The second half of the 2023 WNBA regular season is officially underway after an exciting All-Star weekend in Las Vegas. Fans and bettors alike will be watching to see if the Aces can finish the best record in the league after going 19-2 in the first half. They will also be watching the MVP race, which has seemingly become a two-player race between Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson.
Before the season began, Stewart was +300 to win the MVP and Wilson was +350. However, as we flip the calendar to mid-July, Stewart is now a -300 favorite to win league MVP. The last time the five-time All-Star won WNBA MVP was in 2018 with the Storm when she averaged 21.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. If the Library can keep pace with the Aces and finish with the second-best record in the league, it will be hard for her not to win the award.
Nevertheless, the MVP race is not over, shown by the public placing plenty of wagers on Elena Delle Donne, Alyssa Thomas, and Brittney Griner. Below, we'll look at the updated betting odds for the 2023 WNBA MVP and BetMGM's insights on how the public is wagering on the action as we enter the second half of the WNBA season.
Updated WNBA MVP Odds 2023
Odds courtesy of BetMGM. Click here for more odds and sign up for BetMGM today!
| Player | Odds |
| Breanna Stewart | -300 |
| A'ja Wilson | +350 |
| Alyssa Thomas | +1400 |
| Kelsey Plum | +6600 |
| Jackie Young | +10000 |
| Elena Delle Donne | +12500 |
| Sabrina Ionescu | +12500 |
| Nneka Ogwumike | +12500 |
| Rhyne Howard | +15000 |
| Arike Ogunbowale | +15000 |
| Brittney Griner | +20000 |
| Naphessa Collier | +20000 |
| Aliyah Boston | +20000 |
| DeWanna Bonner | +20000 |
| Kahleah Copper | +20000 |
| Jonquel Jones | +25000 |
| Kelsey Mitchell | +25000 |
| Chelsea Gray | +25000 |
Stewart's odds to win MVP opened up at +300 before the regular season began and now sit at -300, which doesn't come as a surprise as she's been outstanding in her first season with the New York. The versatile forward is averaging career highs across the board in points (23.1), rebounds (9.8), and assists (4.1). She's also shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three-point range.
Stewart has had two 40-point performances this season -- two more than what she did in 2018 when she won her first MVP. That year, Stewart had five games with 30-plus points after scoring 21.8 points per game on 52.9 percent shooting from the field and 41.5 percent from beyond the arc. For Stewart to win her second MVP, she needs to continue on the pace that she's currently on. The 28-year-old superstar leads the league in rebounding and is ranked second in scoring behind Jewell Loyd (25.7). She also has the fourth-best defensive rating in the WNBA (95.1) and the second-best PER (29.1).
That said, at -300 odds, there's no value in betting on Stewart. Alyssa Thomas, who opened the season at +3000 to win the MVP, still has some value at +14,00 as the Sun are still a title threat and one of the only teams to defeat the Aces this season.
The four-time All-Star forward has been one of the best all-around players in the WNBA this season, averaging 14.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game. Thomas has four triple-doubles this season, which is the most in WNBA history, and the most triple-doubles (6) in a single career. The vet doesn't put up gaudy scoring numbers like Stewart or A'ja Wilson, but she impacts the game in multiple ways for a Sun team that lost Brionna Jones earlier this season.
WNBA MVP Odds 2023: BetMGM Market Report
| Player | Odds | Ticket% | Handle% |
| Elena Delle Donne | +12500 | 18% | 18.7% |
| Alyssa Thomas | +1400 | 15% | 20.2% |
| Brittney Griner | +20000 | 15% | 6.6% |
| Breanna Stewart | -300 | 14.2% | 31.8% |
| A'ja Wilson | +350 | 9.4% | 11% |
| Jackie Young | +10000 | 6% | 3.5% |
| Nneka Ogwumike | +12500 | 5.6% | 3.1% |
| Aliyah Boston | +20000 | 3.4% | 1.4% |
| Sabrina Ionescu | +12500 | 2.6% | 0.6% |
| Kelsey Plum | +6600 | 2.1% | 0.7% |
| Chelsea Gray | +25000 | 1.7% | 0.3% |
| Arike Ogunbowale | +15000 | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Jonquel Jones | +25000 | 1.3% | 0.2% |
| Rhyne Howard | +15000 | 0.9% | 0.4% |
| Napheesa Collier | +20000 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Kahleah Copper | +20000 | 0.4% | 0.0% |
| DeWanna Bonner | +20000 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Kelsey Mitchell | +25000 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Even though Stewart is the odds-on favorite to win the league MVP, she's not getting the most tickets from bettors, as that honor goes to Mystics star Elena Delle Donne. Delle Donne, who is a long shot to win MVP this season, is receiving 18 percent of the tickets and is one of BetMGM's biggest liabilities. However, Stewart has the highest-handle percentage (31.8) to win MVP, the next closest player is Thomas (20.2).
After Delle Donne, Griner and Thomas have the second-highest ticket percentages (15) to win MVP. It does not come as a shock to see Griner with a lot of tickets after missing all of last season. The eight-time All-Star has been excellent for the Mercury, averaging 19.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. However, Phoenix has one of the worst records in the league (5-15), which hurts her candidacy.
Lastly, we have to discuss the reigning MVP A'ja Wilson, who has the second-best odds behind Stewart but the fifth-highest ticket percentage (9.4). Wilson has picked up where she left off last season, putting up strikingly similar numbers. She recorded 19.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 2022. This season, the 26-year-old superstar is averaging 19.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game and has the Aces with a league-best 19-2 record.
Granted, some detractors could say that Wilson isn't doing it by herself, as she has a great team surrounding her, which is true. However, the gap between her and Stewart shouldn't be as far as it is based on Wilson's and Aces' success. At +350 odds, bettors wouldn't be wrong to wager on Wilson to win their third MVP, putting her in elite company.
