The WNBA has been in the news in recent days with the release of eight-time WNBA All-Star center Brittney Griner from captivity in Russia after she was detained for having hashish oil in her luggage when she landed to play in the Russian League.
There have been prominent comings and goings among prominent coaches, Free agency is still a month and a half away from starting, but expect to see some movement once players can sign as free agents. Teams might need to be aggressive in adding pieces to try to prevent the Las Vegas Aces from winning another WNBA title after topping Connecticut in the 2022 WNBA Championship Series. Before the player movement, those who bet online view the Aces as the team to beat once again.
The 2023 regular-season schedule was recently released with teams playing a record 40 games this season.
Let’s check the latest WNBA picks, stats, injury reports, and WNBA predictions. We’ve plenty of WNBA expert picks for you to consider.
Debut to Remember for Hammon
Becky Hammon was in a great situation as the second female to be an assistant coach in the NBA and wasn’t leaving for just any job.
The former star guard in the WNBA returned to the league to take over in Las Vegas.
A’ja Wilson was the league MVP after averaging 19.5 points. 9.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.9 blocked shots. Guards Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray also thrived under Hammon’s tutelage while veteran forward Dearica Hamby completed the best starting five in the league.
Las Vegas won the title 3-1 against the Connecticut Sun.
According to the WNBA playoff odds, Las Vegas is priced at +175 in the odds to win the 2023 WNBA title. The Aces are followed by Connecticut (+350), Washington (+500), Chicago (+700), New York (+900), and Seattle (+1500).
Scoop on Free Play from the Locker Room
Rookies Make An Impact
Six of the top seven players selected in the 2022 WNBA Draft averaged more than 10 minutes per game. The lone exception was No. 5 overall pick Nyara Sabally, who sat out the entire 2022 season and is expected to suit up for the New York Liberty in 2023.
Top pick Rhyne Howard was the Rookie of the Year after averaging 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists for Atlanta.
Indiana relied on rookies NaLyssa Smith, Emily Engstler, Queen Egbo, and Destanni Henderson as they were among 10 Fever players to play more than 10 minutes per game.
Shakira Austin didn’t put up the offensive numbers of the two players picked ahead of her, but she was a presence on the defensive end and a productive rebounder for Washington.
Legends Bid Adieu
Two of the top players in WNBA history retired after the season. Seattle guard Sue Bird, the WNBA’s all-time leader in assists, and Minnesota forward/center Sylvia Fowles, the WNBA record holder for career rebounds, wrapped up brilliant careers.
Bird is seventh and Fowles ninth in career regular-season points.
Briann January also retired at the end of the 2022 season. Like Bird and Fowles, she is also a former WNBA champion.
Notable Absence
There were players who were not able to play during the 2022 season or took part in a limited number of games.
None of those players drew the attention that Phoenix Mercury center Griner who was detained in Russia for nearly 300 days. She was just recently released.
We prayed, we fought, and we used our voices to share BG’s story with the world. Today, she comes home 🧡 pic.twitter.com/GP6LOyUJNC
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) December 8, 2022
Her fellow WNBA players were vocal in pushing the U.S. government to negotiate her release.
Coaching Carousel
The WNBA underwent a coaching overhaul.
James Wade of the Chicago Sky is second in the WNBA in terms of longevity with one team and he was hired in November 2018. Only Cheryl Reeve, who was hired by the Minnesota Lynx on Dec. 8, 2009, has been at her current gig longer.
When the season begins, 10 of the 12 head coaches will have been hired in 2021 or 2022.
Since the end of the 2022 season, Mike Thibault retired as the head coach of the Washington Mystics and was replaced by his son, Eric. Curt Miller left his job with the Connecticut Sun to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks.
Stephanie White returns to the WNBA as Miller’s replacement in Connecticut, while Christie Sides is the new head coach in Indiana and Latricia Trammell is the new coach with the Dallas Wings.
A Look Ahead
Indiana will have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft by winning the draft lottery. The Fever will also have the seventh pick thanks to the trade that sent Teiara McCowan to Dallas. They will join the four players selected in the first round of the 2022 draft.
Six of the 12 first-round picks have already changed hands. South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, the reigning national player of the year, is considered by the Las Vegas odds as the favorite to be selected first overall in the April 10 draft.
