Betting Odds Set Stage for Award Races in WNBA’s Return
With the WNBA regular season set to resume on Thursday following the international break, award races will take center stage during a 10-day sprint before the postseason.
All eight teams have secured their postseason berth, with the final games determining seeding. As a result, the conversation should focus on the award races. But if the latest odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook are any indication, there won’t be much suspense there either.
BetMGM currently offers odds for four of the six major award markets. Both WNBA Rookie of the Year and WNBA Sixth Player of the Year have been off the board since early August, with Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles closing as a -10000 favorite in the former market and Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün trading at -1000 in the latter race.
Of the four remaining award competitions, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year appears to be the one that is most up in the air. Valkyries wing Gabby Williams is a -125 favorite in the latest WNBA Defensive Player of the Year odds, giving her an implied probability of 55.56%.
Williams became the favorite ahead of the All-Star break in late July, passing Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson. As a three-time DPOY winner, Wilson began the year as a +250 favorite and led the market until Williams jumped ahead. Wilson remains the primary challenger at +175.
However, both Washington Mystics forward Shakira Austin (+550) and Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (+1000) remain in the mix as viable threats.
Meanwhile, the remaining award races appear much more straightforward.
Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard is a -450 frontrunner to win Most Improved Player, suggesting an implied probability of 81.82%. Shepard has been the favorite since early June after not having odds in the preseason. Shepard is averaging 14.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in her first season with the Wings.
Cheryl Reeve has been the betting favorite to win a fifth Coach of the Year trophy all summer. She’s -1000 (90.91%) after guiding the Lynx to the league’s best record despite missing Napheesa Collier for much of the season.
Aces forward A’ja Wilson remains an overwhelming favorite in the latest WNBA MVP odds race. She’s -1400, which translates to an implied probability of 93.33% to claim her fifth MVP trophy. Miles is +900 to win the MVP award in her rookie season, becoming the first player to do that since Candace Parker.
It remains to be seen if the final 10 days of the regular season are enough to shake up these award races.
Visit the BetMGM sportsbook throughout the season for updated WNBA futures, including WNBA Finals odds. You can also view updated sportsbook promos, including a First Bet Offer for eligible new customers.







,xPosition=.5,yPosition=.5)
,xPosition=.5,yPosition=.5)