2 Best WNBA First Basket Props for Tuesday 7/15/25

Over a 40-minute WNBA game, a lot can happen, but the action gets underway right at the opening tip-off.

And, although the first basket of the game is a small piece to the puzzle of the eventual winner, we can dig into usage and tip-off trends to examine the WNBA first basket markets at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All injury news comes via the official WNBA player news wire.

WNBA First Basket Picks and Props for Tonight

Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun

Bria Hartley (+1300)

The Connecticut Sun host the Indiana Fever as massive underdogs (Indiana is favored by 15.5 tonight), yet the opening tip-off odds are slightly in favor for the Sun (56.9%, per my model) tonight.

That bodes well for the Sun to get the first look, and we're seeing value on them in the first scorer market as a result.

When looking at the Sun's projected starting lineup -- Bria Hartley, Jacy Sheldon, Saniya Rivers, Tina Charles, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa -- we see that Charles is, unexpectedly, tied for first in shot attempts over 112 possessions together (via PBPStats).

Also tied with her: Bria Hartley. Hartley and Charles have taken 25.9% of the team's field goal attempts when tonight's starting lineup has played together.

Hartley is also +600 to score first specifically for the Sun, yet her shot attempts and the tip odds are enough to show value at a +1300 number in my model.

Washington Mystics at Los Angeles Sparks

Rickea Jackson (+800)

With a 60/40 split in favor of the Sparks to win the opening tip-off, the first-bucket model understandably sees more value in the Sparks than the Mystics for tonight's nightcap.

Over the Sparks' last 12 games, only three players have taken the first shot within the LA offense: Rickea Jackson (six times), Azura Stevens (five times), and Sarah Ashlee Barker (once). In the last eight, it's been four and four between Jackson and Stevens, and in the last six, it's four for Jackson and two for Stevens.

But more robustly, Jackson has taken 23.1% of the shots when sharing the floor with the rest of tonight's starting lineup, just trailing Stevens' 24.5% shot frequency rate.

With Stevens at +550 and Jackson at +800, I'll lean there with Jackson.

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Which bets stand out to you for tonight's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest WNBA betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.