Only one WNBA game precedes this weekend. Do not try to figure out why there is only one game on a quiet Thursday night.
Schedule makers do not believe in the logic that the rest of us ascribe to most things.
However, headlined by backing Washington center Shakira Austin, there are still WNBA picks to be found in tonight’s Valkyries vs. Mystics tilt.
WNBA player prop bets for July 31
Shakira Austin Over 14.5 points (-110)- Sonia Citron Over 1.5 threes (+100)
Tiffany Hayes Over 13.5 points (+105)
Today's best WNBA player props bets
Shakira Austin Over 14.5 points (-110 at FanDuel)
The Washington Mystics must have realized early on Tuesday that they would blow out the Chicago Sky. There is no other reason Shakira Austin played only 20 minutes. She was in foul trouble, but her playing time fell even before those started piling up in that 17-point win.
Two days later, the Mystics have a far more important game tonight. They are just half a game ahead of the Golden State Valkyries, and Washington is currently in position to be the last playoff team.
Saving some Austin work for tonight makes sense. In seven of nine games this season in which Austin played at least 26 minutes, she has topped this prop. Those nine chances all came in the last 15 games — precaution slowing Austin’s entry to the season after injuries bothered her all of 2024.
This tilt against Golden State carries genuine playoff implications. The spread of four points suggests it should be a close game throughout. Expect Austin to see far more than 26 minutes of playing time and thus clear this prop with ease.
Sonia Citron Over 1.5 threes (+100 at FanDuel)
Golden State is slipping out of playoff position in part because its perimeter defense has started to splinter. It was never stellar, but the Valkyries have given up more looks from deep in July than anyone else in the WNBA, 28.3 opposing attempts per game.
Giving up those shots is one thing. Opponents hitting 33.7% of them is another, and that is a problem for Golden State.
As the Mystics’ best shooter, Sonia Citron should take advantage of that problem. She has cleared this prop only once in her last four games, but the rookie is shooting 37.6% from deep on 4.2 attempts per game.
Against the Valkyries’ defense, Citron should take at least five 3-pointers tonight, and at that point, it is more likely than not that she hits multiple.
Tiffany Hayes Over 13.5 points (+105 at DraftKings)
Golden State’s playoff aspirations took a step backward when Kayla Thornton was lost for the season two weeks ago to a knee injury. Thornton had been the Valkyries’ inarguable best player.
She led the rotation in usage rate, points, and rebounds while sitting second in made threes per game, just a touch behind Tiffany Hayes.
Thornton was not shooting well from deep, just 28.2% on 6.5 attempts per game. Logically, some of her shots now move to Hayes.
Hayes has cleared this prop in two of the three games since Thornton’s injury, also going 5-of-13 from deep. That shooting is not yet an uptick, but recognizing the outlier in those three games reinforces the belief otherwise.
Hayes went 0-of-8 from the field and 0-of-4 from deep in 21 minutes of a 31-point blowout loss to Connecticut. Nothing was working well for Golden State. Ignore that game.
In the other two, Hayes has shot 11-of-20 from the field and 5-of-9 from deep. That is the trend that should continue in Thornton’s absence.
Today’s WNBA games
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