NOTES: Lynx cashing tickets for WNBA bettors
Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson (r.), who was named Western Conference Player of the Month, goes up for two in recent game against the Minnesota Lynx, who happen to be the most profitable team in the WNBA through the first few weeks. The Lynx are 6-2 straight-up and 7-1 against the spread.
PHOTO: Courtesy LV Aces, via David Sherman/NBA Photos
By W.G. RAMIREZ
Tossing and turning about what to lead this week's WNBA notes package with, considering the only things everyone wants to talk about seem negative, I looked for alternatives.
We all love money, right?
Well, let's see which teams are making bettors money after the first few weeks of the season, and through Tuesday's games.
Based on the ATS (against the spread) numbers at Covers.com, the Minnesota Lynx are the top dog when it comes to investing at the window, as they've not only opened the campaign 6-2 SU (straight-up) on the court, but they're an impressive 7-1 ATS. The Lynx opened the season as underdogs in their first six games, and covered the first five. After beating Phoenix and Dallas in the Twin Cities in their last two outings, they're now 2-0 ATS when laying points.
Next up is Seattle, which has found its groove after a rough start, and is 6-3 both SU and ATS. Buyer beware, however, as the Storm are 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS against sub-.500 teams, but are 0-3 SU and 1-2 ATS against teams with records above .500.
In their first four contests, which included a season-opening home-and-home series with Minnesota and a game in New York, the Storm were outscored by 6.0 points per game. But over its last five games, Seattle has outscored teams by 15.2 points per game.
The Storm visit Los Angeles and Minnesota on Friday and Sunday, respectively, and will put their recent surge to the test.
Dallas, which has endured an onslaught of injuries early on, is just 3-4 SU, but is also 5-2 ATS. The Wings head into Wednesday's clash with the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces on a 4-1 ATS win streak - all as the installed underdog.
From there, the ATS records are mostly .500, give or take a game, until you get to last year's WNBA finalists.
The Aces are 4-2 SU but are also 2-4 ATS, while the Liberty might have the league's second-best mark at 8-2 SU, but they're also 3-7 at the window. New York is 1-6 ATS when laying double digits.
As for the totals, the Indiana Fever have gone over the posted number in seven of their 11 games, with Minnesota next on the list for high-scoring affairs, having gone over in five of its eight. Again, from there, it's been roughly a hit or miss with teams landing on .500, give or take a game, with the installed totals. Phoenix has stayed under in six of its 10 while Chicago has stayed low in five of its eight.
Be wary of upcoming totals involving the league's highest-scoring team, the Aces, because even though they've scored 86.5 points per game, they've emphasized improving their defense.
Since allowing 85.0 ppg. in their first four contests, they've silenced Minnesota and Atlanta to an average of 72 points per game. Las Vegas also saw their scoring average dip to 77 points per contest during its current road trip.
A reminder: if you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, help is available. The National Council on Problem Gambling provides a range of resources, including answers to commonly asked questions, a gambling behavior self-assessment, information about treatment and the National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-GAMBLER) to help connect you with local resources.
STORMING SEATTLE - WNBA champion and two-time all-defensive team selection Ezi Magbegor signed a contract extension with the Seattle Storm on Tuesday. Much of the team's news has centered around offseason acquisitions Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins Smith, rookie Nika Muhl, and returning leading scorer Jewell Loyd. But Magbegor has organically infiltrated on the Storm's headlines thanks to her consistent play through the first few weeks.
The fifth-year pro leads the league in blocks (27) and blocks per game (3.0). She's registered at least two blocks in each game, and has three or more in six of the team's nine games, including the last five. Magbegor has also scored in double figures in eight of nine games this season, averaging 14.4 points per game and a league 11th-best 8.7 rebounds per game.
"We're happy to have her, I told her all the time I love playing with (her), she just makes everything so easy," Diggins Smith said after Tuesday's 80-62 win over Phoenix. "She's everywhere. Just the ultimate helper, defensively, to start out this year, I think is the top candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. I think she's just scratching the surface of the player that we'll see in final form."
ON THE BRINK - Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink spoke to Megan Armstrong for an article for Dime, and it was a fantastic read in which the No. 2 overall pick from this year's WNBA Draft explained some of the narratives she's already tired of, less than a month into the season.
