<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-180051" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_TAN.png" alt="" width="1440" height="510" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_TAN.png 1440w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_TAN-300x106.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_TAN-1024x363.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_TAN-768x272.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px" /></p>
<p>Last week, we went a perfect 5-for-5 on WNBA props!</p>
<p>So, hopefully, this isn&#8217;t the comedown.</p>
<p>I really tried to refrain from old tricks, but I saw a couple of props that have done well for me lately, one of which I&#8217;m going back to in our one-game slate tonight featuring a possible WNBA Finals preview between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty.</p>
<p>The other? You&#8217;ll see…</p>
<p>Of course, the Aces lost by nearly 40 points the last time these two teams met up and were hardly the only team ever stomped out in Flatbush. But tonight, they get their chance at redemption at home.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s what I&#8217;m eyeing in Vegas.</p>
<div class="css-ba4bmu ekf91920">
<div class="article-component css-1pd0foh e1ix3jvo0" data-observer-label="gamematchup">
<div class="game-matchup__top-row">
<div class="game-matchup__top-row-image">
<div class="LazyLoad is-visible"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="" src="https://static.sprtactn.co/teamlogos/wnba/100/nyl.png" alt="Liberty Logo" width="74" height="74" /></div>
</div>
<div class="game-matchup__top-row-center">
<div>Tuesday, Aug. 15</div>
<div>9 p.m. ET</div>
<div>Amazon Prime</div>
</div>
<div class="game-matchup__top-row-image">
<div class="LazyLoad is-visible"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="" src="https://assets.actionnetwork.com/757250_Aces.png" alt="Aces Logo" width="74" height="79" /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="game-matchup__middle-row">
<table class="game-matchup__middle-row-table">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th colspan="3">Liberty Odds</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Spread</td>
<td>Over/Under</td>
<td>Moneyline</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<div>+7.5</div>
<div class="game-matchup__middle-row-table-juice">-110</div>
</td>
<td>
<div>174.5</div>
<div class="game-matchup__middle-row-table-juice">-110 / -110</div>
</td>
<td>
<div>+275</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table class="game-matchup__middle-row-table">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th colspan="3">Aces Odds</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Spread</td>
<td>Over/Under</td>
<td>Moneyline</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<div>-7.5</div>
<div class="game-matchup__middle-row-table-juice">-110</div>
</td>
<td>
<div>174.5</div>
<div class="game-matchup__middle-row-table-juice">-110 / -110</div>
</td>
<td>
<div>-340</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div class="game-matchup__bottom-row">
<div class="game-matchup__bottom-row-text">Odds via <a class="" href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/online-sports-betting/reviews/fanduel">FanDuel</a>. Get up-to-the-minute <a class="" href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/wnba/odds">WNBA odds here</a>.</div>
<div class="game-matchup__bottom-row-image">
<div class="LazyLoad is-visible"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="" src="https://assets.actionnetwork.com/880927_FanDuel1.png" alt="FanDuel Logo" width="54" height="54" /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h2><strong>WNBA Player Props Today</strong></h2>
<h3>A&#8217;ja Wilson Under 20.5 Points (+106 Via FanDuel)</h3>
<p>Time to play Trap or Trend!</p>
<p>A&#8217;ja Wilson&#8217;s scoring prop has been mostly money, save for a not-even-close under against the Liberty in the aforementioned whooping. Wilson finished with nine points and was limited to 25 minutes of play because garbage time came early.</p>
<p>Even before that, she shot 2-of-14 in what was her worst performance of the season.</p>
<p>But in totality, Wilson has gone over 20.5 points in each of her three games since and in eight of her last 10.</p>
<p>The Aces beat the Liberty on June 29, and Wilson only had 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting. So, against the Liberty, she&#8217;s 0-for-2 on this over this season.</p>
<p>For her career, StatHead says she&#8217;s averaging under 17 points per game in matchups against Jonquel Jones and is shooting 42.3% in the 12 games they&#8217;ve faced off.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a great revenge spot for Wilson — and I think this is a sweat — but the over feels like a trap. I&#8217;m going slightly under.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Sabrina Ionescu Over 5.5 Assists (+100 Via DraftKings)</h3>
<p>Plus-odds for one of my favorite overs lately? Sure, I&#8217;ll take it.</p>
<p>Sabrina Ionescu has gone over 5.5 dimes in three of four games, including posting seven (with 31 points) against the Aces.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m going back to the well here.</p>
<p>Ionescu has had six or more assists in 11 of her last 15 games and has gotten to seven in each of her efforts against the Aces.</p>
<p>The Liberty broke their trend of squandering their winning streak after four games — which has happened consecutive times — to mount a six-game winning streak.</p>
<p>I think they lose tonight, but Ionescu&#8217;s playmaking shines once again, at least enough to hit this over.</p>


wnba-player-props-today-8-15-23

WNBA Player Props Today: A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu Among Best Picks (8/15/23)

