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WNBA bets and fantasy picks: Two Sky stars set to shine

Each night, our team of fantasy and betting experts will break down every game on the WNBA slate, making note of everything from injuries and lineup changes to recent trends and more.

Here's what to look for tonight:

What you need to know for Wednesday's games

There are two games on tap for the second night of the WNBA season, with the Chicago Sky facing the Dallas Wings and the Atlanta Dream opening their season against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Both games feature one team led by a young MVP candidate against an opponent that took two high-profile rookies in this year's draft. History gives us some idea of what to expect from Arike Ogunbowale and Rhyne Howard, but all eyes will be on the WNBA debuts of Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson and Angel Reese.

Wednesday's Fantasy Stream Team

Diamond DeShields, G, Chicago Sky (available in 52.1% of ESPN leagues)

DeShields missed all of last season with a knee injury but is in the starting lineup for the Sky this season and has a history of producing strong numbers. She has averaged 12.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.7 3PG and 0.5 BPG in 24.8 MPG over her five-year career.

Aerial Powers, G, Atlanta Dream (available in 78.6% of ESPN leagues)

Powers joined the Dream in the offseason after falling out of the starting lineup and rotation for the Lynx last season. In the previous three seasons, two with the Lynx and one with the Mystics, Powers averaged 14.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 3PG in 26.0 MPG. Powers projects to a bench role for the Dream this season, but played well in the preseason with two-game averages of 9.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG and 1.5 3PG in only 19.0 MPG.

Picks, Projections and Injury Reports

Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. All odds are provided by ESPN BET.


Chicago Sky at Dallas Wings
8 p.m. ET, College Park Center, Arlington


Line: Wings -8.5
Money line: Sky (+350), Wings (-460)
Total: 161.5 points

BPI prediction:
Wings: 65.7% chance to win.
Projected margin of victory: 4.5 points

Injury report
Sky: Isabelle Harrison (Out), Kamilla Cardoso (Out)
Wings: Jaelyn Brown (Day-To-Day), Satou Sabally (Out)

Best bet: Arike Ogunbowale over 20.5 points (-130). Ogunbowale is one of the most explosive scorers in the WNBA, coming off a season where she averaged 21.2 PPG (fifth in the league). She scored more than 20.5 points in 23 of the 40 games she played last season, including the first four games of the campaign. The Sky enter this season tied (with Chicago) for the third worst defensive BPI score in the league, so Ogunbowale should get plenty of chances to score.

Best bet: Angel Reese over 12.5 points (-110). Reese scored 13 points in both of her preseason appearances, averaging 13 PPG in 21.5 MPG. Reese is starting for the Sky on Wednesday night with fellow rookie Kamilla Cardoso out. She will be facing a Wings defense that is tied for the third worst defensive BPI score in the league entering the season.


Atlanta Dream at Los Angeles Sparks
10 p.m. ET, Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles


Line: Dream -5.5
Money line: Dream (-225), Sparks (+185)
Total: 160.5 points

BPI prediction:
Dream: 53.9% chance to win.
Projected margin of victory: 1.1 points

Injury report
Dream: Jordin Canada (Day-To-Day), Lorela Cubaj (Day-To-Day)
Sparks: Azura Stevens (Out)

Best bet: Rhyne Howard over 2.5 total 3s made (-140): Howard has averaged exactly 2.5 3PG in each of her past two WNBA seasons, but she increased that pace down the stretch with three or more 3-pointers in nine of her past 14 games last season. Howard was particularly prolific from deep against the Sparks last season, averaging 4.3 3PG on 51.5 3P% in four head-to-head meetings.