WNBA First Basket Scorers & Picks: Saturday (Mystics vs. Wings)
The only WNBA action today features a Dallas Wings squad that may be ready to turn a corner and a Washington Mystics team that has turned things around and become a .500 team.
Betting on WNBA first-basket props should be interesting for this one. We've analyzed the data, crunched some numbers and have come up with our best picks for this market.
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Saturday’s Best WNBA First Basket Scorers & Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Washington Mystics vs. Dallas Wings
After making the first basket in only one game in May (vs. Las Vegas on May 23rd; Jade Melbourne), Washington has gotten more aggressive right out of the gate. Of their nine games in June, they've made the first basket in six. As for who's been making the shot (in June), five players have chipped in:
- Sonia Citron (2)
- Kiki Iriafen (1)
- Brittney Sykes (1)
- Sug Sutton (1)
- Jade Melbourne (1)
Sug Sutton's bucket was the only three-pointer in the group.
In June, Brittney Sykes has been taking the most shots (12.4 per game), followed by Shakira Austin (11.4), Sonia Citron (10.7) and Kiki Iriafen (10.4). Austin has had the best shot percentage (50.5%), followed by Citron and Iriafen (47.9%) and Sykes (41.4%).
Dallas has been all about playing at a fast pace this season, which has resulted in the Wings making the first basket in 10 of 17 games this season. Five at home and five on the road. In June, Dallas made the first basket in six out of 10 games (three home games; three road games). As for who's making these baskets, several players have chipped in:
- DiJonai Carrington (3)
- NaLyssa Smith (3)
- Myisha Hines-Allen (3)
- Paige Bueckers (1)
In June, Bueckers has been taking the most shots per game (17.4), followed by Arike Ogunbowale (14.6), DiJonai Carrington (12.3) and Maddy Siegrist (8.8). NaLyssa Smith is averaging 5.6 per game, while Myisha Hines-Allen is at 4.8 per game.
Having made the first basket in four out of their last five games, I have to lean towards taking someone from Washington. Dallas has been playing solid basketball, but the Wings haven't made the first basket since June 20th (vs. Connecticut). Sykes and Melbourne are game-time decisions for Washington, but I wouldn't count on Sykes playing.
However, Dallas will be without Carrington and Siegrist.
Since Dallas is dealing with a few injuries in the frontcourt, I like one of Washington's forwards to make the first basket. Go with either Shakira Austin (+600) or Kiki Iriafen (+600). Austin has yet to make the first basket in a game this season. Iriafen has made one and has made the team’s first basket in five games (Austin has done so once).
Picks: Shakira Austin (+600) & Kiki Iriafen (+600)