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  • WNBA Season Starts Friday

    WNBA odds are back! Top tips and best bets for the 2019 WNBA season

    Over the past two seasons, teams that finished Top 5 in WNBA standings are a combined 192-142-5 ATS – covering at a 57.5 percent clip.

    WNBA betting doesn’t hold the same audience or excitement that its NBA brother does, but it sure as hell holds a lot more value. Like most small-market leagues, the WNBA odds are ripe for the picking simply because the league flies under the radar of both books and public bettors.

    Unlike the NBA or NFL, the lines aren’t as carefully crafted by oddsmakers, so there’s a larger margin for error in those numbers. And without the wall-to-wall media coverage and analysis, news and notes don’t bubble up into the spreads and totals like they would in those bigger leagues.

    While the casual bettor may turn their nose up to the WNBA and laugh it off as a bad bet (and you did, we heard you. Admit it) the summer months are shark-infested waters with wiseguys looking to cash in on the WNBA. Ask any serious sports bettor, and they’ll tell you women’s hoops can be a gold mine if you know what to look for.

    If we’ve peaked your interest in betting on the WNBA odds, here are a few tips and tactics to help you make the best bets.

    FOLLOW THE STEAM

    You’ve never seen line moves like the ones in the WNBA. Sharps hammer the opening numbers and push the spreads and totals all over the place. And because books know the only folks betting “The Dub” are the ones in the know, they’re aggressive with their adjustments. If you can spot a line on the move, jump on that side and try to get the best number you can before the value is dried up.

    PAY ATTENTION

    Look at box scores, read some articles, and for god’s sakes, would it kill you to watch a WNBA game every now and then? Since the league gets about 1/18th the amount of coverage the NBA receives, any extra info you can get on a team, its players, and coaches it extremely valuable.

    Often times, key injuries and lineup moves are undervalued by oddsmakers, so doing your homework can really pay off. Social media is also a gold mine, whether that’s local beat reporters or players themselves dishing actionable info for WNBA betting.

    DON’T TREAD ON TRENDS

    In smaller-market sports, betting trends tend to stick around longer than those leagues under the microscope. That means that if WNBA road favorites keep covering (went 61 percent in 2018) or the Over is the hot play, you can go ahead and lean on that trend a little more than you would if it was happening in the NBA, where these patterns have a limited lifespan.

    One trend that’s proved profitable the past two years is simply betting on the best teams and fading the worst – basic enough. Over the past two seasons, teams that finished Top 5 in WNBA standings are a combined 192-142-5 ATS – covering at a 57.5 percent clip. The Bottom 5 teams in the league were a collective 148-186-5 ATS – coming through for WNBA pointspread bettors just 44.3 percent of the time.

    FIND IT IN THE FORUMS

    Don’t feel like fully committing to all that homework mentioned above? You can always source solid opinions from the Covers Community. Our WNBA posting forum is loaded with insight and analysis from dedicated “Dub” cappers, with their fingers on the pulse of women’s professional hoops.

    You can also keep a close eye on our WNBA contests on Covers Contests. There you’ll find leaderboards with the hottest WNBA bettors. And why not jump into the action while you’re at it, and win some cash and prizes in our free-to-play contests.

    WNBA CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS

    Washington Mystics +230
    Las Vegas Aces +300
    Los Angeles Sparks +440
    Connecticut Sun +550
    Phoenix Mercury +700
    Atlanta Dream +750
    Seattle Storm +1,600
    Minnesota Lynx +2,600
    Chicago Sky +5,500

  • #2
    Mystics top AP WNBA preseason poll


    NEW YORK (AP) The Washington Mystics sit atop the preseason Associated Press WNBA poll for the first time.

    The runner-up from last season's WNBA Finals received five first-place votes from the 14-person national media panel Wednesday. It's the first time in the four-year history of the poll that Washington is No. 1.

    ''It's nice when you go to the finals, people assume if you have a young talented team you can be a contender the following year,'' Washington coach Mike Thibault said. ''It's hard to do. We've worked since I got here to contend every year. The players have gone through the process physically and mentally to know what it feels like. You want to learn from the loss, I hope.''

    Washington is led by Elena Delle Donne, who was the panel's preseason player of the year. She is receiving treatment for a leg injury and may miss the start of the season.

    ''She put us on her back last year for some long stretches,'' Thibault said. ''Everyone saw her value in the Atlanta series when she played and didn't play. She's comfortable in her own shoes here. Players with her know they are playing with someone special.''

