Are you looking for a great way to wrap up your Memorial Day Weekend? How about watching one of the two great WNBA games on the schedule for tonight and betting on WNBA first basket scorers for each game?
It's a tough prop to predict, but after reviewing some key indicators, the following are my best WNBA first basket picks for Monday, May 25th.
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Monday’s Best WNBA First Basket Scorers & Picks
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Portland Fire vs. New York Liberty
Bridget Carleton takes more shots and has one of the highest usage rates and effective field-goal rates on the team. She has recorded the first basket in one game this season. But despite her low usage rate, relatively poor effective field-goal rate and the fact that she barely averages two made shots per game, Nyadiew Puoch has recorded the first basket twice.
That alone makes Puoch a solid value play at +1300. Breanna Stewart and Satou Sabally have solid usage rates and take 11+ shots per game, but both have effective field-goal rates under 50%.
Going with one of New York's superstars would be an obvious and understandable choice. After all, a New York player has made the first basket in three of their six games. But the Liberty are a mess at the moment, losers of three of their last four. Portland is not a great team, but I don't trust the Liberty to make the first shot.
I'm rolling the dice on Puoch, who has scored first twice already.
Picks: Breanna Stewart (+550)/Satou Sabally (+650)/Bridget Carleton (+750)/Nyadiew Puoch (+1300)
Connecticut Sun vs. Golden State Valkyries
Neither team is shooting the ball well this year; Connecticut is shooting 41.1% from the floor and Golden State is shooting 39.2%. The Sun has made the first shot in two out of seven games this season, and Golden State has done so just once (in five games). Neither team is a good choice, but someone has to make the first shot.
I like Aaliyah Edwards from the Sun because she made the first basket in the Sun's last game, has a 23% usage rate and a respectable effective field-goal rate (52.9%). She is a good shooter on a bad offensive team.
While Edwards is a solid choice, I like Gabby Williams a little bit more. Her effective field-goal rate is not impressive (46.6%), but she has a solid usage rate (24.7%) and averages 11.6 shots per game.
Edwards is probably the better shooter, but Williams is a solid player on the better team (and she has made the first basket once already this season).
Picks: Aaliyah Edwards (+650)/Gabby Williams (+1000)
