We’re a day removed from the WNBA trade deadline, and the moves mattered — contenders leveled up! The league-best Lynx bolstered their roster with DiJonai Carrington, last year’s Most Improved Player, while Seattle grabbed Brittney Sykes to tighten up a playoff-bound rotation. With just over a month left in the regular season, August’s where things get real — for teams chasing seeding, players grinding for postseason form, and fans (and bettors) locking in. Also, there’s been some shakeup on the WNBA Champion Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook!

Let’s take a look at the latest WNBA odds for WNBA Champion, give a weekend preview, and I’ll share my WNBA best bets for Friday’s games on DraftKings Sportsbook. You can also find more WNBA previews, picks, and daily content on DraftKings Network.

2025 WNBA Champion Odds

The Favorite: NY Liberty (+170)

I’ll say it again: we have movement, people! Just a week ago, the Minnesota Lynx were holding steady as the favorites to win the 2025 WNBA Championship at +180, with the Liberty close behind at +190. Fast forward to August 8th, and it’s the reigning champs who’ve jumped ahead — New York is now sitting at +170 to go back-to-back. If you’re just box score watching, that might not make much sense. Minnesota leads the league with 25 wins, while New York is 5.5 games back at 19. And yeah, the Lynx will be without MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier for a couple weeks (ankle sprain), but the Liberty aren’t exactly healthy either. They dropped four straight before picking up back-to-back wins — so what’s driving this odds shift?

Well, even without Breanna Stewart, who’s missed five games with a bone bruise, New York’s been illustrating their depth. Sabrina Ionescu took over for a stretch, dropping 31 in a Finals rematch vs. Minnesota and 36 against Connecticut, and when she cooled off Tuesday (just 9 points), the rest of the squad stepped up. Leonie Fiebich, Jonquel Jones, Natasha Cloud, and new-comer Emma Meesseman all put up 12+ to power another win. It’s worth noting, Meesseman isn’t just another depth piece — she’s a former Finals MVP, and her late-season addition gives New York a boost on both ends of the floor. This team’s bench showed up in a big way this week, but we probably won’t see full championship form until Stewie is back in the mix.

WNBA Best Bets and Weekend Preview

New York Liberty at Dallas Wings — Friday, August 8, 7:30 PM ET

These two teams square off again after New York’s 85-76 home win on Tuesday, a balanced showing from a squad that’s navigating games without their second-leading points scorer. In that game, Paige Bueckers did Paige Bueckers things — 21 points, 8 rebounds — but struggled from deep (1-5) and reportedly tweaked her back. She’s considered day-to-day, though she’s expected to play on Friday. On the bright side, Dallas did get Maddy Siegrist back after an 18-game absence (knee). She came off the bench and dropped 13 points in Tuesday’s loss — solid return.

With New York in control from tip to buzzer last time out and building a bit of momentum, I’m leaning toward a similar outcome tonight. But to keep things spicy, I’m eyeing the under. Neither team has cracked 90+ in their last three games, and both are dealing with key injuries — Stewart for the Liberty, and a possibly limited Bueckers for the Wings. Under 172 is the play.

Lean: NY -8.5

PICK: Total Under 172 (-110)

Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces — Friday, August 8, 10:00 PM ET

The Storm enter Friday’s matchup fresh off a trade deadline pickup, acquiring guard Brittney Sykes from the Mystics. It’s a move that won’t fix their middling three-point shooting (currently 7th in the league at 33.4%), but it does give Seattle a proven two-way contributor. Sykes is averaging 15.4 PPG and brings elite defensive presence, adding to a Storm squad that already ranks 2nd in defensive rating (98.5). With Sykes and Gabby Williams sharing the floor, Seattle now boasts two All-Defensive-caliber perimeter stoppers.

Meanwhile, the Aces are heating up, winning 7 of their last 10. They beat Golden State 78-72 on Wednesday behind A’ja Wilson’s 27-point performance, and she added two blocks to become just the 10th player in WNBA history to hit 500 career blocks.

Seattle’s dropped three straight and just slipped behind the Fever in the standings, making this feel like a must-win. The Aces have the league’s top shot blocker in Wilson (2.3 BPG), but Seattle holds the defensive edge overall — 2nd in defensive rating, 4th in opponent PPG, and loaded with disruptors: Gabby Williams leads the WNBA in steals (2.6), and Ezi Magbegor is second in blocks (2.2), just behind Wilson. The issue? Offense. The Storm have dipped to 9th in points per possession and 9th in offensive rating (101.6). That said, this game should be tight, and Sykes could be the X-factor to spark a Seattle squad that needs momentum.

PICK: SEA Storm +1

All season long, I’ll be tracking the WNBA Odds for MVP, Finals Winner and more right here!

All odds and lines provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change.

GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (AZ/CO/DC/IA/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA/MD/ME/MI/NC/NJ/NH/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/VT/WV/WY), (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY / text HOPENY (467369) (NY).

Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-888-789-7777 / visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV). Void where prohibited.

21+ (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/DC/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/KY/LA(select parishes)/MA/MD/ME/MI/NC/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/VT/WV/WY only. Void in ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS).