WNBA Finals Player Props: Bet A’ja Wilson, and Betnijah Laney in Game 1 (October 8)

Finally, the non-spoiled, long-awaited, potentially all-time great WNBA Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty is upon us.

Coming off a 6-1 week, here are the records as they stand.

• WNBA season: 46-29
• WNBA since August 8: 32-12
• WNBA playoffs: 14-6

We begin Game 1 props from each team, and if you read my full WNBA Finals outlook or A’ja Wilson focused prop piece, you might have an idea of where I’m headed.

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WNBA Finals Player Props

New York Liberty vs. Las Vegas Aces

Betnijah Laney Over 14.5 Points (-113)

This is very simple in my opinion.

Betnijah Laney has scored 16-plus points in 12 of her last 16 games. If this elevates to 16.5, where it is on DraftKings for -110, that trend remains the same, because Laney’s scored 17 or more in 12 of 16 as well, given that she hasn’t finished with exactly 16 points at all.

Laney’s been excellent, and I simply refuse to fade her right now.

She’s scored at least 15 points in 13 of 16 games, and in every single one of those games, she’s shot the ball a minimum of 10 times. The volume alone has helped her consistently clear that number as of late, and at the very least, should get her within striking distance.

Laney was arguably the team’s most consistent player in the conference finals, and she’ll often be the team’s fourth-offensive option, which should provide plenty of scoring opportunities for her.

Pick: Betnijah Laney Over 14.5 Points (-113)

A’ja Wilson Under 10.5 Rebounds (-130)

A’ja Wilson’s season-high in rebounds against the Liberty is eight, which she has gotten to twice in five matchups against New York.

I’m assuming that, at some point, she’s going to pop for at least a game or two in this series because she is that awesome, but against a Liberty frontcourt duo of Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, we can’t reasonably expect 11-rebound games from Wilson, regardless of her recent play, which includes three 11 or better-rebounding efforts in five playoff outings.

I wrote about the idea of fading Wilson’s points and rebounds during the series, but between the two, I think the boards may actually be harder to come by. To me, if the Aces are going to win the series, it’ll be with effective perimeter jump-shooting foremost, unless Wilson goes nuclear against the team that’s provided her with the most issues in 2023.

Pick: A’ja Wilson Under 10.5 Rebounds (-130)