    Thibault is impressed with how Delle Donne's leadership has improved.

    ''I think that's one of the biggest things she's learned how to do is speak up when she needs to,'' he said.

    Delle Donne was joined on the AP preseason all-WNBA team by Liz Cambage and A'ja Wilson of Las Vegas, Tiffany Hayes of Atlanta and Brittney Griner of Phoenix. There was a three-way tie for preseason rookie of the year between New York's Asia Durr, Las Vegas' Jackie Young and Minnesota's Napheesa Collier.

    Las Vegas is picked to finish second, also garnering five first-place votes. Los Angeles is third and Phoenix fourth. The Aces made a huge acquisition last week, trading for Cambage . They added one of the best players in the world and made themselves instant title contenders. The Sparks added Chiney Ogwumike via trade, reuniting her with her sister Nneka. They received three first-place votes and followed the Aces in the poll.

    Chiney Ogwumike's former team the Connecticut Sun is fifth. Atlanta rounded out the top half of the rankings.

    The Seattle Storm, who won the title last year, are picked seventh. Seattle will be without reigning MVP Breanna Stewart for the season after she injured her Achilles overseas. Storm point guard Sue Bird is also sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury.

    Minnesota, Chicago, Dallas, New York and Indiana completed the poll.

    The WNBA tips off its 23rd season Friday. The first regular season power poll will be released on Tuesday, May 28.

    Comment


    • #3
      WNBA Preview Capsules


      NEW YORK (AP) A team-by-team look at the WNBA. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish.

      ---

      LAS VEGAS ACES

      2018: 14-20, 9th place; missed playoffs

      COACH: Bill Laimbeer, 2nd season.

      POWER POLL RANKING: 2nd.

      OUTLOOK: Las Vegas added Liz Cambage which turned the Aces into an instant title contender as they now boast one of the best frontcourts in the league. The Aces also drafted Jackie Young with the No. 1 pick giving them more talent. The only real question might be how quickly Laimbeer can get the team to play together with the new pieces.

      ---

      WASHINGTON MYSTICS

      2018: 22-12, 3rd place; lost to Seattle in WNBA Finals.

      COACH: Mike Thibault, 6th season.

      POWER POLL RANKING: 1st.

      OUTLOOK: The Mystics reached the finals but just didn't have enough to overcome Seattle when Elena Delle Donne got hurt. Washington will try to win the franchise's first championship. Most of last year's team is back and the Mystics will have Emma Meesseman back for most of the season. She sat out last year while helping Belgium prepare for the FIBA World Cup.

      ---

      ATLANTA DREAM

      2018: 23-11, 2nd place; lost in semifinals to Washington.

      COACH: Nicki Collen, 2nd season.

      POWER POLL RANKING: 6th.

      OUTLOOK: Atlanta has a talented backcourt led by Tiffany Hayes and Renee Montgomery and solid frontcourt play as well with Elizabeth Williams and Jessica Breland. The Dream weren't far off from reaching the finals. Angel McCoughtry's return from the ACL injury she suffered in August could bolster the team to make a late season run.

      ---

      LOS ANGELES SPARKS

      2018: 19-15, 7th place; lost in second round to Washington.

      COACH: Derek Fisher, 1st season.

      POWER POLL RANKING: 3rd.

      OUTLOOK: Los Angeles added Chiney Ogwumike to an already talented frontcourt, teaming her with sister Nneka. The pair out of Stanford will need to carry the load on offense for a few weeks while Candace Parker recovers from a hamstring injury. They'll definitely have help from All-Star guard Chelsea Gray. New coach Derek Fisher will try and get the Sparks going after spending years in the NBA.

      ---

      CONNECTICUT SUN

      2018: 21-13, 4th place; lost to Phoenix in second round.

      COACH: Curt Miller, 4th season.

      POWER POLL RANKING: 5th.

      OUTLOOK: The Sun have nearly everyone back from last year's team except for Ogwumike. The team went 21-13 without her in 2017 and had the same record last season. The Sun players feel this might be their best opportunity to get out of the second round of the playoffs and make a run to the title led by Jasmine and Alyssa Thomas. With Ogwumike leaving, it opens up more minutes for All-Star Jonquel Jones.

      ---

      PHOENIX MERCURY

      2018: 20-14, 5th place; lost to Seattle in semifinals.

      COACH: Sandy Brondello, 6th season.

      POWER POLL RANKING: 4th.

