We are well into the WNBA season, and it's shaping up to be a fun one with the expansion of teams and arguably the most talent the league has ever seen. 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 also count.
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 first basket bets for Wednesday, June 24th.
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Wednesday’s Best WNBA First Basket Scorers & Bets
Last Time: 0-2 | Season: 6-24 (+14.15 units) | Odds courtesy of BetRivers
Minnesota Lynx vs. Washington Mystics
We open in the nation’s capital as the Mystics host the Lynx, with Minnesota close to double-digit favorites. All stats point to Minnesota as the obviously better team, with the second-best offense compared to the Mystics’ 12th-ranked unit, and no defense has been better than Minnesota’s in the entire league this season. Even in road games, Minnesota still dominates defensively.
But still, in their 17 games, the Lynx have allowed the first bucket of the game 12 times. That's kind of insane, but it's a low sample, high variance outcome, and doesn't help when Natasha Howard has struggled on the block. Howard has taken every tip for Minnesota this year, and she's only won two of them.
Meanwhile, Shakira Austin for Washington has gone a total 12-2 on her jump balls, so I'm fading Minnesota here. Also, I talked about defense earlier, and Washington's hasn't actually been that bad recently, ranking third in their last five games. We might see two struggling offenses out of the gate.
My general advice is to find a Mystics option. Austin is the clear choice as she has four of Washington’s first eight baskets. These two teams squared off on Sunday. Austin attempted the first shot on a layup. If you want a dark-horse candidate, Sonia Citron might hit a three-pointer to start the game. Or Kiki Iriafen gets it done. I'm sticking with Austin as my official selection, however.
Pick: Shakira Austin (+500)
Portland Fire vs. Chicago Sky
Next up in the Windy City, the Chicago Sky host the Portland Fire with the Sky sitting around 3.5-point favorites. This is the first of two consecutive matchups between these two teams after facing each other to open the season for the Fire's inaugural game.
In that game, Kamilla Cardoso won the tip, and I expect her to do the same tonight. Portland has rotated who is on the block to open the game, but I expect it to be Luisa Geiselsoder, who has only won three of her nine attempts this year, including a loss to Cardoso to open the season.
Cardoso is another chalky pick, but I'm going to go down the board a bit. Skylar Diggins ranks second on the team in first-shot attempts and can score at all three levels. She shoots nearly 40% from three, and Portland allows the third-most three-pointers against them in the league. Diggins can also get to the hoop and earn free-throw attempts. With the variety of scoring capabilities, she's too much of a value to be priced at 10-1 odds.
Pick: Skylar Diggins (+1000)
