The Liberty made the biggest splash in WNBA free agency, as superstar forward Breanna Stewart announced on Twitter Wednesday that she's heading to New York. We don't have specifics on the deal she'll sign with the Liberty, but this move has shaken up the betting odds for the WNBA Finals this upcoming season.
— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) February 1, 2023
Earlier this offseason, the Liberty added another former MVP Jonquel Jones in a trade from Connecticut to bolster their frontcourt. Now with Stewart, they are one of the favorites to win the title after losing in the first round to the Sky last season.
Below, we’ll look at how FanDuel's WNBA Championship odds changed after Stewart decided to join the Liberty.
All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
2023 Liberty WNBA Championship odds: Before signing Breanna Stewart
| Liberty odds to win 2023 WNBA Championship: 01/20/23 | +440 |
After acquiring Jones from the Sun, the Liberty had the second-best odds (+440) behind the Aces to win the 2023 WNBA title. New York played well last season under Sandy Brondello, who was the head coach of the Mercury for eight seasons. Sabrina Ionescu led the way, averaging 17.4, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. Former No. 1 overall pick, Natasha Howard, Betnijah Laney, and co. helped New York finish the regular season with a 16-20 record and punch their ticket into the postseason.
The Liberty gave the defending champion Sky everything they could handle in the first round, taking them to a decisive Game 3. However, the Sky would win decisively on their home floor 90-72 to advance to the semifinals against the Sun.
2023 Liberty WNBA Championship odds: After signing Breanna Stewart
| Liberty odds to win 2023 WNBA Championship: 2/1/23 | +150 |
To no one's surprise, the Liberty saw their WNBA title odds quickly improve again with Stewart announcing that she's coming to the Big Apple. New York is still second behind the Aces (+135), but they have closed the gap (+150).
However, the Liberty could further shorten the gap between them and the Aces if they can add free-agent point guard Courtney Vandersloot. ESPN's Ramona Shelbourne reported last month that Vandersloot's free agency is expected to factor into Stewart's decision. Vandersloot was reportedly expected to meet with the Sky, Lynx, Liberty, and Storm. The veteran point guard plays on the same overseas team as Stewart and is expected to announce her decision this week, per Shelbourne.
A potential lineup of Jones, Stewart, Laney, Ionescu, and Vandersloot could rival the Aces' outstanding starting five that could feature A'ja Wilson, Candace Parker, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, and Chelsea Gray. Stewart has proven that she's one of the best players in the world and has two WNBA title championships to back it up with the Storm. The four-time All-Star is averaging 20.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game over her career and is coming off a tremendous 2022 where she had 21.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
Finally, with Stewart leaving the Pacific Northwest, the Storm saw their WNBA title odds drop from +1100 to +3000 as they start a new era of Seattle basketball with Jewell Loyd. It will be interesting to see how the Storm build around Loyd, as they don't have their two pillars leading the way in Stewart and Sue Bird (retired).
Betting advice: As of right now, there's no value to bet on Liberty to win the title at +150 odds. The best shot to bet on New York was last month when their odds were fluctuating between +600-+440. New York is making it clear that they want to win and that the Aces will have their hands full if they meet up in a potential WNBA Finals matchup. Nevertheless, if this Liberty squad were to start the regular season off slow, we could see their odds drop, giving bettors some value.
