Why you should bet on the WNBA basketball league
The WNBA has been around for nearly three successful decades. It has become a premier basketball league that viewers from all over the world enjoy watching as well as those who want to bet on its games.
This women’s basketball league in America is experiencing another awesome period due to the quality of games that are played all the time during a WNBA season. Every game in the WNBA has its own highlights which is a good development for the league.
With the rise of sports betting, more people have tuned in for the WNBA. Sportsbet offers various markets and odds about the WNBA and other basketball leagues apart from the NBA and the EuroLeague. This makes the platform perfect for basketball fans around the world. Here are the reasons why you should bet on the WNBA:
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The WNBA already has a rich history
Created in 1997, the WNBA is often called the women’s counterpart of the NBA. The league started with eight teams and expanded to 16 but was promptly reduced to the 12 teams that are present today.
Among those teams that were phased out were the Houston Comets and the Portland Fire. These two cities will be important for the WNBA should they expand since their fan bases have clamoured for another basketball team in their cities.
There are only four remaining teams from the original eight:
• New York Liberty
• Los Angeles Sparks
• Phoenix Mercury
• Las Vegas Aces (previously known as the Utah Starzz and San Antonio Stars)
The WNBA started their marketing campaign with the ‘We Got Next’ and ‘We Got Game’ taglines. There have been many teams that have direct NBA counterparts as they can play in the same arenas. They are intrinsically connected and have been successful because of it.
The top WNBA teams
The WNBA has been blessed with many superb teams over the years. There are a certain few that have separated themselves from the rest of the pack as the most successful teams. Take note that these teams’ futures also look promising, which makes them prominent in the betting markets.
Minnesota Lynx
While the Minnesota Lynx were not as strong in their early years in the WNBA, there has always been star power in the city. However, they peaked in the 2010s when they managed to stockpile talent and turn it into a championship-winning team.
Here are players who were impactful during the Lynx’s stellar run as a WNBA franchise:
• Maya Moore
• Seimone Augustus
• Lindsay Whalen
• Rebekkah Brunson
These stars played for the Lynx and they were dominant during their time as they managed to win four league titles and managed to be the runner-up in two finals as well.
It was hard to watch the WNBA and not think of the Lynx back in the 2010s because they were synonymous with success. This team was a mainstay for the fans who bet on WNBA games. The Lynx has always been a strong team but they were on another level when they had their stars in their prime.
Minnesota’s culture is reliant on succeeding through building the team properly and this has worked out for them in the long term because this squad has cemented itself as a mainstay powerhouse in the WNBA betting lines.
Seattle Storm
As the third team with four titles as of 2021, Seattle Storm has arguably been the most consistent team in WNBA history. They were once joined by the Supersonics in the same city but when their NBA team folded, the Storm was the only top-tier representative in the USA’s top basketball leagues. The Storm meant even more to the city than ever before and that support has been repaid in full by the franchise.
The Storm stood in front of the Lynx in the 2010s as they won three titles out of four in that era. Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart are the lynchpins of this team and they have been fantastic ever since they started playing in the city. Lauren Jackson can also be credited for the team’s success since she was Bird’s partner before Stewie.
This team is a great example of consistent success in the WNBA because they always pull off stellar seasons due to the talent on their squad. You should always look at the WNBA betting odds when it involves Storm because they will always make sure that a game is competitive.
Phoenix Mercury
With three titles to their name, the Phoenix Mercury has been consistently at the upper echelon of the WNBA. Alongside the Storm, you can always expect the Mercury to make a big splash because they consistently draft good players.
The franchise has been headlined by superb players in franchise history. The following are the stars who helped the Mercury reach the upper echelon of the WNBA.
• Diana Taurasi
• Cappie Pondexter
• Candice Dupree
• Brittney Griner
The Mercury has had five appearances in the WNBA Finals and they only lost in 1998 and 2021 iterations. This franchise has been intrinsically connected to Diana who is considered by many as the greatest player in WNBA history. It has been an iconic partnership between the player and Mercury which has also set up the team for a good future.
Connecticut Sun
As one of the most promising teams in the WNBA, the Connecticut Sun is one of the best teams to bet on. If you’re looking for a good team in the long-term future, this team will be a good choice. The likes of Jonquel Jones and DeWanna Bonner take this team over the edge because they know how to help their teams thrive with their offensive arsenal.
The team culture is good as well because the Sun has been a solid team during their entire WNBA run and they are reliable bets during the WNBA season. In the 2022 season, they are one of the top teams in the league and that will be true for the rest of the 2020s.
Las Vegas Aces
As the newest city in the WNBA, Las Vegas has already become a strong team. Ever since their move from San Antonio, the Aces have had a good squad. A’Ja Wilson comes to mind as a perennial MVP candidate, but you also have super-scorer Kelsey Plum, who can emerge as another flamethrower from the perimeter.
