WNBA First Basket Scorers & Picks: Saturday (7/4)
The WNBA season rolls on during the Fourth of July holiday weekend with a pair of games on the schedule today. The Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream meet at 1 p.m. ET. The Portland Fire and Seattle Storm face off later in the evening. There are, of course, many great markets for each game you can bet on. But for the purpose of this post, I'll focus on the best WNBA first basket scorers.
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Saturday’s Best WNBA First Basket Scorers & Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream
Neither team has been dominant in the first basket department, with each team scoring the first basket in 45% of their games. Atlanta has taken the first shot in 55% of their games (11), while Golden State has done so in 50% of their games (10). There isn't a clear-cut statistical advantage for either team.
With that in mind, I'd seriously consider splitting your stake between the two most likely candidates. For Atlanta, that is Rhyne Howard, who has taken the first shot and made the first basket in four games this season. As for Golden State, it's Gabby Williams. She has attempted the first shot in four games and made the first basket in three games.
However, it may be worth considering a second player if you want to go with someone from Golden State. Cecilia Zandalasini has yet to attempt the first shot in a game, but she has made the first basket in three games. At +1000, she is certainly a solid value play.
Picks: Rhyne Howard (+500)/Gabby Williams (+600)/Cecilia Zandalasini (+1000)
Portland Fire vs. Seattle Storm
On the surface, Seattle has an advantage. They have attempted the first shot (57.1%) and made the first basket (61.9%) in over half of their games this season. Portland is at 50% on attempts but has made the first basket in 40% of games.
As for Seattle, there are plenty of first-basket candidates with six players attempting the first shot and making the first basket in a game this season. But there is an obvious favorite in the group in center Dominque Malonga. In the 12 games she has played this season, she attempted the first basket in four of them (25%) and made it in five games (41.7%).
Megan Gustafson is also worth considering. She has made the first basket in two of her last three games. But Seattle has made it in seven of their last eight games, with Malonga accounting for four of them. However, it is also worth considering Awa Fam since she made the first basket in two of the last five games (Malonga also accounted for two).
Picks: Megan Gustafson (+800)/Dominique Malonga (+340)/Awa Fam (+650)