      OUTLOOK: Phoenix will have to do without Diana Taurasi for at least the first month of the season because of a back injury. There is still plenty of talent on the roster led by 6-foot-8 center Brittney Griner. She has help from DeWanna Bonner and rookie Alanna Smith, who excelled at Stanford.

      ---

      MINNESOTA LYNX

      2018: 18-16, 7th place; lost to Los Angeles in the first round.

      POWER POLL RANKING: 9th.

      COACH: Cheryl Reeve, 10th season.

      OUTLOOK: Lindsay Whalen's retired from the WNBA and coaching at her alma mater Minnesota. Maya Moore is taking the year off. Yet Reeve didn't sit idle in the offseason, acquiring guard Odyssey Sims as well as drafting Napheesa Collier. Add those two to veterans Sylvia Fowles and Seimone Augustus and the Lynx should be in the playoff hunt again this season.

      ---

      SEATTLE STORM

      2018: 26-8, 1st place; won WNBA title.

      COACH: Dan Hughes, 2nd season.

      POWER POLL RANKING: 7th.

      OUTLOOK: It's been a rough offseason for the Storm, who lost Breanna Stewart to an Achilles injury and Sue Bird to a knee injury. The team also will be without head coach Dan Hughes indefinitely as he battles cancer. The Storm might find themselves back in the lottery unless Jewell Loyd and Natasha Howard get some help from second-year guard Jordin Canada.

      ---

      CHICAGO SKY

      2018: 13-21, 10th place; missed playoffs.

      COACH: James Wade, 1st season.

      POWER POLL RANKING: 9th.

      OUTLOOK: There's no doubt the Sky can put a lot of points on the board, but the question is can new coach James Wade help them on the defensive end. Chicago added first-round pick Katie Lou Samuelson to a talented core led by guards Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley. Chicago also has a talented pair of second-year players in Gabby Williams and Diamond DeShields. This might be one of the most exciting teams to watch this season.

      ---

      DALLAS WINGS

      2018: 15-19, 8th place; lost to Phoenix in first round.

      COACH: Brian Agler, 1st season.

      POWER POLL RANKING: 10th.

      OUTLOOK: The future looks bright for Dallas even if the present might be a struggle early on. The Wings traded Cambage to Las Vegas for Moriah Jefferson and Isabelle Harrison. Jefferson is working her way back from an injury and it's unclear if she'll play this season. Harrison will help bolster the frontcourt in the absence of Cambage. The Wings will also have to play without All-Star guard Skylar Diggins-Smith who is working her way back into shape after giving birth to a baby boy this spring. The Wings did bolster their team in the draft, taking Notre Dame star Arike Ogunbowale.

      ---

      NEW YORK LIBERTY

      2018: 7-27, 11th place; missed playoffs.

      COACH: Katie Smith, 2nd Season.

      POWER POLL RANKING: 11th.

      OUTLOOK: New ownership has given optimism to the Liberty players and their fans. The team will try and produce on the court this season after suffering through one of the worst years in franchise history. The draft was helpful with New York taking Asia Durr with the No. 2 pick and getting a potential steal in the second round with 6-foot-9 Chinese center Han Xu

      ---

      INDIANA FEVER

      2018: 6-28, 12th place; missed playoffs.

      COACH: Pokey Chatman, 3rd season.

      POWER POLL RANKING: 12th.

      OUTLOOK: The Fever suffered a blow when Victoria Vivians got hurt overseas this winter, sidelining the second-year player for the season. Indiana did add her college teammate Teaira McCowan in the draft and are building a solid young group to complement veteran Candice Dupree.

      Comment


      • #4
        Lynx acquire frontcourt help in 2 deals
        May 21

        MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Lynx acquired Stephanie Talbot from Phoenix and Alaina Coates from Chicago in two separate trades on Tuesday for draft picks next year.

        Talbot started 24 games in 2017 and eight in 2018, averaging 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds. She stepped up for the Mercury late last season after the team moved DeWanna Bonner to power forward in place of Sancho Lyttle, who was injured. Phoenix received a second-round pick in the 2020 draft.

        Coates, who played for South Carolina's 2017 NCAA championship team, was the No. 2 pick in the draft that year for the Sky. She didn't play that year because of an ankle injury that cut short her senior season in college. She averaged 3.4 points and 3.2 rebounds last season for the Sky. Chicago received a third-round pick in the draft.

