On Monday, I looked at a potential WNBA playoff preview and will keep it going Tuesday with an even better matchup featuring two superstars as the Atlanta Dream visit the defending champions Las Vegas Aces. It's getting to a key point in the season, with most teams in the league only having 8-10 regular-season games remaining. It's a 9 ET tip and nationally televised by ESPN, and perfect for sports betting. Spend $5+ and get $150 in bonus bets instantly at DraftKings here:
Las Vegas (24-12) has clinched a playoff spot and sits third in the overall WNBA standings with little chance of falling outside the top four and losing home-court advantage in the first round. The Aces could catch Golden State for the second seed but won't be catching Minnesota for No. 1. Las Vegas is the +450 second favorite to repeat as league champion behind the Lynx (-105).
Those are the two favorites to reach the finals, with a Minnesota-Las Vegas matchup being +290. If they maintain the Nos. 1 and 3 seeds, they can only meet there. Those clubs just played a fantastic game Saturday, when the Aces were rare home dogs (+1.5) and lost 92-87 to see a two-game winning streak snapped in their final regular-season matchup. Bet WNBA games at BetMGM Sportsbook, where new users can get up to $1,500 in bonus bets:
Four-time MVP A'ja Wilson certainly couldn't be blamed for that loss, as she finished with 32 points on 10-for-15 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free-throw line but didn't get much help from teammates. For example, guard Jackie Young is second on the team at 18.4 PPG but was held to 8 points on 3-for-11 shooting. It was only the fifth time she was held in single digits this year.
"Our offensive woes gave us defensive woes," coach Becky Hammon said to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "We got to get better guard play. If we have to match up with them again, we'll do some things differently."
Wilson continues to lead the league in scoring at 26.1 PPG and seems all but a lock to extend her record MVP total to five, as she's priced as the -1000 favorite. She has been favored for Defensive Player of the Year at times this season and leads the league in blocks at 2.0 (hit 600 career on Sunday) but is a +220 second-favorite to Golden State's Gabby Williams (-125).
If you're interested in WNBA betting and parlay betting, I've put together a same-game parlay for Tuesday's matchup between the Dream and Aces that can be crafted at the top sports betting apps. You can also target some of the top sports betting promos. Use the latest FanDuel promo code to get up to $1,000 in Bet Reset Tokens when you wager $5+ for five days:
Dream vs. Aces same-game parlay
- Las Vegas money line
- A'ja Wilson 20+ points
- Angel Reese 10+ rebounds
DraftKings Sportsbook SGP price: +124 (odds subject to change)
Atlanta (21-13) sits fifth in the WNBA and realistically could rise as high as third or drop to maybe sixth by the final day of the regular season on Sept. 24. The Dream had a two-game winning streak snapped Sunday in a wild 95-91 home overtime loss to Caitlin Clark and Indiana. Atlanta had three misses on its final possession to end regulation, two of them layups.
It was outscored 31-19 in the fourth quarter and overtime, and coach Karl Smesko said Indiana switched to a zone defense, which led to his team becoming more passive on offense in those two periods. Allisha Gray tied her career high with 32 points in the loss, while double-double machine Angel Reese had 15 points and 14 rebounds.
It was Reese's 23rd double-double of the season, and she is six shy of breaking Alyssa Thomas' 2023 WNBA record. Reese leads the league in rebounding at 12.1 per but also in bricked layups (yep, one late vs. the Fever was hers).
The Dream, who led by 10 late in the third quarter, were short-handed with point guard Jordan Canada (11.5 PPG, 7.5 APG) sitting due to an illness and forward Brionna Jones out with a leg injury. Canada was out for the first time this season â she would have been a huge help against that Indiana zone defense -- and Jaylen Sherrod made her first career start in her third WNBA season, but Canada is likely to play tonight. Jones (8.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG) is out.
This starts Atlanta's longest remaining road trip of the season -- four games, all out West. The Dream try to avoid the season sweep after falling 85-84 on May 17 and 109-87 on Aug. 3, with both at home. The Aces are 11-6 on their home court.
Short of injury or foul trouble, both Wilson and Reese should hit their respective totals. Wilson has scored at 20 least points in 26 games, while Reese has double-digit rebounds in 13 of her past 14. I would have preferred to not see Canada back for Atlanta but expect the Aces to pull it out in a fairly close one at home. Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter.
