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Read Full BioAn Instagram tipster has defended his strategy of recommending bets based on WNBA players’ menstrual cycles. The account Fademebets, which provides WNBA, NFL, and other major sports betting tips, has 29,000 followers on the social media platform.
In one series, the account gives tips titled “Period Cycle Betting.” His latest tip was for Aliyah Boston to score fewer than 13.5 points because she is in her “late luteal phase”.
The Instagrammer, who appears in a ski mask and ski goggles to conceal his identity, starts his post by saying, “period cycle betting, we got a victim.” He goes on to say that she has “decreased strength and a decreased cardiovascular system.”
Boston recorded 12 points in the game between the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces to make the bet a winner. In total, he has made 17 predictions based on his period betting cycle tactic, and claims the correct prediction on Boston gives him a 13-4 winning record.
No Such Thing as Bad Publicity for WNBA?
Fademebets defended his tactic, saying it brought attention to the WNBA and could potentially increase the number of viewers. Speaking to Wired, he stated, “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.”
Whether the WNBA appreciates fans brought to the sport by such a method is questionable. It follows the league gaining attention when sex toys were thrown on the court during matches in August. This sparked markets on the prediction market platform Polymarket, where users could predict whether or not a sex toy would appear.
In response, Chicago Sky player Elizabeth Williams said, “It’s super disrespectful. I don’t really get the point of it. It’s really immature. Whoever is doing it needs to grow up.”
Method Not Based on Science, Admits Tipster
The anonymous tipster admitted that his method is not based on science but rather on observing players’ performance trends to predict when their menstrual cycle may occur.
His theory involves examining WNBA players’ field goal percentage and their plus/minus, a statistic that shows how much a team’s score increased or decreased while a player was on the court. He also analyzes their WNBA history and even their college careers, tracking stats over the course of a 24 to 38-day menstrual cycle.
He then examines the highs and lows throughout the month-long cycle, assuming that if a player misses many baskets, she could be in the late luteal phase of her period. However, he has never directly asked players about their menstrual cycles.
The end of the WNBA season on Saturday means he will have to find a different niche for predictions over the coming months.
