The Final Four is a distant memory and the NBA playoffs will be over before we know it. That means no basketball to bet on for those basketball action junkies for a few months until the NBA gets going again. Or does it? An increasing number of players are looking towards the WNBA to fill the gap. Seriously. Better yet, many bettors are finding that the league is a profitable place to play.

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Gerry Umana from Bodog says that his company has seen both the handle and the number of bets on the WNBA grow by 60 percent per year on average since 2003. They're expecting it to go up another 60-75 percent this year. The increased TV coverage that the WNBA is getting, player's presence and participation at the NBA All-Star weekend and the added attention that some of the players are getting in the media are all pointed to by Umana as factors contributing to the growth.

One of the main reasons that many bettors stick with the WNBA after they try it is the consistency. Chew on this, for example. There were seven series in the 2005 WNBA playoffs. Five of them were won by the higher ranked team in a sweep. There are teams that are consistently good, and teams that are consistently bad, and the good teams usually beat the bad teams. Connecticut, the best team in the league, never lost to a non-playoff team all season. Consistency is nothing for bettors to complain about.

Since there are only 13 teams in the league, the sportsbooks keep the action simple. Bodog, for example, only offers Sides and Totals. The small league also means that lines are volatile, opening up more opportunities for profit for the astute player. The only downside for heavy bettors is that limits are fairly low. Because of the strength of the line and projected profit, Bodog limits bets to $500.

The WNBA presents some very juicy opportunities when compared to the NBA. The two finalists in the NBA, Detroit and San Antonio, finished the season a combined 112-96 against the spread. That's a 53.8 percent winning percentage if you bet both teams straight up to win. In contrast, the WNBA finalists, Sacramento and Connecticut, went 54-27 against the spread, or 66.7 percent wins. Connecticut has been over 60 percent two years in a row. Like I said, the best teams in the WNBA win and win consistently.

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Umana, when asked, offered another thought on playing the WNBA. "As far as betting, especially on point spreads, there's a rule written on stone that says 'Home Dogs are very strong'. With a little research and analysis, a bettor might find some value with this rule.…." Is it just me, or do all those dots get the curiosity flowing just a bit?

Of course, it's not as easy as placing a bet and collecting your profits. You have to know the league and do your homework to know which opportunities are attractive and which you should stay away from. You might even have to watch a game or two. That's up to you. The preseason kicks off this week. I can't do your research for you, but here's a league primer to get you started:

2005 League Standings

Western Conference

Sacramento Monarchs	25-9
Seattle Storm	20-14
Houston Comets	19-15
L.A. Sparks	17-17
Phoenix Mercury	16-18
Minnesota Lynx	14-20
San Antonio Silver Stars	7-27

The Chicago Sky will be entering the league as an expansion team this season.

Top offense was Seattle with 73.5 points per game (the league has played 20 minute halves, but will switch to 10 minute quarters this year to promote scoring).

Top defense was Sacramento, with 61.6 points per game.

There are some familiar names coaching in the league, including Muggsy Bogues in Charlotte, Brian Winters in Indiana and Bill Laimbeer in Detroit.

The leading scorer was Sheryl Swoopes of Houston with 18.6 points per game, followed by Lauren Jackson of Seattle and Chamique Holdsclaw of L.A. Swoopes was also on the all-defensive team and was the league MVP. College superstar Diana Taurasi of Duke, and now Phoenix, was fourth in scoring in just her second year in the league.

The 10th anniversary regular season kicks off on May 20. ABC will broadcast Sacramento's first game on that day when the Monarchs will raise the championship banner.

The season ends on August 13. Each team plays 34 games. The top four teams in each conference make the playoffs.

Sacramento had the best home record at 15-2, followed by Connecticut, Indiana and Seattle at 14-3. Only Connecticut at 12-5 and Sacramento at 10-7 had winning records on the road.