After an interminable wait, perhaps the most anticipated season in WNBA history is finally set to begin on Friday, May 19. The league is deeper in superstar talent than ever before, and the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty look like they’re destined to meet in an epic WNBA Finals. But the rest of the league will have something to say about that first, and they’ll have their first chance to put the W on notice with some strong performances on opening day.
Our three favorite WNBA player props feature Kahleah Copper rising to her role as a solo star for the Chicago Sky, Elena Delle Donne’s healthy return, and Nneka Ogwumike potentially dominating the glass in Brittney Griner’s return.
WNBA player prop bets for May 19
- Kahleah Copper Over 15.5 points
- Elena Delle Donne Over 16.5 points
- Nneka Ogwumike Over 6.5 rebounds
Read full analysis of each pick.
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Today's best WNBA player props bets
Prop bet #1: Sky’s the limit
Life comes at you fast in the WNBA. The Chicago Sky were WNBA champions just two short years ago in 2021, but they’ll be setting their ambitions a little lower to start the 2023 WNBA season. That’s because the band mostly broke up, with all of Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, Stefanie Dolson, and Allie Quigley having moved on.
But Kahleah Copper remains, and her upside and attacking style should give hope to Sky fans that the road back to relevance won’t be too long this time. Copper is one of the most effective drivers and slashers in the Association, but she’s also a capable 3-point shooter.
Copper averaged 15.7 points last season, a career-high, but she’s clearly capable of much more. The previous iteration of the Sky was laden with veterans, who played in an equal opportunity offense that allowed them all to share the scoring load. But Copper is now unequivocally the top dog, and her scoring should see a pronounced uptick.
Copper’s usage rate in 2022 was 24.8%, and compared to other top-level WNBA players who are the No.1 option for their team, she was 3-4 percentage points lower. That should change starting on Friday against the Minnesota Lynx.
The Lynx were once one of the most feared interior defenses in the league, but those days are long past with the retirement of WNBA legend Sylvia Fowles. Even with Fowles giving them what she could in her final season, the Lynx slumped to the 10th-worst regular season defense last year, and could be in for even more slippage in 2023. Copper's relentless drive to attack the basket and finish should prove overwhelming for the relatively inexperienced Lynx team that remains, which is why her points prop is my favorite pick of the opening day slate.
Kahleah Copper prop: Over 15.5 points (-115 at bet365)
Prop bet #2: Delle devil
Elena Delle Donne is one of the dark horse candidates to win WNBA MVP at +1200. I both love that value and suspect she’s going to get off to a strong start on Friday.
Delle Donne is a two-time MVP, and won a championship only four years ago. If not for a series of significant back issues, she might have added even more to the trophy case in the time since.
The “Delle Devil” has sublime footwork and scoring touch that stretches right out the 3-point arc. She’s a terror working out of the high post, with one of the most unguardable jump shots in the W.
Delle Donne’s overall numbers were lower last season, but that’s only because the Washington Mystics had her on a conservative load management plan. That conservatism was well warranted, as EDD only played three total games in the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to serious back issues.
But when she played, she looked just like her old All-Star self. Her 52.6% on two-pointers was one of the better marks of her career, and she averaged over this prop line at 17.2 points. Now she has no minutes restrictions, and she’s also announced that she will not be missing any games for injury maintenance. In other words, she’s fully healthy, and that means the WNBA has a monster on its hands once again.
That she’s first to square off against Breanna Stewart, a player her equal in every regard who she also matches up with, is sure to key her competitive fire. The last time these two played was in the 2022 playoffs, and Delle Donne will likely be looking for a little revenge after Stewart knocked her out in the first round.
The New York Liberty are a team littered with talent, and Stewart is an incredible defensive player. But teams with a lot of new players typically struggle on defense, so I’m expecting EDD to start things off with a bang on Friday.
Elena Delle Donne prop: Over 16.5 points (-115 at bet365)
Prop bet #3: Rebounding dynamo
For the last of our three picks for opening day, we’re zeroing in on the matchup between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Phoenix Mercury. This game is significant for a number of reasons, none more so than the return of Brittney Griner to WNBA regular season play for the first time since her detainment at the hands of Russian authorities.
Griner returns to a Mercury team that has missed her dearly, and whose main scoring engine – Skylar Diggins-Smith – remains out due to the recent birth of her second child. Griner’s other running mate – Dianna Taurasi – is nearing the end of her career, and at this point, it’s asking a lot to have her run a productive and efficient offense. Similarly, we should expect rust from Griner.
With the three pillars of the Mercury offense some combination of declining, absent, or rusty, I’m banking on a lot of missed shots and opportunities on the glass. The Sparks are a jumbo frontcourt, with Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike as well as new addition and former Las Vegas Ace Dearica Hamby.
Their combination of size and tenacity should allow them to control the paint and give them a significant rebounding edge over the Mercury, even with Griner's return. At even money, I’m betting that Nneka will be able to grab seven rebounds or more, which is below her career average of 7.4.
Nneka Ogwumike prop: Over 6.5 rebounds (+100 at bet365)
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