Thanks to the influx of extraordinary young talent, the popularity of the WNBA is blowing up. Unsurprisingly, the betting markets are too. Showing respect to the wonderful women’s game, this gambler will occasionally dip his toe in the WNBA wagering waters.
The pick — Two-leg parlay: Angel Reese double-double, Alyssa Thomas 6+ assists (-106, FanDuel)
- FanDuel offer: Bet $5 and get $200 in Bonus Bets
All good things must come to an end.
Those wise words hit home for Angel Reese in her last game against the Liberty. Needing a bucket to extend her WNBA record double-double streak, she feverishly clamored for the ball with seconds remaining, but no additional shots were launched due to the swarming New York defense. Prevented from extending history, the All-Star forward threw her arms up in disgust, walked off the floor and internally accepted defeat.
Though she missed several golden opportunities throughout the game, Reese had her streak halted at 15 games. What a mesmerizing run.
On Tuesday, the Sky rookie is bound to take out her frustrations against the Aces in Las Vegas. Here’s a breakdown of parlay legs, including one on a certain someone.
Angel Reese double-double at Aces. In what is likely to be a calorie-burning, high-paced contest played well into the 80s, Reese should get back to her glass commanding ways. Yes, many of her attempts are grotesque clangers, but her shot volume — many coming at or near the rim — is likely to exceed a dozen. In her first game against the Aces this year, Reese shot 7-for-16 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line in scoring 18 points to go with 11 rebounds. With Las Vegas having allowed the second-most rebounds (36.2) and the most second-chance points (11.6) in the W over the last 10 games, Chicago’s self-proclaimed “dog” is going to bark.
Alyssa Thomas 6+ assists at Liberty. Connecticut’s underappreciated star is a triple-double threat every time she steps on the floor. In fact, the five-time All-Star forward has achieved the feat twice this season (May 14 vs. Indiana and July 4 at Minnesota). Averaging a robust 7.7 dimes per game, Thomas has totaled what’s needed in 83% of her games. In the two contests this year against New York, she tallied seven and eight assists. Sandy Brondello’s New York crew owns the best record in the league at 20-4, but the Liberty have been far from unstoppable deflecting passes. Over their last 10 games, they’re a middling No. 5 in opponent assists per contest (20.1). In a showdown of Eastern Conference titans, expect Thomas to again display a crafty hand.
WNBA season record: 13-14, +2.08 units (We’ve dropped six straight)