Championship?

Much has been expected of Las Vegas for a while now, but they have yet to be the last team standing.

But A’ja Wilson and the Aces appear to be determined to put history behind them and claim their first–but likely not their last–championship.

After spending several years as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs and learning from one of the greatest coaches in history in Gregg Popovich, Becky Hammon has proven to be just what this talented group needed, winning WNBA Coach of the Year honors as a result.

With Hammon guiding the ship and the Aces clearly determined to put previous disappointments behind them, they are going to be hard to stop.

That said, the other three teams are all equipped to upset the odds and win it all, including the Storm. But as has been the case throughout the 2022 WNBA season, the Aces look like the team to beat and the best pick to take the title.