A new season of the WNBA means a fresh, young crop of talent coming to the courts. It's time to look at what rookies are expected to impress in the league's first-ever 40-game season.
Twelve teams continue their battle to win the championship, and the worst of the previous season hope a budding star can help bring them there.
Who is favored to win the 2023 wNBA Rookie of the year?
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Aliyah Boston (Indiana) | -200 |
| Diamond Miller (Minnesota) | +225 |
| Maddy Siegrist (Dallas) | +750 |
| Haley Jones (Atlanta) | +3000 |
| Grace Berger (Indiana) | +3000 |
| Zia Cooke (Los Angeles) | +3000 |
| Lou Lopez Senechal (Dallas) | +4000 |
| Laeticia Amihere (Atlanta) | +4500 |
| Jordan Horston (Seattle) | +4500 |
| Maia Hirsch (Minnesota) | +10000 |
Odds as of May 18
Aliyah Boston A heavy early-season favorite
Being the first overall draft pick will definitely score you some credit with the oddsmakers. But, eyes have been on Boston for the last couple of years. And here's why:
The Indiana Fever selected South Carolina star Aliyah Boston with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA draft on Monday evening.
— The Black Wall Street Times (@TheBWSTimes) May 15, 2023
https://t.co/UTTxjT8A5X
The South Carolina Gamecock is the definition of a well-rounded player. She can sink baskets, averaging 13 points and 9.8 rebounds per game last season. Riding with South Carolina on its previous 42-game undefeated reign, she shot a shining 54.8 percent from the field. Mind you, those are numbers she put up while being heavily covered by her college opponents.
Boston is just as brute defensively as she is offensively. In her last two seasons in the NCAA, she was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.
A reliable two-way player like Boston is exactly what the Indiana Fever, who finished last year with a depressing five wins, heading into a fresh start. Maybe Boston is the saving grace to put them in a playoff position for the first time since 2016, if that's the case, she's a shoo-in for the award.
Aliyah Boston with the big post move. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/sxmu6p0r8N
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 13, 2023
maddy Siegrist's Offensive Skills To Soar With Wings (+750)
The Villanova product made sure to have one heck of a season before entering the 2023 draft. Siegrist averaged 29.2 points, the most in the nation before falling in the Sweet 16 of the Women's March Madness.
And it wasn't a fluke. Siegrist went on a 37-game streak of dropping at least 20 points in her final season in the NCAA. It broke the record to become the century's longest streak held by any women's (and men's!) D1 basketball player.
HISTORY FOR MADDY SIEGRIST 👏
— ESPN (@espn) January 21, 2023
She is now the all-time leading scorer in Villanova basketball history‼️ #ThatsaW pic.twitter.com/v5rwBhSdrx
Yeah, those are some pretty promising traits. That same level will be harder to achieve with Dallas, but we'll see how Siegrist fares with the Wings on her back.
Value pick: Zia Cooke (+3000)
Maybe I'm biased with the South Carolina gals because I was going feral rooting for the Gamecocks this year. I mean, before they fell to Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four.
You can't deny greatness from anyone that was a crucial member of a group that ranked No. 1 for 36 consecutive weeks.
The Ohio native was hot from the jump in her college career, starting in 33 games in her freshman season. She was a part of the All-SEC in three years and averaged 15.4 points per game. Drafted 10th overall by the Sparks, this is a promising longshot bet at +3000.
Zia Cooke in her 1st Preseason game:
— Women’s Hoopz (@WBBWorldWide) May 13, 2023
12 PTS | 3 REB | 2 AST | 50% FG
The LA Sparks defeat the Phoenix Mercury 90-71! #WNBA | @LASparks pic.twitter.com/LfX04JkUdT
Last 10 wNBA Rookie of the year winners
| Year | Player |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Rhyne Howard (Atlanta) |
| 2021 | Michaela Onyenwere (New York) |
| 2020 | Crystal Dangerfield (Minnesota) |
| 2019 | Napheesa Collier (Minnesota) |
| 2018 | A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas) |
| 2017 | Allisha Gray (Dallas) |
| 2016 | Breanna Stewart (Seattle) |
| 2015 | Jewell Loyd (Seattle) |
| 2014 | Chiney Ogwumike (Connecticut) |
| 2013 | Elena Delle Donne (Chicago) |
How To Read WNBA Rookie Of The Year Odds
Online sportsbooks will list WNBA Rookie Of The Year odds to look would look similar to this:
- Aliyah Boston -200
- Diamond Miller +225
- Maddy Siegrist +750
The minus sign (-) indicates who the odds consider the favorite. In this case, it’s the Indiana Fevers Aliyah Boston at -200. Every other player who’s listed is considered an underdog.
If you believe Boston will win the WNBA Rookie Of The Year and you bet $100 and it happens, you would win $150 according to our Odds Calculator – your $100 is returned and you would gain $50 in profit.
And you’ve never bet on WNBA basketball before, no sweat! Check out our How To Bet WNBA guide to get you up to speed.
