Layup Lines: Still waitin' for Caitlin

Happy Tuesday and welcome back to Layup Lines, your quick recap of what’s going on in the WNBA. Our only bet last night, the under of Golden State / Los Angeles, would’ve hit had it not gone to overtime. Alas, it was an awesome game and we lost. So it goes. Can’t feel bad about overtime. Full game highlights.

• Are the Valkyries the story of the season so far? They’re 4-5 with a middling roster, have sold out all four home games and last week, got the “Why Golden State Will Be The WNBA’s Most Valuable Team Next Year,” treatment from Forbes.

• If the league keeps adding expansion teams after the two coming in 2026, Golden State has created the blueprint.

This 463 word newsletter should take about 2 minutes to read.

Bets of the day

• We are 24-25 this season and have $894 of our initial $1,000 remaining to wager.

• There are two games today — Indiana @ Atlanta (7:30pm ET, ESPN3) and Chicago @ New York (8pm, ESPN).

  • The Fever are still missing Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, so we’re still taking their unders.

    • Bet: Fever / Dream under 161 total points scored, $50 to win $44.

  • The Liberty have won three of their last five games by 20+ and the only two times they didn’t, it was against an opponent they had recently played. The Sky are also going to be lost on offense without Courtney Vandersloot (ACL tear, out for season) and Moriah Jefferson (leg injury) both out.

    • Bet: Liberty -17, $100 to win $89.

Take of the day

• It makes some sense why the Fever didn’t invest heavily in their backup guards this offseason, as Clark had never missed a game in college or the pros until this quad injury. That said, the energy that free agent guard Aari McDonald has brought to Indiana after Clark’s injury is going to be sorely missed once the superstar is back and McDonald’s hardship contract with the Fever ends.

• A lot of Clark’s playmaking comes via being a demon in transition. Indiana’s big free agency signings of Cunningham, DeWanna Bonner (37 years old), Sydney Colson (35) and Natasha Howard (33) have helped on defense, but those older players often run down the floor in transition like they are over 30. McDonald doesn’t, and it would’ve been fun to see her play next to Clark once the superstar is back.

Card of the day

Suggesting Natasha Howard is old and then realizing we’re the same age was not good for the soul.

Thanks for reading Layup Lines. If you bet, please do so responsibly, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow.

— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor