WNBA First Basket Scorers & Picks: Friday (7/3)
We are officially in full swing with the WNBA season as we've reached the July 4th weekend. WNBA first basket scorers are some of the best ways to get in on the action, as you don't have to sweat the entire game.
Of course, these are high-variance bets with long odds similar to first touchdown scorer bets in football, but that is why the odds allow for a nice payout when you get one right. With a large sample size, the risk is rewarded. Remember to shop around as odds vary widely across sportsbooks. Remember, these bets are for the first point scorer, so free throws count as well.
We've gone a bit cold over the last couple of weeks, but it's a good thing we jumped out to such a good start, and I expect it's a good time to bounce back. Here are the best WNBA first basket bets for Friday, July 3rd.
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Friday's Best WNBA First Basket Scorers & Bets
Last Time: 0-2 | Season: 6-28 (+10.15 units)
Minnesota Lynx vs. New York Liberty
We open at Barclays Center, and this one starts and ends with the tip. Jonquel Jones has been the most reliable jumper in the league this season, winning 14 of her 20 jumps overall and going 8-3 at home.
The Lynx sit dead last in the WNBA in winning tips, coming out on top just 15.8% of the time, with Natasha Howard going 1-of-8 on jump shots in road games. Minnesota should be conceding the first possession here.
Going off that, the Lynx have not scored the first basket in a single road game this season, an incredible 0-for-10. Assuming that trend continues, that effectively cuts the field in half and points us straight at the Liberty side.
Jones is the name I keep landing on. She took and made the game’s very first shot the last time these teams met, and she’s scored two first baskets this season, both from behind the arc, where New York loves to open games.
More than half of the Liberty’s first shots this season have been three-pointers. If you want a longer number in the same direction, Leonie Fiebich has two first baskets of her own, both threes, including one last week.
Pick: Jonquel Jones (+475 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Chicago Sky vs. Las Vegas Aces
The nightcap in Las Vegas is a rematch of Sunday’s meeting in Chicago, and we just watched the blueprint for how this pick can play out. Kamilla Cardoso beat NaLyssa Smith on the jump, and the Sky earned the first possession. Cardoso scored the first basket herself on a layup with the game’s third shot.
Cardoso is now 3-0 all-time on jumps against Smith. The Aces have struggled in this market at home all season, winning tips at just a 37.5% clip and taking the game’s first shot in only a quarter of their home games.
Cardoso has four first baskets this season, tied among the league leaders, and every single one has come on a layup at the rim. She’s been the focal point of Chicago’s offense lately, pouring in 24 points against this same Las Vegas team on Sunday. Chicago has scored the first basket in six of their last 10 games.
The wild card is A’ja Wilson, who rolled her right ankle in that Chicago game and missed Tuesday’s WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final. If Wilson sits again, this pick only gets stronger. If she plays, she’s the best Aces alternative with four first baskets of her own, all on her signature jumper. Either way, Cardoso is the play.
Pick: Kamilla Cardoso (+480 at FanDuel Sportsbook)