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-180012" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_CCDefense-1.png" alt="" width="1440" height="510" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_CCDefense-1.png 1440w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_CCDefense-1-300x106.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_CCDefense-1-1024x363.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_CCDefense-1-768x272.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">On Tuesday night, the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty are set to face off for the third time this season. The star-studded battles have been highly anticipated and fun; however, what they haven&#8217;t been are close.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Aces took round one back on June 29, blasting the Liberty 98-81 behind a dominant second half – namely the third quarter. The Aces won the period 27-14, extending a seven-point halftime lead to 20. An early Aces run in the fourth quarter pushed the lead to 27, effectively ending the game before the deficit lowered in garbage time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Liberty returned the favor during their meeting on August 6, beating the Aces 99-61 and handing them one of their worst losses in franchise history in the process. To say the Liberty dominated the second half would be a massive understatement; a 50-17 edge – 30-9 in the third quarter – is patently </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">absurd</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400">. The Aces couldn&#8217;t even get the garbage time bump, only mustering eight points in the final frame.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Here&#8217;s hoping the Commissioner&#8217;s Cup Championship gives us the nail-biter we&#8217;ve been waiting for!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">There are plenty of storylines to focus on in this one. A battle of MVPs, dynamic guards, and multifaceted wings that can take games over. The &#8220;dreaded&#8221; Super Team narrative that both teams have spent all season trying to shut down. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">If there&#8217;s one thing I&#8217;m curious about heading into the championship game, it&#8217;s who can turn the tide on defense.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">We know these teams can score. The Aces lead the WNBA in offensive rating (114.7 points per 100 possessions) and outpace the 2019 Washington Mystics (112.9) for the best offense in league history. The Liberty isn&#8217;t at that level, but they rank second in offensive rating (108.5) and have raised their level </span><a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=OFF_RATING&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2023&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=07%2F15%2F2023"><span style="font-weight: 400">since the All-Star break</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> (110.4). </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Quiet as kept, both teams have been pretty good defensively, too. The Aces currently have the league&#8217;s best defensive rating (97.4 points allowed per 100 possessions), while the Liberty rank third (99.4). In each of their wins in this series, we&#8217;ve seen their defense kickstart their (transition) offense and flip games in their favor.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Aces did a little bit of everything during the June match-up. They showcased at-the-level aggression – meaning their bigs stepped up near the screen-setter when defending a pick-and-roll. When playing the bigs further back against ball screens, they&#8217;d also have their perimeter defenders duck under picks to protect against paint touches. If all else failed, they&#8217;d simply switch the action to keep a body in front at all times, thus preventing the Liberty from generating advantages. </span></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Aces defensive versatility vs Liberty" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LiPVNBXyINA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">It&#8217;s worth keeping an eye on the switching. The legendary Candace Parker was a big part of their defensive success in the first meeting. With her out for the foreseeable future, the Aces have had to lean more into their single-big lineups. They did so in the August meeting, though the Liberty found success posting up mismatches, generating over 1.2 points per post-up possession, per Synergy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">On the other side, the foundation of the Liberty&#8217;s defense </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">is</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400"> switching. They&#8217;re sometimes comfortable ramping up the aggression, playing Jonquel Jones or Breanna Stewart closer to the level of ball screens, but they&#8217;re at their best when flattening out actions with timely switches.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">That was felt in the early August match-up, with the Liberty successfully bogging the Aces down with their switches. An Aces team that thrives on getting defenses off-balance and punishing them with drives &amp; dishes suddenly found themselves scrambling in half-court settings.</span></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Liberty switches vs Aces" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/88Gs05N4TaE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">A level of snappiness and cohesion is needed to pull this off against an offensive team as talented as the Aces. It&#8217;s not enough to keep the action in front; there&#8217;s an extra layer of execution needed to pull off the scram-switching — meaning on-the-fly off-ball switches to eliminate mismatches — that&#8217;s helped them protect their smaller guards.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">As much as we&#8217;ll enjoy the potential bucket-getting of Stewart, A&#8217;ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, and others, this game will likely be decided by who can buckle down and execute their half-court defense.</span></p>
<p><strong><em>WNBA reporter Nekias Duncan writes columns on </em><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="http://wnba.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>WNBA.com</em></a><em> throughout the season and can be reached on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA">@NekiasNBA</a>. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs.</em></strong></p>


xs-and-os-2023-commissioners-cup-championship

X's and O's: Whose Defense Will Show Up in the 2023 Commissioner's Cup Championship?

