WNBA championship odds: Bettors banking on Clark to carry Fever to title
Odds and data via theScore Bet and ESPN Bet
The most successful WNBA regular season in the league's 28-year history is in the books. Caitlin Clark's emergence and the hype surrounding her led to the league's highest-ever ratings and attendance.
The WNBA needs to carry that momentum throughout the playoffs as it competes with the NFL and college football powerhouses, and it helps that Clark's Indiana Fever earned the No. 6 seed in the playoffs, which begin Sunday.
Clark's career didn't start smoothly. Beyond the increased physicality she received around the league, the Iowa legend struggled at the beginning of the season as Indiana began 1-8. But the Fever finished the season 20-20 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Clark has been one of the league's best players over the last few months, breaking the rookie single-season record for 3-pointers and the single-season assists record. She'll undoubtedly win Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile, Indiana broke the WNBA attendance record.
But can Clark silence the doubters by winning the championship in her first year? Let's see what the odds say and who's favored to take the crown.
WNBA Championship odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| New York Liberty | +130 |
| Las Vegas Aces | +250 |
| Minnesota Lynx | +350 |
| Connecticut Sun | +750 |
| Indiana Fever | +2000 |
| Seattle Storm | +3000 |
| Phoenix Mercury | +125000 |
| Atlanta Dream | +25000 |
Oddsmakers give the Fever a 4% chance of winning the championship, and Indiana's impressive climb up the oddsboard and standings is garnering attention from bettors.
The Fever were out of the playoff picture and 125-1 to win the championship on July 11. Their odds have lowered to 20-1 two months later. Since Sept. 1, Indiana has attracted 74% of the money wagered and 66% of total bets to win the title at theScore Bet and ESPN Bet. The Las Vegas Aces have the second-most action with 7% of bets and money wagered.
The 6-seed Fever will play the 3-seed Connecticut Sun in the first round. The Fever are slight underdogs in the best-of-three series. Indiana is +150, while Connecticut is -175. The Sun won three of four regular-season contests, but the Fever won the most recent matchup in late August. The other three came before Clark and the Fever flipped the script on their season.
Clark's 19.2 points per game were the WNBA's seventh-highest mark, and she led the league in assists and 3-point makes. But those weren't the only contributions that sparked the Fever's turnaround. Kelsey Mitchell averaged 19.2 points, while former No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston ranked seventh in the league in rebounds with just under nine per game.
The New York Liberty have the WNBA's best record and are the favorites to lift the trophy after losing in the Finals last season. Led by Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, the Liberty went 37-7 and will play the Atlanta Dream in the opening round as massive -2500 favorites.
The back-to-back defending champion Aces are the 4-seed but still have the second-best odds with 2023 Finals MVP and presumptive 2024 MVP A'ja Wilson leading the way. The Aces earned a matchup against the Seattle Storm and are -450 favorites to win the series.
The Minnesota Lynx are the 3-seed and will play the 6-seed Phoenix Mercury to round out the first-round clashes. The Lynx are -900 favorites.
Eight of the 12 WNBA teams qualified for the postseason. After the first round's best-of-three format, the rest of the postseason will involve a best-of-five series.
The worst outcome for sportsbooks would be if the Fever won the title and the influx of bettors Clark brought to the sport cash their tickets. Clark's journey to lead her team to the hardware begins Sunday.
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.