The home teams were a perfect 4-0 as the WNBA playoffs tipped off on Saturday, leaving the Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm facing elimination games tonight.
But I don’t see the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces taking their foot off the gas — and two of their marquee stars headline my top WNBA picks for this Game 2 doubleheader on Tuesday, September 24.
WNBA player prop bets for September 24
- Sabrina Ionescu Over 22.5 pts+asts (-125 at FanDuel)
- Chelsea Gray Over 5.5 asts (+102 at FanDuel)
- Jewell Loyd Under 16.5 pts (-125 at bet365)
Today's best WNBA player props bets
Prop bet #1: Sabrina Ionescu Over 22.5 points+assists
After surging to a 48-30 half-time lead, the New York Liberty didn’t have to overexert themselves in the second half in Game 1. Even so, Sabrina Ionescu ended up with 17 points and five assists in 26 minutes.
It was the latest reminder that Ionescu's points + assists prop has an extremely high floor. She’s the engine that makes this New York offense hum, and I expect the Liberty to dig a little deeper tonight. A desperate Atlanta Dream team will bounce back with a better effort in Game 2 after shooting just 40% from the field on Sunday, and that will push Ionescu toward a heavier workload.
Her season averages of 18.2 ppg and 6.2 apg confirm the volume should be there, even accounting for a slower playoff pace, and she knocked down 3 of 7 triples on the weekend.
Her assists have been steady too, with six or more dimes in each of her final five regular season outings.
It’s championship-or-bust for New York’s star-studded line-up, and I’m wagering on some Ionescu fireworks launching the Liberty into the next round.
Prop bet #2: Chelsea Gray Over 5.5 assists
Defense was the big storyline in the Las Vegas Aces’ Game 1 win as they held the Seattle Storm to just two points in the fourth quarter, but some impressive offensive numbers were buried in the box score, including seven dimes for Chelsea Gray.
In addition to her scoring, Gray’s playmaking holds the key to getting A’ja Wilson into a rhythm — and I expect a similar pay-off for her assists tally in Game 2.
For a start, the Aces should shoot the ball more efficiently after a rough 30-for-69 effort on Saturday. They missed some good looks, and Kelsey Plum whiffed on all four of her 3-pointers.
Gray has been at her creative best lately. She’s finished with six or more assists in five of her past eight games, including 10 helpers against the Chicago Sky earlier this month, and her chemistry with Wilson is usually a path to easy buckets.
It would be no surprise if Las Vegas responds with 80+ points tonight, and Gray’s passing figures are at the heart of their best moments. I’m taking the Over — and the plus odds — on this 5.5 line.
Prop bet #3: Jewell Loyd Under 16.5 points
Injuries have popped up at the worst possible moment for Seattle, with Ezi Magbegor missing Game 1 and Jewell Loyd hampered by a knee injury.
The Las Vegas defense can pose problems even for fully healthy opponents — and the Storm are far from that as they head into a must-win Game 2 on the road.
Credit to Loyd for finding a way to get back on the court, but she went 2-for-8 from the field on Saturday night, finishing with just six points, and I have my doubts about whether she can go full throttle.
A little rust was probably inevitable after sitting out the Storm’s final three games of the regular season, but Loyd’s struggles suggest that Seattle’s best hope is for Nneka Ogwumike, Gabby Williams, and Skyler Diggins-Smith to lead the charge.
Loyd got through 26 minutes in Game 1, and the Storm may choose to limit her workload again, even with the season on the line.
This 16.5 O/U just feels too high given what we saw from Loyd at the weekend, and she fell short of this number in three of her last four regular-season contests.
Today’s WNBA games
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