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Three WNBA games on Thursday night. Unfortunately, they all tip off at the same time, so you can't really watch all three. The good news, though, is that tonight features the most anticipated game of the season so far: the first meeting between the Liberty and Aces. These teams were built to fight each other for the championship, and now we get our first preview of what a Liberty/Aces playoff series might look like.
If you're looking for WNBA daily fantasy picks and some betting advice this season, then you're in the right place. I'll be here providing picks for any slate with two or more games, as well as adding a little betting advice.
In this article, I'll be providing you with some daily fantasy WNBA lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel. These lineup picks will range from elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. The slates lock on 6/29/2023 at 10:00 p.m. ET. Want to talk more about the WNBA? I'm always available on Twitter and always down to discuss women's basketball: @juscarts.
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WNBA DFS Picks: Forward
NaLyssa Smith (Indiana Fever) - @ PHO - DK: $8,800, FD: $6,200
Smith's been on a nice run lately, posting double-doubles in three consecutive contests. That's especially impressive considering the past two games were against the league's best team, the Las Vegas Aces.
Aliyah Boston's emergence as one of the best bigs in the WNBA has opened things up more for Smith, who is making her own case for a reserve spot in the All-Star Game with her strong play.
The last time Smith faced this Mercury team, she was virtually unstoppable, as she scored 29 points on 11-for-19 shooting with 12 rebounds and four assists. With Brittney Griner likely focusing her defensive attention on Boston, Smith should be free to feast in this game.
Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty) - @ LV - DK: $8,100, FD: $6,400
With Stefanie Dolson out, Jones played a season-high 32 minutes last game, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and one steal. It was a nice bounce-back effort after she scored no points a game earlier against Washington.
I think Tuesday's performance is more indicative of what Jones' role will look like until Dolson returns. She's not going to see a ton of volume just because of the many weapons on this team, but she's shot 50% or better from the floor in three of the last four games, and she's had at least nine rebounds in all four games. Efficient scoring, good rebounding numbers, and plenty of upside when it comes to blocks and steals—that's what makes Jones a strong DFS option.
Dorka Juhasz (Minnesota Lynx) - @ SEA - DK: $6,000, FD: $4,600
Juhasz had the best game of her WNBA career on Tuesday against Seattle, scoring a career-high 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting while also grabbing 12 rebounds and adding three assists.
Jessica Shepard remains out due to illness on Thursday, which should leave Juhasz in an elevated role. Aside from one game against the Sparks, she's played 20-plus minutes in every game since Shepard has been out.
On Thursday, Juhasz has another chance to show what she can do as she faces the same Storm team that she was so good against earlier this week. This is my favorite value play on this slate.
WNBA DFS Picks: Guard
Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm) - vs. MIN - DK: $10,800, FD: $8,400
Loyd hasn't kept up her absurd scoring rate from earlier in the season, but she's still averaging 24.5 points per game, even after she scored a season-low 14 points on 4-for-18 shooting last game against Minnesota.
But the reason I'm coming back to Loyd for this one is that she still took 18 field goal attempts in Tuesday's game. Yes, she shot just 22.2% in that game, but the upside for a huge game was there if she could have just made some more shots.
The Lynx have allowed teams to shoot 44.3% from the floor this season, the third-highest percentage in the league. That should be a good sign for Loyd having a bounce-back game on Thursday, despite her struggles when these teams played a couple of days ago.
Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces) - vs. NY - DK: $9,300, FD: $6,500
The Liberty perimeter defense is still a concern. The team allows the fourth-highest three-point field goal percentage in the WNBA. That should bode well for Vegas' perimeter options in this game.
Of those, I think Plum is the most interesting, largely because she's a little undervalued. She's struggled this year from deep, shooting a career-low 33.8% from behind the arc.
But before her 2-for-9 night from deep last game, Plum had been on a heater, going 13-for-22 from three over a four-game span. That 59% mark from deep is really impressive. If Plum can shoot like this on Thursday night, she's going to have herself a game.
Erica Wheeler (Indiana Fever) - @ PHO - DK: $7,000, FD: $5,900
After some struggles early in the year—she shot under 25% in three of the first four games this season—Wheeler is now showing why the Fever spent big in free agency on the veteran guard.
She enters this game coming off her best scoring effort of the season, scoring 20 points on 7-for-18 shooting in 34 minutes against the Aces. She also added three rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
Wheeler had 17 points and eight assists while shooting 8-for-16 from the floor earlier this month when these two teams last met. Phoenix has allowed the second-most points and most assists per game this season—that's a good sign for the Indiana offense.