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-179876" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_CCPreview.png" alt="" width="1440" height="510" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_CCPreview.png 1440w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_CCPreview-300x106.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_CCPreview-1024x363.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/COVERIMAGE_CCPreview-768x272.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px" /></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Have you ever stopped to revel in how lucky we are to witness two greats playing in their prime? Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson are two of the biggest names of the WNBA — two former MVPs, two All-Star captains, and two future Hall of Famers. Night after night, We tune into them as they defy the odds of gravity and gravitas. They’ve led their teams to the top two spots in the league’s standings. They both rock Instagrammable fits through their pre-game tunnels. They’re both the “super-est” players on their respective teams and chasing another WNBA Championship ring. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Before that, they’re both vying for a chance to hoist the trophy of the 2023 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game presented by Coinbase. The third-annual in-season tournament has seen variations of this duo — Stewie’s former Seattle Storm team taking the crown in 2021, where she snagged the MVP award, and Wilson’s Aces winning the Cup in 2022. This year would be the first time we see the two of them bout head-to-head for a prize pool of $500,000. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Thirty games into the season — and a regular-season series tied at 1-1 — both Stewart and Wilson have proven what we already know. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">They’re really good at gettin’ buckets. </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400">But let’s break it down even further as to just how special this moment is. </span></p>
<h3><em><b>Stew York City</b></em></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">I’m a Marvel Comics fan by marriage. So, when I first heard about Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Courtney Vandersloot joining forces in New York with Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney,</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">I imagined the Avengers assembling. I thought Samuel L. Jackson </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">had</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400"> to be at the center of this plan. But it was, in fact, Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb (sans eye patch). He wanted to build something special, so why not have one of the most special talents in the history of women’s basketball at its center? Once Stewart elected to come to play for the Liberty in February, she made it clear that this was a decision for the betterment of the league. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">“I decided to go to New York because I want to continue to be great,” Stewart told ESPN after announcing the move with a Statue of Liberty emoji on social media. “And I want to go to the place where I can continue to help this league become better, to continue to raise the standard.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">We had months before the season to fester on will-they-won’t-they Seafoam scenarios. The Liberty lost by 16 in their opening matchup against the Mystics, but in the first home game at Barclays Center, Stewart’s dominant 45-point career-high performance rocked the nay-sayers to sleep. After shooting over 70 percent from the field in 30 minutes, the roaring Brooklyn crowd gave her a well-deserved standing ovation. She grinned and </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/546286721040911"><span style="font-weight: 400">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">, “It feels like I made the right decision.” She broke the franchise’s single-game scoring record in only her second contest in a Liberty jersey. </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400">Unreal.</span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">In year seven, Stewart has shown that her superpowers are still evolving. Mid-range? Splash. Slashing reverse lay? Easy. Three-ball from the top of the key? Money. This mixed bag of tricks at 6-foot-4 makes her nearly impossible to defend. Averaging over 20 points and almost ten rebounds per game, Stewart has become an MVP favorite once again. It’s a no-brainer; she’s helped resurrect a franchise from five consecutive seasons finishing below .500 to second place in the standings and its first championship banner within arms distance. Adding two-time Commissioner’s Cup Champion to her laundry list of accolades has a nice ring to it, too. </span></p>
<h3><em><b>M’VP Wilson</b></em></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">A’ja Wilson tried tap dancing, karate, and swimming as a kid before falling in love with basketball. Thank goodness she traded in her click-clack patent leather shoes for sneakers with a high-pitch squeak. Without it, we’d be deprived of mind-bending on-court performances, viral locker room antics, and an </span><a href="https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2021/01/15/womens-basketball-a-ja-wilson-statue-installed-at-colonial-life-arena/"><span style="font-weight: 400">11-foot-tall bronze statue</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">We’d miss out on back-to-the-basket post moves that look effortlessly cool. And free-throw line jumpers that cut through the net like a razor blade. And a suffocating defense that ends with a block into the fourth row. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">With a 38-point loss to the New York Liberty on August 6 in the rearview, Wilson had a message for the media — and anyone willing to listen. “I don’t need a stat sheet to validate who I am in this league,” she said in the post-game press conference. She finished with dismal 9 points on 2-14 shooting in the match. “That’s not going to shatter my confidence to continue to shoot that basketball.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">In her fifth season, we have ample receipt of Wilson’s ability (averaging 20 ppg) and her ability to bounce back after a loss. When Connecticut Sun snapped the Aces’ 7-game hot streak this season, they limited Wilson to only 13 points and handed Las Vegas their first L. But the next time they faced off, Wilson erupted for a 23-point-13 rebound double-double with a side of 5 assists to lead her team to victory.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">The Dallas Wings inched out a win over the reigning champs in July while holding Wilson below her average on 38 percent shooting. Three weeks later, she retaliated with a monstrous six blocks, 22 points, and a W. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Wilson now has the Liberty on this revenge list, highlighted and circled. Now, we wait. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Years from now, we’ll look back and talk about the Stewart-Wilson rivalry era as lore. We’ll say things like, “You just had to be there,” and, “Back in my day, Stewie teased us throughout free agency with emojis.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400">On Tuesday, August 15, at 9 pm ET, eyes will be glued to Amazon Prime to see another iteration of a Stewart-Wilson battle. Cash is on the line, bragging rights to tweet out, and a rose-gold trophy to uphold. The Aces and Liberty matchup a total of four times in August. Again I ask, how lucky are we?   </span></p>
<p><strong><em>WNBA reporter Jordan Robinson writes a column on </em><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="http://wnba.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>WNBA.com</em></a><em> throughout the season and can be reached on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/heyjordanr?s=11&amp;t=J-cOcDBZrcrt32m2C7gIVg">@HeyJordanR</a>. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs.</em></strong></p>


2023-commissioners-cup-championship-where-icons-collide

2023 Commissioner's Cup Championship: Where Icons Collide

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-179907 size-medium" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/CCC-300x164.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="164" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/CCC-300x164.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2023/08/CCC.jpg 473w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
<p><strong>WHAT: </strong>The WNBA will present a live pregame show across its digital and social channels before the 2023 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game presented by Coinbase, providing fans with an elevated gameday experience and a comprehensive preview of the matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty. The show will be available to stream on WNBA.com, the WNBA App, and @WNBA on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.</p>
<p><strong>WHEN: </strong>The pregame show will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT ahead of the Championship Game, which tips off at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, streaming exclusively on Prime Video.</p>
<p><strong>WHO: </strong>Ty Carter, host of the season-long “Commissioner’s Cup Weekly” program, and Tina Nguyen, a sports reporter/anchor at KTNV in Las Vegas, will co-host the pregame show from Michelob Ultra Arena. It will be produced by Carafelli Productions.</p>
<p style="text-align: center"># # #</p>


2023-commissioners-cup-championship-pregame-show

WNBA To Present Live Digital Pregame Show Before 2023 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game Presented By Coinbase

Stay up to date on the latest news, standings and more on the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup presented by Coinbase

TEAM	CUP RECORD	DONATION
1 New York Liberty	8 - 3	$25,500
2 Connecticut Sun	7 - 3	$15,500
3 Atlanta Dream	6 - 4	$14,000
4 Washington Mystics	5 - 5	$12,500
5 Chicago Sky	3 - 7	$9,500
6 Indiana Fever	2 - 8	$8,000

TEAM	CUP RECORD	DONATION
1 Las Vegas Aces	9 - 2	$23,500
2 Dallas Wings	6 - 4	$14,000
3 Minnesota Lynx	5 - 5	$12,500
4 Los Angeles Sparks	5 - 5	$12,500
5 Seattle Storm	4 - 6	$11,000
6 Phoenix Mercury	1 - 9	$6,500

Commissioner's Cup Championship

Commissioner's Cup Leaderboard

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Commissioner's Cup News

WNBA Player Props Today: A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu Among Best Picks (8/15/23)

X's and O's: Whose Defense Will Show Up in the 2023 Commissioner's Cup Championship?

2023 Commissioner's Cup Championship: Where Icons Collide

WNBA To Present Live Digital Pregame Show Before 2023 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game Presented By Coinbase