Trent Reinsmith
The 2022 World Surfing League women’s season ended with Stephanie Gilmore winning her record eighth women’s championship title. The 34-year-old Australian had an up-and-down run during most of the season and when the cut came for the top five women to participate in the 2022 WSL Finals, Gilmore was fifth in points with 46,370, far behind the leader for the year, Carissa Moore of Hawaii. Gilmore’s win at the 2022 WSL Finals was her first championship since 2018. She finished in fifth place in 2021 at the Finals.
The 2023 WSL Championship Tour schedule starts in January with the Billabong Pro Pipeline in Hawaii. The season runs through September. ending with the Rip Curl WSL Finals at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California.
Gilmore has not won back-to-back championships since she won four straight between 2007-2010.
Before we look at the pick to win the overall 2023 Women’s WSL Surf League Championship, check out our sportsbooks guide to get started on making the best WSL bets, and while you’re at it, take a look at the best sports betting apps and mobile options.
2023 WSL Women’s Championship picks
| To Win 2023 WSL Women's Championship |  |
| Carissa Moore | +225 |
| Stephanie Gilmore | +450 |
| Tatiana Weston-Webb | +450 |
| Lakey Peterson | +700 |
| Tyler Wright | +800 |
| Johanne Defay | +900 |
| Caroline Marks | +900 |
| Courtney Conlogue | +2000 |
| Brisa Hennessy | +4000 |
| Gabriela Bryan | +6500 |
| Isabella Nichols | +6500 |
Carissa Moore
A five-time WSL world champion, Carissa Moore looked poised to go back-to-back as the women’s WSL champ. Moore had finished inside the top three during six events in 2022. She finished the season as the points leader with 57,670, which was more than 7,000 points more than second-place Johanne Defay.
Moore finished second to Gilmore at the 2022 World Championships. Moore’s world titles came in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, and 2021. With her history and skills, the 30-year-old Hawaiian is the favorite to win in 2023.
Stephanie Gilmore
Stephanie Gilmore was a long shot to win the 2022 WSL Championship. When the odds were listed for the Finals at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California, Gilmore was fourth out of five competitors at +1100. Gilmore squeaked by Brisa Hennessy in the first match before topping Tatiana Weston-Webb in Match 2 and Johanne Defay in the third match of the tournament before downing the favored Carissa Moore in the finals.
Gilmore made the WSL finals cut with less than 3,000 points more than the No. 6 surfer, Lakey Peterson. Gilmore is always a threat to win, but she will need to be more consistent in 2023.
Tatiana Weston-Webb
2021 was Weston-Webb’s best year on the WSL tour. She won one event, managed to stay in the points mix and give Moore a run in the Finals. She followed that with another strong season in 2022. The 26-year-old Brazilian finished fourth in points and scored two tournament victories.
Weston-Webb might have been the hottest surfer heading into the Finals, having finished third, first and third in the events leading into the championship, but she could not turn that run into success. Weston-Webb ended in fourth place at the Rip Curl WSL Finals.
Weston-Webb has not won a world championship, but with the way she has performed since she joined the Championship Tour, it seems it’s a matter of when and not if she will take home a title.
Our pick
Carissa Moore has been the points leader in the past three full WSL seasons. There’s no reason to believe she won’t be back at the top of the point’s list in 2023. The WSL women’s champion in 2019 and 2021 — there was no 2020 season — and the runner-up in 2022. Moore feels like the best bet to win the 2023 WSL women’s championship.
Pick: Carissa Moore to win the 2023 WSL women’s championship.
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