Betting WNBA Futures: Where Clark, Bueckers fit in MVP, RoY race

Entering the season, Caitlin Clark was the odds-on favourite to triumph the WNBA MVP award. Her wounded this week changed the dynamic of respective WNBA futures races, starting with the MVP -- wherever we person a caller odds-on favorite.

Let's instrumentality a look astatine the existent authorities of the MVP and Rookie of the Year races, astatine the favorites, the contenders and the longshots to place wherever the champion betting worth lies.

Most Valuable Player

Leader: Napheesa Collier (-275)
In the hunt: Caitlin Clark (+400), A'ja Wilson (+1000)
Longshots of interest: Breanna Stewart (+6000), Kelsey Plum (+6000), Alyssa Thomas (10,000)

Collier has taken implicit arsenic the dense favourite to triumph the MVP award, astatine -275. The Lynx, past season's WNBA Finals runner-up, are tied with the defending champion Liberty for the champion grounds successful the WNBA arsenic the past 2 undefeated teams. Collier, the defending Defensive Player of the Year, is starring the WNBA successful scoring astatine 26.8 PPG and is besides top-10 successful rebounding (10th, 7.8 RPG), blocks (fifth, 1.4 BPG) and steals (fourth, 2.4 SPG).

Clark inactive has the second-shortest odds, adjacent with her injury. The archetypal estimation is that she's retired astatine slightest 2 weeks, which would beryllium astir 4 to six games out, oregon astir 10% - 15% of the season. Clark would inactive person the accidental to get backmost successful the contention with that overmuch clip off, peculiarly if the squad is capable to enactment successful contention portion she's out. Team grounds is simply a large origin successful MVP vote, successful summation to idiosyncratic stats. Clark leads the WNBA with 9.3 APG, is top-10 successful some steals and blocks and is top-25 successful rebounds.

Wilson, the three-time and reigning WNBA MVP, is the champion worth connected the committee astatine +1000. She was the runaway victor past season, and adjacent with a comparatively dilatory commencement to the play she inactive leads the league with 2.3 BPG, is top-5 successful some scoring (fourth) and rebounds (second), is top-10 successful steals and 15th successful assists. The Aces are 2-2 arsenic they set to their caller lineup, but they task to settee retired arsenic 1 of the champion teams successful the league. Wilson volition precise apt propulsion for the league pb successful aggregate categories again this season, arsenic she did past year. Being capable to get 10-to-1 likelihood connected Wilson for MVP seems astir excessively bully to beryllium true.

Stewart, Plum and Thomas each person arguments to beryllium successful the MVP race. But 1 subordinate that apt should beryllium mentioned, and isn't adjacent listed connected the likelihood board, is Jonquel Jones. The 2021 MVP is disconnected to an outstanding commencement for the Liberty and is the team's second-leading scorer with 16.8 PPG. She ranks top-10 successful the league successful some rebounds (seventh) and blocks (third). If the Liberty stay connected apical of the league with Jones starring the way, she volition apt participate the MVP speech earlier the play ends.

Rookie of the Year

Leader: Paige Bueckers (-700)
In the hunt: Sonia Citron (+800)
Longshots of interest: Janelle Salaun (+1500), Kiki Iriafen (+1800)

Bueckers is the overwhelming favourite to triumph Rookie of the Year and has agelong been considered a generational prospect. In summation to the expectations, she had coming into the play arsenic the No.1 wide pick, the immense bulk of bettors person enactment wealth connected her to win. She is disconnected to a coagulated commencement to the season, starring each rookies with 6.7 APG and 2nd successful scoring, steals and blocks.

Citron, the 3rd wide pick, is disconnected to a beardown commencement to her rookie year. She leads each first-year players with 15.0 PPG portion shooting 50.8% from the tract and 40.0% from down the arc. Her beardown play, on with chap rookie Kiki Iriafen, has helped the rebuilding Mystics get disconnected to a .500 start. Iriafen is starring each rookies with 10.7 RPG (the third-best people successful the WNBA) and is the lone rookie averaging a double-double with 14.2 PPG arsenic well.

Salaun is simply a astonishment longshot who wasn't adjacent listed connected the likelihood committee astatine the opening of the season. She was undrafted successful 2025 and signed with the Golden State Valkyrie. She presently leads each rookies successful 3PG (2.8) and ranks 2nd successful RPG (7.8) RPG and PPG (13.8).

While I hold Bueckers should beryllium the favourite to win, it is an unfortunate world that an wounded could alteration the contention successful a hurry. Citron, Iriafen and Salaun are each presently putting unneurotic rookie seasons that tin legitimately situation Bueckers. There's nary crushed to stake connected Bueckers to triumph astatine -700 ($70 to triumph $10), truthful I'd accidental Iriafen offers the champion worth connected the committee close now, with 18-1 odds.