Three WNBA games are on Friday’s slate.
Starting at 7:30 p.m. ET, the New York Liberty will face the Phoenix Mercury while the Minnesota Lynx host the Las Vegas Aces. Then, at 10 p.m. ET, the Dallas Wings will face off with the Golden State Valkyries. We are past the midpoint of the season with the All-Star break freshly in our rearview mirror. The Lynx, Liberty and Mercury sit in the top three seeds in the standings, making for some competitive matchups as the playoff push begins to heat up.
With the three matchups on the table, here are my favorite WNBA prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday’s games.
Breanna Stewart Under 6.5 Rebounds (-130)
Breanna Stewart is averaging a career-low 6.7 rebounds per game this season. One reason for this is that Jonquel Jones is averaging 9.5 rebounds per game. Jones suffered an ankle injury, which has limited her to just 10 games this season. Stewart is averaging just 4.8 rebounds per game when playing alongside Jones and 8.3 without her.
The two-time MVP pulled in just three rebounds against the Mercury in the matchup that Jones did play in, even with Jones leaving early due to injury. Stewart also grabbed just five rebounds in 31 minutes during the other matchup with the Mercury, in which Jones did not play.
Phoenix is not a great rebounding team overall. It ranks seventh in the league in rebounds, 10th in opponents’ rebounds allowed, and eighth in rebounding percentage. Expectations should still be a bit tempered for Jones in her second game back. She logged 22:32 of game action in her return and finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. Jones has pulled in at least seven boards in every game she has not left due to injury. Expect her level of opportunity to expand with a game under her belt and a more competitive matchup tonight.
Stewart is still performing as one of the better players in the WNBA, but the impact has not come in the rebounding department as was once the case. Expect Jones to continue doing the dirty work for the Liberty and for Stewart to make her presence felt in other areas. She has been held to under 6.5 rebounds in 10 of the 22 games overall, including both previous matchups with the Mercury. Count on this trend to continue and for Stewart to be held to six or fewer rebounds tonight with Jones back in action.
Kayla McBride Over 2.5 Made Three-Pointers (+100)
Kayla McBride enters this game with some momentum as she has four straight games of 17+ points and is coming off an All-Star appearance. The Lynx have maintained the top spot in the standings with McBride finding a nice complementary role next to Napheesa Collier. She has attempted double-digit shot attempts in seven of her last eight games and will also face an Aces team playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
Much of her scoring comes on the perimeter. McBride ranks fourth in the WNBA in three-point attempts per game and third in three-point percentage. She is averaging 14.5 points per game and connecting on 37.9% of her 6.9 three-point attempts per game. While the Aces have done a solid job limiting three-point opportunities, they rank 10th in the league in opponents’ three-point percentage.
McBride has made at least one three-pointer in each of her last 11 games. She has made three or more threes in three of her last four and has attempted as many as 12 in a game during this stretch. Look for the five-time All-Star to continue attacking from this area and build off her recent success. Count on McBride to connect with over 2.5 made three-pointers for the fourth time in the past five games.
Arike Ogunbowale to Record 3+ Made Three-Pointers (+140)
It has been an ugly year for the Dallas Wings thus far. While some growing pains were expected following the addition of Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale has had a really difficult time settling in. The four-time All-Star is averaging a career-worst 15.9 points per game and has shot just 35.5% from the floor and 32.3% on threes, which are both career-worst marks.
But there have been some signs of growth as the season has progressed. Ogunbowale is coming off a 20-point outing on Tuesday in which she knocked down four three-pointers. She has shot 7-for-12 from beyond the three-point arc in her past two games. The Wings need the 2020 scoring champion and two-time All-Star Game MVP to learn to play alongside Bueckers for this team to reach its peak. Ogunbowale being more efficient as a catch-and-shoot player on the perimeter would be a huge step in this direction.
This is a perfect matchup for her to build on her hot streak as the Wings face the Valkyries. Golden State has had an encouraging season, but ranks dead last in opponents’ three-point attempts. Ogunbowale shot 3-for-8 from the perimeter in her first matchup with the Valkyries and finished with 19 points. There have been some ugly stretches, but Ogunbowale is too talented not to figure it out as the season progresses. Look for her to connect with three or more three-pointers for the third straight game and ninth time this season against a defense that should give her plenty of chances. Getting +140 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook is great value.
