WNBA First Basket Scorers & Picks: Fever vs. Aces (Thursday)
There is only one WNBA game tonight. Despite the small slate, we are treated to the most important game of the season to date. A true win-or-go-home situation for both teams should ramp up the excitement level tremendously. Here are a few players to consider when making WNBA first basket scorers picks for Game 3 between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, October 1st.
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Thursday's Best WNBA First Basket Scorer Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Indiana Fever at Las Vegas Aces
We are coming in hot with one of the most polarizing players in basketball, Caitlin Clark. The Iowa sensation has now navigated three WNBA seasons, and it's obvious that she is here to dominate and entertain for a very long time. Clark may not be the best first option to score first, as she may prefer to facilitate early on. However, that hasn't been the case lately.
The Fever guard ranked fourth in the last five regular-season contests, averaging 6.6 points through the first 10 minutes. Clark has improved her first-quarter scoring to 5.6 points per game this season. The young legend is averaging 5.6 attempts per game in the first quarter over her last five games. Clark scored the first basket in Game 2. Clark is here to win, and we think she makes for a fantastic candidate to score first tonight.
Our next selection yields the highest profit among all the players suggested. Jackie Young is scoring at an elite level, and we simply cannot leave her off our list. Young nearly single-handedly brought the Aces back from a fourth-quarter deficit to advance in the playoffs. The Aces guard scored 12 of her 31 points in the fourth quarter. Young scored five points in the first 10 minutes of the game on Tuesday.
Young made the first basket in four games this season. The Fever have allowed their opponent to score the first field goal in 18 games. A whopping 50% of the first baskets made against Indiana were from the guard position. Young is looking to score as much as possible. With the stakes so high for Las Vegas, it's not difficult to envision the veteran guard making her presence felt immediately.
No surprise here whatsoever. The four-time WNBA MVP finished the season as the player with the most points through the first 10 minutes of play, averaging 6.8 points. A'ja Wilson is coming off of an uncharacteristic 5-of-11 shooting night and will no doubt be on the hunt to score as quickly as the first possession.
Wilson scored the first field goal at home in the opening contest of this series and is the clear favorite to make it two consecutive home games in which she initiates the scoring. The Fever may have the tip-off advantage, considering Brianna Turner is 1-3 on opening tips at home. Having said that, a quick miss from Indiana or an errant pass could have the ball in Wilson's hands within the first 20 seconds.