Tag: Indiana Fever

2022 WNBA Draft Recap: 5 under-the-radar picks that you should be excited about

Looking at five of the most under-the-radar picks of the 2022 WNBA Draft.

Monday night’s 2022 WNBA Draft was a doozy.

It was the first in-person draft since 2019 (pre-pandemic) and the hype around the event didn’t disappoint. Thirty-six players came off the board — some predictable, others not so much. And now that the dust has settled, I’m ready to talk about some of the picks outside of the Top 3 that could potentially be big in the long run.

Let’s run through a list of my five favorite picks of the W’s 2022 draft and break down what has me excited about these rookies’ potential fits on their new teams.

All odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook.

WNBA Draft 2022: Top picks Rhyne Howard, NaLyssa Smith and Shakira Austin lead league’s next generation of stars

The top 3 picks in the 2022 WNBA Draft are ready for their moment.

Just over a week after the women’s college basketball season ended, the sport’s top players quickly transitioned from their universities and made their way to New York for Monday’s 2022 WNBA Draft.

At the top of the board, a few names fell exactly as they were projected. Atlanta, Indiana and Washington swung high with the top three picks of the draft and landed players that will immediately play a role in boosting these teams back to their winning ways while potentially changing their franchises in the years to come.

Here are your top three picks of the 2022 WNBA draft.

All odds via Tipico Sportsbook

Watch Kysre Gondrezick absolutely lose it after being picked 4th in the WNBA draft

She was so happy.

Being drafted into a professional sports league has to be up there with some of the most important moments of your life.

For so many of these athletes, they’ve worked their entire lives just to get to this moment. Actually accomplishing it has to be one of the best feelings ever.

It’s clear that for West Virginia’s Kysre Gondrezick, that was absolutely the case.

She was picked 4th in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever during Thursday night’s draft and she was absolutely overcome by joy and excitement. Before they could finish saying her name on the broadcast she was screaming.

It was such an incredible moment to watch.

What a moment. And it’s a well-deserved one, too. Congrats to Gondrezick.

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Indiana Fever vs. Washington Mystics odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Indiana Fever vs. Washington Mystics match up, with WNBA betting odds, picks and best bets.

The Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics get their WNBA regular season underway Saturday at 5 p.m. ET at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., in the league’s bubble site, or “Wubble” – which the players have been calling it. We analyze the Fever-Mystics WNBA betting odds and lines, with betting advice and tips around the matchup.

The Mystics embark on defense of their crown, and the WNBA champs can partially thank the Fever for their recent success. Winning the Eastern Conference by three games last season, Washington can point to its 3-0 straight-up record vs. Indiana, while going 1-1-1 against the spread (ATS) in those contests.

Fever vs. Mystics: By the Numbers

  • Since the start of the 2017 WNBA regular season the Mystics have rattled off 10 consecutive victories over the Fever, going 6-3-1 ATS. The average margin of victory in last season’s three-game regular season sweep was 19.7 points per game, even with one battle decided in overtime.
  • Seven of the past eight in this series have ended up going Over, and Washington has scored 82 or more points in seven of those outings. The Mystics averaged a gaudy 97.7 PPG in the three meetings in 2019.
  • The Mystics (+250) are listed as the favorites to repeat as WNBA champions. The Fever (+4000) are long shots to win it all – only the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings (+6600 each) have longer odds.

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Fever vs. Mystics: Key injuries

Fever

  • F Lauren Cox is out. She arrived Thursday evening to the bubble, and players have to quarantine in their rooms for four days after arrival.

Mystics

  • F Tina Charles was deemed a high-risk individual by the league’s independent doctors and received a medical waiver, opting out for the season.
  • C Elena Delle Donne, the 2019 MVP, has been battling the after-effects of Lyme disease for several years and did not receive a medical waiver, but she is not expected to play.
  • F LaToya Sanders also elected to opt out due to health reasons.
  • G Natasha Cloud elected to skip the 2020 season, focusing on social justice instead.

Fever vs. Mystics: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

WNBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Saturday at 10:35 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Mystics 87, Fever 78

Moneyline (ML)

The MYSTICS (-133) are missing some of their big guns, but they’ll still have enough to upend the Fever (+110) in the opener. The defending champs aren’t losing this one.

Against the spread (ATS)

The spread is -1.5 for WASHINGTON (-110). Perhaps this one is close at halftime and into the third quarter, but look for the Mystics to pull away from Indiana (+1.5, -110) late.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 162.5 (-120) has hit in each of the three meetings last season, and seven of the past eight in this series. Even without Charles, Cloud and Delle Donne on the floor, the Mystics have a powerful offense. They won’t erupt for the 97.7 PPG they averaged in three games against the Fever last season, but Washington will do enough for the win and an Over result.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Natalie Achonwa Named Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award Winner

Indiana Fever forward and former Notre Dame captain Natalie Achonwa has won this year’s Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award.

Indiana Fever forward and former Notre Dame captain Natalie Achonwa has won this year’s Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award. The award, of which Achonwa was announced as the winner Friday, goes to a player who has shown great community leadership. Achonwa continued to show leadership in the statement she released after the announcement:

“It is important for me to optimize the benefits and privileges I receive from being a professional athlete. A big piece of that is using the platform I’m awarded to connect with people, promote a level playing field, and inspire others to make positive change.

Through the ups and downs of my own personal journey, I have found that it is the little things that make the biggest difference. If we all focus on challenging the status quo of our own circles, and build from there, we can tackle the world and keep moving forward.”

On the Fever’s Twitter account, Irish coaches past and present were only too pleased to have the opportunity to congratulate their friend:

Achonowa spoke at Indianapolis Public Schools during March to talk about mental health and ending the stigma. In 2019, she won the WNBA Community Assist Award for raising awareness of similar issues. For her latest award, the WNBA will make a $10,000 donation in her name to the Madame Walker Legacy Center.