This team is filled with star players but they need to keep their team intact to reach success. Thankfully, they have a good squad with longevity and a front office that wants to win. They will be a good choice for the rest of the 2020s as a top choice.
Chicago Sky
As the 2021 champions, the Chicago Sky has high expectations for the rest of the decade but they still have solid talent on their squad. They are building a team that will be good for a long time as they develop their young players as well. Their stars are growing older, but their calibre is still high, meaning they will have a good effect on the rest of the team, who are out to prove themselves again.
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The WNBA has had big stars so far
While the teams have been synonymous with their cities, there have been players that have transcended barriers. They have become icons of the sport by playing in college and the WNBA as they proved that women can also keep up in the basketball world. Here are some of those superstars:
Diana Taurasi
DT has been a floor general for the longest time but when it comes to scoring, she is also one of the biggest stars as well. She is the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer as she has been in the league since 2004, when she was drafted first overall. She is a five-time scoring champion which furthers her argument as the best scorer in league history.
It also helps that DT came from one of the best basketball programs ever in the University of Connecticut women’s team. DT is a three-time WNBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, and he has 14+ All-WNBA selections.
Sue Bird
Similar to Diana, Sue Bird has been the leader of her team for a long time. She has been the focal point for the Seattle Storm’s system. The Storm has relied on her to be the head of the snake for the longest time because she commands everything with her shot-calling and pinpoint passes.
The Storm is synonymous with Bird as she has been the floor general for the longest time. She and DT have built a friendly rivalry over the years. While DT is known as a star scorer, Bird is more of the point guard who knows when to make the right pass. This is why she’s such a strong partner for any Storm player because she makes everyone look better. They are always open when Bird passes the ball because she has a keen eye for the open shooter.
Candace Parker
As arguably the biggest crossover star, Candace Parker is not only a WNBA legend, but she has also left a huge impact on the men’s game with her presence in the NBA with panels and shows.
Candace created a legacy for herself while playing for the LA Sparks, but she wanted to come back home to Chicago and play for their team. The Chicago Sky has not been the strongest team in the WNBA, but when CP3 came back, they managed to turn themselves into a WNBA title winner, with Candace as their focal point.
Lisa Leslie
Lisa Leslie has become one of the most well-known players in WNBA history. She was a larger-than-life figure for young women all over the world because Lisa was 6’5, and she used every bit of her height to cement herself in the WNBA record books.
Sheryl Swoopes
The Comets had Copper as the Finals MVP during the four-peat, but it is hard to get past how good Sheryl Swoopes was. She was an amazing player during her time in the WNBA because she is a three-time MVP.
As a 6’0 wing, Swoopes was an awesome scorer who also knew to rebound well. It should not be surprising that Swoopes is a WNBA icon because she was not only an offensive powerhouse, but she was also a talented defender with three Defensive Player of the Year awards.
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The WNBA is one of the most exciting leagues to watch
You can look at Sportsbet.io, which is known as the best WNBA betting site and see that the league always has some awesome games to watch.
Since there are only 12 teams as of the 2022 season, the WNBA has a shorter schedule than most sports leagues. This is important because watching the WNBA is at a perfect time for basketball fans while the NBA is in its offseason during the WNBA season.
The WNBA is an easy league to watch because it has a digestible schedule with only 36 games per team in a season. You can stay updated much easier here compared to other leagues because you can watch almost every game.
The WNBA League Pass functions as a solid platform for the league because you can browse through all of the games while they are happening. It functions as a streaming service with additional features like stat tracking.
Top odds formats to know
People usually look for WNBA betting tips on the internet, but a forgotten part of making wagers in this league is the fundamentals. As you look through the WNBA betting markets, you will see that odds will be crucial to your success. The odds are usually presented in different formats, as you can see below:
• American odds (+300 or -250)
The numbers infer what team is the underdog and the favourite heading into a match. If you bet on the negative value, you will know what number you need to bet to win $100. On the other hand, the positive value will represent the amount that you can win when you bet $100.
• Decimal odds (1.20 or 3.22)
In European countries, decimal odds are mostly used. This is pretty simple as you use decimal odds based on every $1 that you wager. It is a numerical representation of what you can get in return for a bet.
Apart from reading odds, you should also check out different markets. This includes the outright betting markets where you can predict results before the season starts. Outright betting focuses on predicting results like the team with the best regular-season record or the champion at the end of the WNBA Playoffs. You should check that out so you can showcase your WNBA knowledge.
The WNBA is set to explode into the mainstream
When you hear people with misconceptions and ask questions like ‘Is the WNBA profitable?’, make sure to tell them that the WNBA has a bright future as more people begin to love the league more. Sportsbet is the best platform that you can use to wager on this league. It is worth it to do this because the WNBA is exciting and you can thrive with your bets if you watch it intently. Capitalise on the WNBA’s rise to the mainstream and try and make the right predictions.
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