Betting on Menstrual Cycles: A Controversial Trend in WNBA Gambling

As the WNBA season concludes with the finals featuring the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury, a controversial betting trend has emerged, where gamblers are making wagers based on players' menstrual cycles. This practice has gained traction among some bettors, who claim to predict player performance by analyzing their menstrual phases, a method criticized for its pseudoscientific basis and inherent sexism.

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The current WNBA season has seen unprecedented growth, with attendance surpassing 2.5 million and a surge in viewership, particularly among male audiences. High-profile players like Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and Caitlin Clark have become household names, contributing to the league's visibility and popularity. This increased interest has coincided with the rise of sports gambling, leading some bettors to adopt unconventional strategies, including those based on menstrual cycles.

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A prominent figure in this betting trend is an anonymous bettor known as FadeMeBets, who has gained a following on social media for his predictions related to players' menstrual cycles. He claims an accuracy rate of approximately 68.75% in his predictions, which he shares through videos that often begin with the phrase, “We’ve got a victim, boys.” FadeMeBets analyzes players' historical performance metrics, such as field goal percentage and plus/minus statistics, to support his betting strategies.

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Experts, including sports medicine physician Amy West, have criticized this betting practice as not only scientifically unfounded but also sexist. West emphasizes that menstrual cycles vary significantly among individuals and cannot be reliably predicted by outsiders. She argues that the notion of predicting performance based on menstrual phases is reductive and undermines the complexity of women's health.

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While the WNBA has not issued a formal statement regarding this betting trend, the league's increasing visibility has sparked discussions about the implications of such practices. Critics argue that while the trend may draw attention to the league, it does so in a manner that objectifies female athletes and trivializes their performance based on biological factors.

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As the WNBA continues to grow, the intersection of sports betting and women's athletics will likely remain a topic of debate. The ongoing discussions about the appropriateness of betting strategies that rely on personal aspects of athletes' lives may prompt further scrutiny from both fans and industry stakeholders.

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• “Not every woman is the same. Yes, there's the traditional 28-day cycle, but everyone's is different, and it varies person to person, month by month,” — Amy West, Sports Medicine Physician

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• “What's kind of good, but also kind of bad, is it brings more people to watch the WNBA, but, on the downside of that, it's usually just all gamblers,” — FadeMeBets, Anonymous Bettor

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