Layup Lines: Surging Seattle

Happy Tuesday and welcome back to Layup Lines, your quick recap of what’s going on in the WNBA. It feels like Venus in my backyard. Hope you’re hanging in there.

This 436 word newsletter should take less than 2 minutes to read.

Today’s games

• We’re 40-37 this season with a scintillating $12 profit off an initial $1,000 budget.

• There are four games today — Minnesota @ Washington (8pm ET), Los Angeles @ Chicago (8pm, NBA TV), Atlanta @ Dallas (8pm) and Indiana @ Seattle (10pm, NBA TV). Let’s take three of them:

  • The Mystics are playing with some swagger and are coming off an OT buzzer-beating win, while Napheesa Collier is out for the Lynx again with a back injury.

    • Bet: Washington +7, $50 to win $44.

  • Not sure I would recommend watching this game, but the Sparks have been much better on the road than at home and the Sky are struggling defensively.

    • Bet: L.A. / Chicago over 167 total points scored, $50 to win $46.

  • I’m expecting Caitlin Clark to break out of her mini-slump but not enough to beat a Storm team that has won six of their last seven games.

    • Bet: Seattle -3, $50 to win $41.

Take of the day

• I won’t add to the speculation about why DeWanna Bonner is out for the fifth straight game tonight for personal reasons, but the Fever really miss the veteran All-Star on the defensive end. Their three-guard starting lineup of Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull lacks length, and while she’s a good, scrappy player, Hull is averaging probably 10 minutes per game too many with Bonner out.

• Fans will clamor for Aari McDonald if Bonner ends up leaving the team, but I’m not sure Indiana needs another short guard. What about instead trying to trade for a forward like Michaela Onyenwere (Chicago) or Natasha Mack (Phoenix)?

Record to go

• Nneka Ogwumike passed Tina Thompson for 9th all-time in career rebounds on Sunday. It’s a huge accomplishment, but the thing that caught my eye on this graphic is Tina Charles. The 36-year-old averaged almost 10 rebounds per game last year and is down to 5.4 for the Sun this year, but the fact that she’s got almost 1,000 more than any other active player means this record is not falling for a long time.

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— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor