RADIO
We're back with a two-game slate on Saturday. On paper, it's not a great day of games, as the league's two winless teams are both on the road. But their opponents are both on the second day of a back-to-back, so maybe some tired legs could allow the Lynx or Storm to get their first wins of 2023?
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 as well.
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 6/3/2023 at 7:00 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.
WNBA DFS Picks: Forward
Elena Delle Donne (Washington Mystics) - vs. MIN - DK: $10,600, FD: $8,300
For the first time since 2019, it looks like we have a fully healthy Elena Delle Donne, and the WNBA is so much better when EDD is at 100%.
Delle Donne has now scored 20-plus points in three straight games and is coming off of her second double-double of 2023, with 23 points on 7-for-15 shooting last night against the Wings. She grabbed 10 rebounds and also added three assists, one block, and one steal.
The only concern here: this is EDD's first back-to-back of the year. Last year, she didn't play back-to-backs, but every indication this year is that she intends to play every game. There's no reason to doubt that, but I suppose it would be a good idea to monitor pregame news just in case.
Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks) - vs. SEA - DK: $9,400, FD: $8,000
Ogwumike played all 4o minutes of last night's 99-93 win over the Mercury and was dominant, scoring a season-high 21 points on 7-for-15 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds and six assists, both of which were also her best marks of the season.
The Sparks still don't have Azura Stevens back, so until they do they should continue to rely very heavily on Nneka. I mean...they'll rely heavily on her when Stevens is back as well, but you know what I mean. The only game where she didn't see big minutes as in the blowout loss to the Aces, but that was also a pretty situational thing.
Dorka Juhasz (Minnesota Lynx) - @ WAS - DK: $4,400, FD: $4,300
With Diamond Miller injured and Aerial Powers just seemingly being in the doghouse for the Lynx, Dorka Juhasz moved into the starting lineup last game. The rookie had never played more than 13 minutes in a single contest, but she played 37 last night against the Sun, scoring seven points on 2-f0r-4 shooting with nine rebounds, one assist, and two blocks.
Rookie production tends to be unreliable, but when you can get a player who's likely to play 30-plus minutes for under $5,000 on both platforms, you've got to take the risk because the reward is so high.
WNBA DFS Picks: Guard
Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm) - @ LA - DK: $10,300, FD: $8,200
The Storm are bad this year, but don't blame Jewell Loyd for that. She's scored 20-plus points in all three games this season. She took 25 shots in both of the team's first two games, then took a season-low 16 shots last game. Which...16 field goal attempts is her lowest mark of the season? And she turned those 16 attempts into 26 points while also adding three rebounds and one assist.
Sure, you kind of wish the non-scoring stats were a little more consistent, but Loyd's been a monster when it comes to getting the ball into the basket, and she's hit multiple threes in every game. Until someone else in Seattle steps up to relieve some of the scoring pressure off of her, she'll keep doing this every night.
Lexie Brown (Los Angeles Sparks) - vs. SEA - DK: $8,100, FD: $5,600
Lexie Brown's had one bad game this season, but she's had three games where she shot over 50% from the floor and scored in double figures.
Last night was her best outing so far, as she went 11-for-16 and scored 26 points. She was 3-for-7 from deep and also added three rebounds and a steal. Brown's shooting ability and her defensive skills are coming together this season and I expect her to continue posting some big numbers. Maybe not 26 points per night, but she should score in the mid-teens or better almost every time out.
Layshia Clarendon (Los Angeles Sparks) - vs. SEA - DK: $6,600, FD: $5,300
Clarendon has played really well this season. After playing 20 minutes in the opener, they've played 35-plus minutes in the team's last two games, and on Friday night they scored a season-high 11 points, going 4-for-6 from the field and adding four rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
While they're not as affordable as Dorka Juhasz, who I mentioned in the guard section, they're still a great value option considering how many minutes they're going to be playing each night.
WNBA Bet of the Day
Every day, I'll provide my favorite bet. I'll be using DraftKings Sportsbook for the odds.
Season Record: 2-5
Huge miss last night on Liberty -10.5. Time to take a break from betting Liberty games.
Mystics -8.5
The Mystics only beat the Wings by one last night, but they should fare better against a struggling Lynx team. Minnesota has a -10.9 net rating this season and is 0-6 overall, and 2-4 against the spread. Washington has lost four straight against the spread, but I think that's also a little about the strength of who they've faced: Connecticut twice, a very under-the-radar Sky team, and then Dallas. The Lynx aren't those teams, and Washington also might get more firepower tonight with Myisha Hines-Allen potentially making her season debut.
