With Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese breaking records seemingly every game, the future of the WNBA looks incredibly bright.
As it happens, I’ve honed in on two young players in addition to Clark with favorable WNBA odds as I make my three favorite WNBA picks for a two-game slate on Saturday, July 6.
WNBA player prop bets for July 6
- Caitlin Clark Under 15.5 points (-114 at FanDuel)
- Aaliyah Edwards Over 6.5 rebounds (-102 at FanDuel)
- Aliyah Boston Under 8.5 rebounds (-105 at DraftKings)
Picks made on 7-6 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Today's best WNBA player props bets
Prop bet #1: Liberty limit Clark
Caitlin Clark has had a stellar start to her career, but there have been a few nights when she’s looked like the increased strength and physicality of the WNBA was wearing on her. Perhaps none more so than her matchups against Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and the New York Liberty, who have the honor of holding Clark to two of her four lowest-scoring games of her young career so far.
Laney-Hamilton is the W’s premier perimeter defender, and she has given Clark serious problems with her next-level anticipation and disciplined but physical defense. Her play has frustrated Clark into committing a plethora of foolish turnovers and rushed, contested shots.
Another reason I like these Caitlin Clark odds is her shifting role and mindset as the season has gone on. Clark came into the league with a shoot first, shoot later mentality. That’s an understandable tack to take as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer.
But the team wasn’t maximizing the connection between Clark and Aiyah Boston in particular, with the latter often left with few touches and Clark pulling shots early in the clock to mixed results.
More recently, Clark is leaning into being more of the team organizer at the point. Over her first 10 games, she averaged 13.3 field goal attempts on 6.5 assists. In her last 10, her shot attempts are down to 11.1 per game, she’s averaging 8.1 assists, and her efficiency and the team’s overall success have taken off.
The Liberty are going to give Clark hell, and Laney-Hamilton has already proven how much she can bother Clark on defense. But it’s just as much that Clark will be looking to get others involved as it is the defense awaiting her that makes me confident in this play.
Caitlin Clark prop: Under 15.5 points (-114 at FanDuel)
Prop bet #2: Edwards comes up big
Washington Mystics forward Aaliyah Edwards is yet another first round pick from this year’s draft who has come in and been an impact player for her team right away. Edwards has the build of a modern WNBA forward, a 6-foot-3 wing with long arms and great feel in just about every aspect of the game.
Naturally, as a rookie, there’s room for improvement just about everywhere, but she’s already highly competitive on the glass against players much bigger than her averaging 6.2 rebounds in a little over 23 minutes a night.
The former UConn Huskie is well-positioned to exceed that average on Saturday night, however. These Aaliyah Edwards odds aren’t taking into account how much of a loss Napheesa Collier’s looming absence will be.
The Minnesota Lynx are already the worst rebounding team in the league, and they’re weakest on the defensive glass where Edwards likes to crash in from the wings. Collier was by far their best rebounder, the only truly elite rebounder for her position, good for double-digit boards almost every night.
Collier suffered a to-this-point undisclosed non-contact injury that forced her to leave the Lynx game against the Connecticut Sun on Thursday. While she’s listed as doubtful, there’s close to zero chance she plays and further endangers her ability to participate in the Olympics for Team USA.
Edwards should be the one who benefits most by her absence, now faced with inferior rebounders with less size.
Aaliyah Edwards prop: Over 6.5 rebounds (-102 at FanDuel)
Prop bet #3: Boston falls short on boards
Clark isn’t the only Indiana Fever star who I think will struggle with this matchup. The Liberty are better than the Fever in many respects, but one of their largest disparities is on the glass.
New York is the W’s best rebounding team while the Fever are fourth-worst. I suspect that Boston is in for another difficult night on the glass against the Liberty, who are a tough matchup for more traditional fives like Boston.
The Fever and Liberty have already played three times this season, with Boston never managing more than seven boards in any of the previous contests and averaging just six per game. It’s the matchups that have led to those low numbers that have me favoring these Aliyah Boston odds.
Boston’s main concern throughout the game against the Liberty will be containing Jonquel Jones. Guarding the former MVP is no mean feat even for a player as skilled as Boston. Not only is she a dominant scorer around the rim, the real issue is that Jonquel is a sniper from deep.
While some teams can position their defense in such a way to avoid their center being the one to guard opposing stretch five behind the arc, the Fever are still trying to put together a consistent rudimentary defense. They are unlikely to figure out a crossmatching situation that doesn’t totally compromise their defense.
Boston will instead likely be the one shadowing Jones for most of Saturday, which means that she’ll be pulled further from the basket, leaving defensive rebounding opportunities instead to her teammates Clark and NaLyssa Smith.
Aliyah Boston prop: Under 8.5 rebounds (-105 at DraftKings)
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