WNBA First Basket Scorers & Picks: Monday (8/3)
We are getting close to the final stretch of the WNBA season. Every game means more as teams look to keep their playoff hopes alive. Let's add to the excitement by putting money down on my top WNBA first basket scorers.
After reviewing the data for each game, the following are my top picks.
Go premium to view top prop bets based on Cover Probability, Expected Value & Star Rating >>
Monday’s Best WNBA First Basket Scorers & Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Follow along and make sure to check out our WNBA First Basket Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for help identifying all of today's best prop bets.
Las Vegas Aces vs. Atlanta Dream
If you want to go with someone from Atlanta, Rhyne Howard is the obvious best choice. Atlanta has attempted the first shot in 15 out of 28 games; Howard took seven of those shots. The Dream have made the first basket in 11 games; Howard is responsible for five. But they have made the first basket in just two of their last 10 games (one by Howard and the other by Allisha Gray).
Las Vegas, on the other hand, has made the first basket in 15 out of 29 games this season and in six of their last 10. A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young both claim two. The Aces made the first basket in two of their last three; Wilson had one and Young the other. Either is a good bet, but if you just want to bet on just one player, go for the bigger payday and back Young.
Picks: Jackie Young (+380)/A'ja Wilson (+110)/Rhyne Howard (+195)
Seattle Storm vs. New York Liberty
This is a tough one because they have been almost equally successful on the first basket. Both teams have taken the first shot 15 times, but Seattle has made the first basket 16 times to 15 for New York. Each team has made the first basket in six of their last 10 games, but the Liberty have done so in six consecutive games.
Because of that, I'd have to go with someone from New York. Sabrina Ionescu has picked up her game in recent weeks and made the first basket in two of New York's last three. However, this would be a good game to split your stake and put something down on two players. Dominique Malonga has made the first basket in five of the 21 games she has played in. She's a solid choice on any given night.
Picks: Dominique Malonga (+500)/Natisha Hiedeman (+900)/Jonquel Jones (+490)/Sabrina Ionescu (+650)
Phoenix Mercury vs. Chicago Sky
This is a game without a clear-cut favorite. Phoenix has taken the first shot 11 times and made the first basket just 10 times; Chicago’s numbers are 16 and 14 in those respective categories. Advantage Sky? Maybe. The Mercury have made the first basket in three of their last six games, and Chicago has done so just twice. I like Kamilla Cardoso and Alyssa Thomas because they'll be around the basket and ready to pull down a rebound and score some second-chance points. Cardoso (four) has made one more first basket than Thomas (three) this season.
Both teams have played well against some tough competition in recent games, which makes this pick tough. They have the two best defensive ratings over the last five games, which tells me to look to the offensive side, where Chicago is the higher-rated team. For that reason, I'm going with Cardoso.
Picks: Kamilla Cardoso (+300)/Alyssa Thomas (+750)