We're days away from the WNBA All-Star game on Sunday, July 10 — and this is your complete look at the star-studded matchup. We'll be making betting predictions on the 2022 WNBA All-Stars so keep reading if you want to make money off this game!
At the moment, major online sportsbooks have yet to post betting odds for the WNBA All-Star matchup. That's likely because the WNBA regular season is still in session. The final game before the All-Star break is Thursday so we anticipate All-Star betting lines to go live shortly after that and well before Sunday's game.
2022 WNBA All-Star Preview
Let's begin our preview of the 2022 WNBA All-Star game with a note about its biggest change. The Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format has been scrapped. Instead, WNBA is using a captain's pick format — which it's used before and what the NBA does nowadays. The two chosen captions were Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson, the latter of whom is the odds-on MVP favorite at top basketball betting sites. Both players received captain status because they had the most fan votes of all players.
However, there will be co-captains and coaches on each side too. Sue Bird joins Stewart and Sylvia Fowles will be paired with Wilson. Both Bird and Fowles, two legends of the league, will be retiring at year's end hence the co-captain status. Becky Hammon, coach of the WNBA-wins-leading Las Vegas Aces, will lead Team Wilson. Team Stewart, on the other hand, will be guided by James Wade, coach of the reigning champion of Chicago Sky.
The first overall pick belonged to Wilson, who chose Chicago's Candace Parker. Here's a look at the full Team Wilson roster:
- A'ja Wilson
- Sylvia Fowles
- Candace Parker
- Kelsey Plum
- Sabrina Ionescu
- Rhyne Howard
- Dearica Hamby
- Courtney Vandersloot
- Ariel Atkins
- Brionna Jones
- Natasha Howard
With her first-round pick, Stewart chose Jackie Young, guard of the Aces. Here's the rest of Team Stewart's roster:
- Breanna Stewart
- Sue Bird
- Jackie Young
- Jonquel Jones
- Jewell Lloyd
- Nneka Ogwumike
- Kahleah Copper
- Skylar Diggins-Smith
- Alyssa Thomas
- Arike Ogunbowale
- Emma Meesseman
WNBA All-Star festivities will be hosted at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois — the home of the defending champs Sky. It marks the first time ever the city of Chicago is hosting the All-Star game. Being at home should aid players like Parker, Copper, and Vandersloot, along with coach Wade.
2022 WNBA All-Star Betting Pick
Alright, it goes without saying: an All-Star game is a bit of a crapshoot — and that goes for any league, not just WNBA. With nothing but "pride" on the line, there's no telling how hard players actually end up competing. Figuring out those pride levels is perhaps our best gauge at making a 2022 WNBA All-Star game pick. In other words, which players are most inclined to play all out?
Potential candidates to stand out will be the first-time All-Stars, which are made up of four players — Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young. First-timers are generally more enthusiastic since they don't suffer from a "been there, done that" mentality. Both Ionescu and Plum are penciled-in starters so you know they'll get plenty of minutes come game-time.
But ya know, we really see the dynamic of Stewart-and-Bird bringing their absolute A-game. Bird, of course, is retiring in a few short months. But what helps Bird out more in the All-Star game compared to the also departing Fowles is she's matched with Seattle Storm teammate, Stewart. That's a legit WNBA title-contending duo that doesn't lack chemistry. We predict that Stewart and Bird bring the rest of the team to their level, which helps Team Stewart pull out the victory.
How To Watch The 2022 WNBA All-Star Game?
The 2022 game marks the 18th-ever All-Star game. For those that want to watch the WNBA All-Star game, you'll need to tune into ABC on July 10. Live coverage begins on the network at 1 pm EST sharp.
If you're a cord-cutter, then you'll need to find a "skinny bundle" streaming package that includes ABC to watch along. Thankfully, there are plenty of options such as fuboTV or Sling TV, among many others.
How To Bet On The 2022 WNBA All-Star Game?
Once odds are posted, you'll be able to bet on the 2022 WNBA All-Star game at one of the underneath sportsbooks. Any one of these sites will have odds available for the game's moneyline, spread, over/under, and perhaps even in-play. Not only that, but the prices will be right in-line with popular Las Vegas casinos so you're not leaving value on the table.
But here's the real kicker: you can leverage a big-money sign-up bonus right now and make all your WNBA bets free of cost. That's because these bonuses range from $500 to $2500 in free play, a whole lot of coin you can stretch far in not just WNBA, but other sports that are ongoing like MLB. The below table lists the best sign-up deals currently available to you so don't miss out!