        The Sky traded for Jantel Lavender on Monday from Los Angeles for a second-round pick making Coates more expendable.

        Lavender adds depth in the frontcourt for Chicago. She averaged 5.2 points and 3.7 rebounds last season.



        Storm's Bird needs surgery, will be out
        May 21

        SEATTLE (AP) Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird needs arthroscopic surgery on her left knee and will be out indefinitely, another big blow for the defending WNBA champs.

        The Storm said Tuesday that the 11-time All-Star has a loose body in her knee. Bird said it's something doctors have noticed in the past but that never affected her on the court until she started to get ready for the upcoming season, when she noticed she was having trouble sprinting and jumping.

        Bird will undergo surgery in Connecticut in the near future and will return to Seattle for rehab. She said there is no estimate on when she can return, but the short WNBA season may make it challenging to come back before the end.

        ''I've been here before so I guess that is a good thing. I know what to expect and how to approach it,'' Bird said. ''I've already gone through the roller coaster of emotions because just getting to the point of knowing I had to have surgery took a lot doctors and a lot of MRIs and things like that. In some bizarre way it's nice to know what the plan is and you can kind of wrap your head around that. You can have your down moment but then kind of be like, `OK, this is how we're going to move forward.' So that's where I am.''

        The news about Bird is the third significant setback for Seattle in recent weeks. Reigning league MVP Breanna Stewart is out for the season after tearing her Achilles tendon playing overseas. The status of head coach Dan Hughes is uncertain. He underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his digestive tract.

        Fansided.com first reported on Bird's surgery. Bird did not play in either of Seattle's preseason games.

        The Storm open the season hosting Phoenix on Saturday.

        ''The most important thing to us is that Sue is healthy and strong. Based on her feedback and evaluation from her longtime surgeon and our medical team, it was determined the best course of action was a scope,'' Storm CEO and general manager Alisha Valavanis said. ''We have confidence this will support Sue's full recovery and we look forward to her return to the court.''

        This will be the second time in her Seattle career Bird has been sidelined by knee problems for most, if not all, of a WNBA season. She missed the 2013 season after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from her left knee.

        Bird won her third WNBA title last season at age 37 after helping Seattle to a three-game sweep of Washington in the league finals. But it was Game 5 of the Western Conference finals that will be remembered as perhaps Bird's best game as a professional. She scored 14 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter as Seattle rallied to oust Phoenix.

        ''It happened so recently you don't want to get too high on something that was recent, but when it's all said and done I'm pretty sure that will be the defining moment of my career,'' Bird said recently, prior to news of her knee problem.

        Bird averaged 10.1 points and a career-high 7.1 assists per game last season, while also shooting a career-best 46.6% from the field and 44.8% on 3s. Her absence is going to put more on the plate of second-year guard Jordin Canada and Jewell Loyd. Bird and Stewart contributed an average of 32 points per game combined last season for the Storm.

        ''This is my opportunity to step up and have a big role and lead my team,'' Canada said. ''That's all I'm focused on.''



        Cambage traded from Dallas to Vegas
        May 16

        By The Associated Press

        The Liz Cambage trade saga is finally over.

        The 6-foot-8 Australian was traded from Dallas to Las Vegas on Thursday for Moriah Jefferson, Isabelle Harrison and the Aces' first two picks in 2020.

        ''The journey it took to get here will make a great story one day,'' said Bill Laimbeer, president and coach of the Aces. ''Everyone in the Aces family is excited to welcome Liz to Las Vegas.

        ''She brings an attitude and physical presence that we need. There is no doubt about her physical ability, but what we respect most about her is her basketball IQ. That is what we are about. We had to give up some quality players and people to make this trade happen.''

        Cambage, who finished second behind Breanna Stewart in WNBA MVP balloting last year, said in January she no longer wanted to play in Dallas. Potential deals the past few weeks never materialized. All of which weighed on Cambage, who took to social media with emotional posts this week. Cambage is in Australia and is expected to get to Las Vegas this weekend.

        The 27-year-old center set a league record last season by scoring 53 points against New York. She averaged 23 points and 9.7 rebounds last year.

        The move gives the Aces a formidable frontcourt by pairing Cambage with rookie of the year A'ja Wilson.

        Dallas receives a point guard in Jefferson and a talented post player in Harrison. Jefferson was the No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft by the franchise when it was in San Antonio. She averaged 13.9 points as a rookie but injured her knee in 2017.