"The most tired narrative is that the vets are against the rookies — this old-school versus new-school narrative — and the narrative that the rookies need to be perfect," Brink told Armstrong.
It's an interview that is well worth the READ.
TEAM USA - Brink, Cierra Burdick, Rhyne Howard and Hailey Van Lith were named to the 2024 USA Basketball 3x3 Women’s National Team, which will compete at the 2024 Olympic Games Paris. The roster was selected by the USA Basketball 3x3 Women’s National Team Committee. The four athletes attended the recent 2024 USA Basketball 3x3 Women’s National Team training camp in Springfield, Massachusetts, and played in the subsequent FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series Springfield Stop.
"It is an honor to announce the USA Basketball 3x3 Women’s National Team,” Jay Demings, USA Basketball 3x3 national team director and member of the USA Basketball 3x3 women’s selection committee said in a statement. "It is an exciting process to put a roster together that will represent the country on a global stage. We are thankful for all the athletes who attended training camps or participated in 3x3 competitions on the journey to Paris 2024."
NO ONE LEFT BEHIND - Las Vegas Aces rookie Kate Martin might be the first one on the team bus the rest of the season. If, for no other reason, to avoid going embarrassingly viral. From Kierstan Bell to Jackie Young, to A'ja Wilson, Alysha Clark and Emma Cannon. The video was the same, from slightly different angles, but also loads of laughter in the background as Martin, on the eve of her 24th birthday, was seen rushing out of Brasão Brazilian Steakhouse as the team bus began driving out of the parking lot.
"Don’t be late to the bus," Wilson captioned her video.
Aces fans who have become enamored with the spark plug who's averaging 5.2 points per game off the bench were left with tears of laughter the rest of the day.
Among rookies who have played at least five games, she ranks fifth with 4.0 rebounds per game, and sixth with her 35.3% shooting percentage from 3-point range. She's also tied for fifth with Chicago's Angel Reese with 1.8 assists per game. In addition, among first-year players with a minimum of five games played, Martin ranks third with a net rating of +5.7.
While some rookies aren’t having the most enjoyable first month of their professional careers, it appears Martin is living her best life with a monster block that went viral in her WNBA debut, a prank Hello Kitty backpack gift, and Tuesday’s “wait for me” moment.
TEAM PLAYER - According to a study done by Vegas Insider, Indiana Fever rookie point guard Caitlin Clark is the "biggest team player in the WNBA." Approximately 40% of the words in the rookie's interviews reference her team, using terms like "team," "support," "coach," "we," and "us” despite saying the least in her interviews.
Chicago's Angel Reese was the runner-up with 39% of her words being "team-related," despite saying roughly three times the number of words than Clark.
The article can be found HERE.
MONTHLY HONORS - Alyssa Thomas was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month after leading the Connecticut Sun to a 7-0 start during the opening month. Thomas, who was the league's first Eastern Conference Player of the Week, averaged 14.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game. It marked the fourth time during her 11-year career she took home the honor.
Wilson was named the Western Conference Player of the Month after averaging 26.5 ppg., 12.5 rpg., and 2.8 blocks per game for the Las Vegas Aces. It marked the ninth time she's earned the award.
Clark was named Rookie of the Month, becoming the third player in franchise history to receive the honor joining teammate Aliyah Boston (May, June and August 2023) and Natalie Achonwa (June 2015).
Finally, Connecticut's Stephanie White took home Coach of the Month honors, the second time she's earned the award. White, in her second season as coach of the Sun, led the team to a 7-0 start, the longest win streak to start the regular season in franchise history.
WEEKLY HONORS - Wilson averaged 28.5 ppg., 12.0 rpg. and 3.0 apg. and took home the Western Conference Player of the Week honor on Tuesday. It was the 17th time Wilson earned the award.
Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty averaged 20.7 ppg., 4.3 rpg. and 6.0 apg. and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the sixth time in her career. Later that day, Ionescu scored 24 points and added four 3-pointers to extend her streak of regular season games with at least one made three-pointer to 35. Ionescu owns the longest active streak in the WNBA and tied Shameka Christon for the longest in Liberty franchise history.
