RADIO
Three WNBA games on Sunday afternoon for us, all of which look good on paper. We start off with two games at 1:00 p.m. ET as the Sun host the Sky and the Liberty host the Mystics, followed by the Wings vs. the Sparks to close out the day of action.
If you're looking for WNBA daily fantasy picks and some betting advice this season, then you're in the right place. I'll be here providing picks for any slate with two or more games, as well as adding a little betting advice.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel. These lineup picks will range from elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. The slates lock on 6/25/2023 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Want to talk more about the WNBA? I'm always available on Twitter and always down to discuss women's basketball: @juscarts.
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WNBA DFS Picks: Forward
Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun) - vs. CHI - DK: $11,500, FD: $9,400
With Brionna Jones done for the year, Thomas is going to be even more crucial for the Sun, as she essentially becomes the center in the team's starting lineup. It's a weird, small lineup for the Sun, but Thomas has the ability to do basically everything, so it should work.
In the first post-Jones games, Thomas had eight free throw attempts, her most since June 4. That's worth keeping an eye on going forward -- will playing at the five help her get to the line more, raising her ceiling?
Overall, Thomas had 13 points on 4-for-10 shooting in Thursday's game, plus added nine rebounds, two assists, and one steal. The lack of assists was a little different than what we're used to and could be a concerning thing about her new role. I think that might have just been a one-game aberration.
Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks) - vs. DAL - DK: $10,900, FD: $8,300
Ogwumike is having one of the best seasons in the WNBA, averaging 19.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest. Even with the Sparks struggling, Ogwumike has consistently given Los Angeles some really good minutes, game after game.
On Friday against this same Wings team, Ogwumike had 20 points on 9-for-18 shooting while also adding seven rebounds, two assists, and three steals. It's the ninth time in the last 10 games that she's scored at least 19 points, and she's also recorded at least one steal in five straight contests.
Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty) - vs. WAS - DK: $8,400, FD: $6,500
After a bit of a slow start to the year, Jones has reached her stride, reminding everyone that she's a former WNBA MVP.
Last game, Jones scored a season-high 18 points, going 6-for-9 from the floor and 2-for-3 from downtown. She also grabbed nine rebounds and blocked a pair of shots. It was the fourth time in five games that Jones has had double-digit points.
And with Stefanie Dolson set to miss this game with an injury, there's a good chance we see Jones surpass her season high of 27 minutes. New York's played it safe with Jones, but with Dolson out and Han Xu overseas right now, they don't really have many options in the frontcourt -- it's just Jones and Nyara Sabally. Unless they spend a lot of time playing small with a Breanna Stewart/Kayla Thornton frontcourt.
Anyway, Jones should be in line for some heavy usage on Sunday.
WNBA DFS Picks: Guard
Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings) - @ LA - DK: $10,100, FD: $7,600
Going to recommend a couple of value options at guard, so let's start with a high-ceiling, top-end play before we get to those players: Arike Ogunbowale.
The Sparks actually haven't been a great matchup for Arike, as she's faced them twice and was held below her season scoring average both times. But on Friday, Ogunbowale still had a really good showing against the Sparks, playing 38 minutes and scoring 16 points on 6-for-15 shooting with five rebounds, four assists, and one block.
The fact she hasn't had her best scoring games against Los Angeles is a concern, sure, but Arike also has a high ceiling because of the volume she gets. She took at least 15 shots in both of those games.
Rebecca Allen (Connecticut Sun) - vs. CHI - DK: $5,600, FD: $3,900 (Note: listed at forward on FanDuel)
Allen -- a guard on DraftKings and a forward on FanDuel and in real life, despite what the team's official roster might say --moved into the Sun starting lineup last game with Brionna Jones out for the year with an Achilles injury. Going small worked for the Sun, who beat Minnesota 89-68.
In her new starting role, Allen saw 29 minutes of action, scoring eight points on 2-for-5 shooting with all five attempts coming from deep. She also added four rebounds, three blocks, and one steal. Her scoring upside and her ability to get blocks make her a really good value option.
Destanni Henderson (Los Angeles Sparks) - vs. DAL - DK: $3,400, FD: $4,800
The injury report for the Sparks remains the same heading into this game, which means Henderson's hardship contract should still be valid. (For those of you that don't know, WNBA teams are allowed to sign a replacement player if they go below 10 active players, but they have to release the player once they get back to 10. There are a lot of other complicated pieces to how hardships work, but Henderson's on the easiest kind to understand, so that's all we really need to know.)
After not playing much in her first two games for the Sparks, she saw 26 minutes of action against the Wings last game, scoring 18 points on 7-for-14 shooting with one rebound, one assist, and two steals. I doubt she hits that scoring total on Sunday. On DraftKings where she's just $3,400, the value is too much to pass up.