        She was limited to just 16 games last season. Harrison was the No. 12 pick in 2015 by Phoenix, but missed her rookie season with a knee injury. She had a breakout year in 2017, averaging 11.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. She sat out last season because of a medical issue.

        The Wings also acquired Imani McGee-Stafford from the Atlanta Dream, giving up a 2020 third round draft pick for the 6-foot-7 center.

        ''We made a series of transactions today that I believe benefit our team now and in the future,'' Dallas Wings President and CEO Greg Bibb said.

        He said talks concerning Cambage began in January, adding that Jefferson and Harrison were the players Dallas sought.

        ''While Moriah may ultimately decide to sit out the 2019 season, we are willing to wait for her first appearance in a Wings uniform,'' Bibb said. ''We believe she is an elite-level point guard and we are excited for her to join her hometown team.''

        Cambage was the No. 2 pick in the 2011 draft. She played that season and in 2013 for the Tulsa Shock but sat out in 2012 and again from 2014-2017. The franchise moved to Dallas in 2016. Cambage returned to the WNBA last season with Dallas and hit it off with Wings coach Fred Williams. Cambage took it hard when Williams was fired a few weeks before the end of the season.



        Sparks re-sign Williams, who faces charges
        May 15

        NEW YORK (AP) The Los Angeles Sparks re-signed free agent Riquna Williams, who was arrested last month after fight with her ex-girlfriend at a Florida home.

        According to an arrest report, Williams forced her way inside and repeatedly struck Alkeria Davis in the head and pulled her hair. Two men told Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies they spent 10 minutes trying to break up the fight in December. When they finally separated the women, authorities say 28-year-old Williams grabbed a firearm from her blue Camaro, placed it on the trunk and pointed it at one man, saying ''you'll get all 18'' before speeding off.

        Davis said she and Williams had been together on and off for five years and had broken up a month earlier. She told authorities she thought Williams was jealous they were no longer together. She said Williams had never been violent in the past.

        Williams was booked April 29 for burglary and aggravated assault charges. She pleaded not guilty on May 6 and a hearing is set for June 6.

        The Sparks said in a statement that they are aware of the allegations and are ''monitoring the situation and will have no comment until the legal process is completed.''

        Williams, who was at practice on Wednesday, was first acquired by the Sparks in a 2016 offseason trade with the Dallas Wings. Last season, Williams played in 33 games and averaged 7.1 points while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range. She started in both playoff games and scored 17 points in the Sparks first round win over the Minnesota Lynx.

        She was drafted in 2012 by Tulsa and the next year set the then-record for most points in a single game when she scored 51 against San Antonio. Williams has averaged 10.8 points and was an All-Star in 2015. She was the league's sixth-person of the year in 2013.



        Dream's McCoughtry recovering (knee)
        May 9

        ATLANTA (AP) Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry's status for this season is uncertain as she continues to recover from a serious knee injury.

        Atlanta opened training camp this week without McCoughtry, the two-time Olympian and two-time WNBA scoring champion. Coach Nicki Collen said Thursday she has to prepare as if McCoughtry could miss the full season.

        ''We are prepared to be without her for the entire `19 season,'' Collen said. ''That is the approach I went into with free agency, that we couldn't wait on her and we had to be prepared.''

        Collen said McCoughtry, 32, will be evaluated ''month to month, strength test to strength test.'' She said McCoughtry has good range of motion in the knee but still has ''a lot of strength-building to do.''

        McCoughtry, a five-time All-Star, suffered torn ligaments in her left knee on Aug. 7, 2018 and missed the playoffs as the Dream lost to Washington in the semifinals.

        Collen said McCoughtry's uncertain status led the team to acquire forward Nia Coffey in a draft-day trade with Las Vegas and sign free-agent forward Haley Peters.

        Collen said the team will be patient with McCoughtry's rehabilitation.

        ''She's not a spring chicken anymore,'' Collen said. ''... This is her first major injury. We have to take it slow and steady and get her strong. ... I wouldn't expect her out on the court anytime soon.''

        McCoughtry has averaged 19.2 points in nine seasons, all with Atlanta. She sat out the 2017 season and returned to average 16.5 points and a career-high 6.0 rebounds before the injury last season.

        Guard Blake Dietrick said having to finish last season without the high-scoring McCoughtry will help the Dream prepare for being without the forward for at least part of this season.

        ''Everybody has to step up and I think we're ready for that because Angel went down last year and we're prepared to play without her,'' Dietrick said. ''We'll be ready for that.''

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