Our two picks on Monday’s slate resulted in a split. We won our bet on Sabrina Ionescu hitting three or more 3s, while we fell just three points short of Caitlin Clark scoring 22 or more. Clark's early-game ankle injury surely didn't help make things easier.
Can we bounce back with a sweep on Wednesday?
Our two favorite WNBA player props for Wednesday are below, featuring Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream and Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty.
WNBA Player Props for Wednesday, August 28
Rhyne Howard Over 16.5 Points (-122)
So far this season, the Dream and Storm have played each other twice, splitting the games.
Atlanta won the game in which Howard took the floor. Howard scored 30 points on 10-for-16 shooting, leading the game in points and pulling down the second-most rebounds (eight).
However, when Howard was injured, the Dream lost by double-digits. Coincidence? It’s not.
Betting Howard to score 17 or more points is attractive at these odds of -122 on FanDuel.
First, the Dream will need Howard to shoulder a substantial volume offensively since Cheyenne Parker-Tyus is sidelined and Allisha Gray is listed as questionable due to a back injury.
If Gray does end up sitting this game, Howard will absorb most of her offensive volume. Even if she does give it a go, there's no guarantee she'll be close enough to 100% to log her usual numbers.
The Storm’s defense has also appeared much more exploitable in their past four games. They've allowed opponents to shoot 44.2% from the field and 37.6% from behind the arc, the second-worst mark in the WNBA in that stretch.
The increase in offensive volume from 12.6 field goal attempts in Howard's first 14 games to 16.2 field goal attempts in her past five has also been promising.
There's variance in every sport, but Howard had her way with the Storm in their last matchup, and it shouldn't be too much different this time around.
Pick: Rhyne Howard Over 16.5 Points (-122)
Breanna Stewart Over 20.5 Points (+100)
The New York Liberty, the W’s best team, have a matchup against the injury-riddled Los Angeles Sparks, who have lost 17 of their past 19 games. Opponents have shot a blistering 48% from the floor and 38% from 3-point land against L.A. in that stretch.
This defense has been atrocious; it might not be as horrible as the Wings’ defense, but it's not too far behind. The Sparks rank 11th in opponent points in the paint and opponent effective field goal percentage and 10th in defensive rating this season.
That fact alone makes this the perfect spot for Stewart to dominate offensively. She's been electric recently, averaging just shy of 21 points per game over her past eight outings.
The Sparks have also been no match for Stewart recently, as she's posted 27 and 33 points in her past two games against them. Los Angeles’ depleted frontcourt is primarily to blame for the weak defensive efforts — particularly in the paint — but that won’t change in this spot.
