5 Best WNBA First Basket Props for Wednesday 7/16/25

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 Today

Atlanta Dream at Chicago Sky

Jordin Canada (+900)

The opening game today tips off at noon Eastern, and there are a few key injuries for both sides.

Atlanta is without Rhyne Howard, and Chicago is without Angel Reese and Ariel Atkins.

But with Brittney Griner jumping, the tip favors the Dream (though not as much as usual).

When looking at Atlanta's shooting splits and removing Howard from the equation, it stands to reason that Jordin Canada sees more shots than even usual.

The biggest issue is a low field goal percentage (38.1%) on the year, yet the +900 odds help account for that and are rating out as a value in my model.

Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx

Sami Whitcomb (+750)

Sami Whitcomb has taken the first shot for the Mercury in two of her last three games, and my model has Phoenix favored to win the tip-off again tonight.

Whitcomb should have around 23.0% of the starting lineup's shots tonight if season trends hold up.

Alyssa Thomas (+470) is an early-game constant, but Whitcomb is again showing value in the model to score first at +750.

Golden State Valkyries at Seattle Storm

Nneka Ogwumike (+390)

Nneka Ogwumike has short odds in a first-bucket market. I get that, but Ogwumike has taken the first shot for Seattle 11 times this season. No other player has taken the first shot for their team more than nine times.

Owgumike has scored first in a game five times this year, tied for a WNBA high.

Beyond that, of course, when I inject tip-off odds and shot frequency splits with field goal percentages into my first basket model, it shows value on Ogwumike, which doesn't often happen due to the always-short odds.

Indiana Fever at New York Liberty

Aliyah Boston To Score First for Fever (+250)

The model doesn't see enough value in the overall first basket scorer to get in on that specific market for this marquee game.

But when we look at the First Team Basket Scorer market, things open up a bit more.

Aliyah Boston has great usage with or without Caitlin Clark, so while Clark's status does matter here, Boston's role isn't super fickle.

Boston has a 28.5% usage rate with tonight's projected starting lineup (sans Clark), which is really intriguing.

Boston has taken the first shot for Indiana in 30.4% of her starts this year. She also leads the Fever with seven first-team shot attempts on the year.

Las Vegas Aces at Dallas Wings

Paige Bueckers (+600)

Paige Bueckers has actually scored first in a game just once this season, and it was in her debut back on May 16th.

She's taken the first shot for Dallas four times, though, and she projects for a 23.9% shot frequency alongside today's starting lineup.

Paige is shooting 45.6% on the year, enough to convert that shot volume to value on a first basket at +600, per the model.

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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.