Layup Lines: Minnesota can't be beat

Plus, a new reader referral program!

Author

Everett Cook
June 09, 2025

Happy Monday and welcome back to Layup Lines, your quick recap of what’s going on in the WNBA.

  • We went 1-0 with a big bet yesterday thanks to Dallas falling apart against Minnesota without Paige Bueckers. The Lynx are now 9-0 and just four wins away from tying the best start to a season in league history.

  • In the other game, Washington scored 104 and beat Connecticut by almost 40. The Sun, who either win games they aren’t supposed to or get blown out, are just too dramatic to count on right now.

This 446 word newsletter should take less than 2 minutes to read.

Bets of the day

  • We’re 24-24 this season and have $944 remaining of our initial $1,000 to wager.

  • There’s only one game today — Golden State @ Los Angeles (10pm ET, League Pass).

    • We’ll have more on the Valkyries losing multiple starters to June’s 2025 EuroBasket tournament in a future newsletter, but the attrition has already started with Cecilia Zandalasini out for the next few weeks to play for Italy.

    • The Sparks and Valks have already played each other twice this season and both matchups were low scoring. With Zandalasini and Tiffany Hayes both out for Golden State, expect the same tonight.

      • Bet: Golden State / L.A. under 162.5 total points scored, $50 to win $45.

Good reads from around the league

  • Veronica Burton’s journey to a breakout season for the Valkyries. (The Next)

  • Awards tracker: Why Napheesa Collier is the easy choice for MVP. (ESPN)

  • Another loss to the Fever. Courtney Vandersloot’s injured. Can Chicago recover? (The Athletic, paywall)

  • What's wrong with the Aces? (Her Hoops Stats)

Card of the day

  • Here’s Lisa Leslie’s rookie from 1997, one of my favorite vintage cards.

New referral program

  • After about 20 Layup Lines editions, I feel like we’re getting into a real rhythm (bet results TBD). I can’t tell you how much I’ve appreciated your eyes and feedback so far.

  • While it’s now time to share this thing with the masses, I will admit that marketing is not a strength of mine. It’s going to be a process for this social media hating grump.

  • So while I work on that, you can get rewarded for recommending Layup Lines to your friends! Just have 5+ people sign up using your special link below to get a free WNBA card — maybe even one that you’ve seen in the newsletter.

    • If you have no interest in cards, I’ll just send you the equivalent value in cash.

Thanks for reading Layup Lines. If you bet, please do so responsibly, and we will see you back here tomorrow.

— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor