2016 wnba thread news notes picks !

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Friday, July 22

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. WASHINGTON
Los Angeles is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
Los Angeles is 20-3 SU in its last 23 games
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Los Angeles

7:30 PM
DALLAS vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Dallas's last 23 games on the road
Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Dallas

8:00 PM
SEATTLE vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Seattle's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Seattle
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:30 PM
CONNECTICUT vs. CHICAGO
Connecticut is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Connecticut's last 9 games
Chicago is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Connecticut
Chicago is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Connecticut


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WNBA
Dunkel

Friday, July 22


Los Angeles @ Washington

Game 601-602
July 22, 2016 @ 1469214000

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
118.294
Washington
107.291
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 11
154
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
by 7 1/2
159
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-7 1/2); Under

Dallas @ Atlanta

Game 603-604
July 22, 2016 @ 1469215800

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
105.276
Atlanta
111.672
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 6 1/2
159
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 3 1/2
166
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(-3 1/2); Under

Seattle @ Minnesota

Game 605-606
July 22, 2016 @ 1469217600

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
109.098
Minnesota
119.058
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 10
164
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 14
159
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(+14); Over

Connecticut @ Chicago

Game 607-608
July 22, 2016 @ 1469219400

Dunkel Rating:
Connecticut
111.062
Chicago
114.061
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 3
170
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 6 1/2
167
Dunkel Pick:
Connecticut
(+6 1/2); Over

---------------------------------------


WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, July 22

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LOS ANGELES (20 - 3) at WASHINGTON (9 - 14) - 7/22/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 25-48 ATS (-27.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 161-204 ATS (-63.4 Units) after scoring 75 points or more since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 13-28 ATS (-17.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 290-345 ATS (-89.5 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 172-217 ATS (-66.7 Units) after a division game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-3 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 3-3 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DALLAS (9 - 15) at ATLANTA (12 - 12) - 7/22/2016, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) against Western conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 5-1 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 5-1 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SEATTLE (9 - 14) at MINNESOTA (20 - 4) - 7/22/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 70-98 ATS (-37.8 Units) in road games after a division game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 7-4 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 8-3 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONNECTICUT (7 - 16) at CHICAGO (11 - 12) - 7/22/2016, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) as an underdog this season.
CONNECTICUT is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
CONNECTICUT is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in road games after allowing 75 points or more this season.
CONNECTICUT is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.
CONNECTICUT is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game this season.
CONNECTICUT is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
CHICAGO is 15-25 ATS (-12.5 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games after scoring 75 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 5-5 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 6-4 straight up against CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sparks (20-3) at Mystics (9-14)
Date: July 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Sparks have hit a speed bump down the stretch of their amazing first half of the regular season.

The Sparks, who won 20 of their first 21 games, have lost two straight heading into Friday's road contest against the reeling Washington Mystics at Verizon Center.

Los Angeles dropped a 92-82 decision at the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, two days after being blown out by the Atlanta Dream, 91-74.

The Sparks have surrendered 90-plus points in three straight games. They'll be looking to lock down the Mystics, who have lost six straight and are struggling on the offensive end of the floor.

"We aren't consistent at all," Mystics coach Mike Thibault told the Washington Post this week. "The biggest thing is I just don't want somebody to play harder than us. We're not shooting the ball well particularly. Our guards are struggling with consistency. The other night, our guards as a group shot 17, 18 percent. You have no chance of winning when you're playing like that."

The Mystics have lost three straight games against the Sparks, including both meetings this season.

Los Angeles star Candace Parker scored 26 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out nine assists in the Sparks' 93-82 win over Washington on July 10.

Parker is averaging 16.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists on the season. Forward Nneka Ogwumike is having a breakout season for the Sparks. She leads the team in both scoring (19.4) and rebounding (9.0).

All-Star Emma Meesseman leads the Mystics in points (15.7) and rebounds (5.7).

Washington is coming off an 88-81 home loss to the New York Liberty on Wednesday. The Mystics surrendered a WNBA-record 69 points to the Liberty's bench. Meesseman had 20 points to lead the Mystics in defeat.

Friday's game concludes the first-half of the regular season for both teams. They will not play again until late August, after the Summer Olympics conclude.

The first-place Sparks have a one-game lead over the defending-champion Minnesota Lynx in the Western Conference standings.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 10, 2016 Score ATS Results
WAS 82 Over: 175
LOS « 93 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps

May 20, 2016 Score ATS Results
LOS « 97 Cover: 23
WAS 67 Over: 164
Tools: Recaps

Sep 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
WAS 91 Cover: 4.5
LOS « 93 Over: 184
Tools: Recaps

Jun 23, 2015 Score ATS Results
LOS 80 Cover: 7
WAS « 84 Over: 164
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wings (9-15) at Dream (12-12)
Date: July 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Dallas Wings guard Skylar Diggins summed up her team's loss to Connecticut on Wednesday in one sentence.

"Today made it seem like we were on break already," Diggins told reporters after her team's lackluster performance in an 89-78 loss to the Sun, the last-place team in the Eastern Conference.

The struggling Wings will look to rebound from that loss and close out the first half of the regular season on a positive note when they visit the Atlanta Dream on Friday.

The Wings (9-15) have dropped five straight and eight of 10. They're now in 10th place in the overall league standings. The top eight teams, regardless of conference, qualify for the postseason.

The Dream (12-12) are coming off a disappointing performance of their own in a blowout loss to the defending-champion Minnesota Lynx.

Atlanta got off to a hot start to the season and climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference before suffering through a six-game losing streak.

They seemed to have righted the ship before starting forward Sancho Lyttle sustained a foot injury that initially was thought to have ended her season. But the Dream got good news earlier this week when further evaluation revealed no fracture and Lyttle, the team's leading rebounder, is now expected to return after the month-long Olympic break.

Angel McCoughtry leads four Atlanta players averaging double figures at 18.4 points per game. Forward Tiffany Hayes (14.9), post Elizabeth Williams (11.7) and point guard Layshia Clarendon also are averaging double figures for the balanced Dream.

Atlanta's plethora of offensive threats is a big problem for a Dallas team that is struggled on the defensive end of the floor. The Wings are surrendering 87.9 points per game, the most in the league.

"We just have to take more pride on our defense. It's no secret what it is," Diggins told reporters after the loss to Connecticut. "It's our transition defense, our half-court defense. That's something I'm sure will be discussed tomorrow in film."

The game will be played at McCamish Pavilion on the campus of Georgia Tech University in midtown Atlanta.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 8, 2016 Score ATS Results
DAL 90 Over: 185
ATL « 95 Cover: 2.5
Tools: Recaps

May 27, 2016 Score ATS Results
ATL « 102 Cover: 13.5
DAL 93 Over: 195
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Storm (9-14) at Lynx (20-4)
Date: July 22, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Lynx could have an opportunity to move back into first place in the WNBA's Western Conference with a win over the Seattle Storm on Friday night at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn.

Minnesota (20-4) has won five consecutive games and seven of its last eight since losing three in a row in late June. The Lynx is a half game back of the first-place Los Angeles Sparks, who have lost two in a row. The Sparks will visit the Washington Mystics on Friday night.

A Minnesota win over Seattle coupled with a Los Angeles loss to Washington would put the Lynx in first place going into the WNBA's month-long break for the Summer Olympics. Both teams will resume their WNBA schedules on Aug. 26.

Seattle (9-14) is fourth in the Western Conference, 11 games behind Los Angeles. Seattle has won two of three and three of its last five.

Minnesota is coming off an 83-65 victory over the Atlanta Dream. Seimone Augustus scored 19 points for the Lynx. Rebekkah Brunson recorded a double-double, posing 13 points and 12 rebounds. The Lynx shot 50.9 percent from the field while holding the Dream to 38.3-percent shooting.

Seattle is coming off an 83-69 victory over the San Antonio Stars. Jewell Lloyd scored 25 points for the Storm. Breanna Stewart had 22 points.

Stewart is tied for fourth in the WNBA in scoring and second in rebounding, averaging 19.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Loyd is ninth in scoring at 16.5 points per game.

Minnesota's Maya Moore is tied for fourth in scoring and fourth in steals, averaging 19.3 points and 1.6 steals per contest. Sylvia Fowles is second on the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game. Fowles is sixth in the WNBA in rebounding (8.4 rpg) and Brunson is 12th (7.2 rpg).

Minnesota and Seattle have already met twice this season. The Lynx beat the Storm 78-71 on May 22 and 96-84 on June 19. Both of those games were played in Seattle.



WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 19, 2016 Score ATS Results
MIN « 96 Cover: 1
SEA 84 Over: 180
Tools: Recaps

May 22, 2016 Score ATS Results
MIN « 78 Under: 149
SEA 71 Cover: 2.5
Tools: Recaps

Sep 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIN 64 Under: 142
SEA « 78 Cover: 17.5
Tools: Recaps

Sep 8, 2015 Score ATS Results
SEA 67 Cover: 6
MIN « 73 Under: 140
Tools: Recaps

Jul 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
SEA 57 Under: 139
MIN « 82 Cover: 12.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 25, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIN « 76 Over: 149
SEA 73 Cover: 7.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
SEA 70 Over: 164
MIN « 94 Cover: 10.5
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sun (7-16) at Sky (11-12)
Date: July 22, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The Chicago Sky will have a chance to carry a four-game winning streak into the WNBA's Olympic break when it plays host to the Connecticut Sun on Friday night at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.

Chicago (11-12) has won three in a row and four of its last five. The Sky is fourth in the Eastern Conference, just a half game behind the Atlanta Dream and Indiana Fever, which are tied for second behind the New York Liberty.

Connecticut (7-16) has won four of its last seven games. The Sun is last in the Eastern Conference, four games behind Chicago and 9 1/2 games behind New York.

Chicago is coming off a dramatic 79-77 victory over the Phoenix Mercury. Elena Delle Donne had 18 points and nine rebounds, Jamierra Faulkner scored 14 points and Jessica Breland made a putback with 0.2 seconds remaining to help the Sky prevail.

Connecticut is coming off an 89-78 road win over the Dallas Wings. Chiney Ogwumike turned in a monster performance, finishing with 26 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocked shots. Jasmine Thomas added 20 points for the Sun, which shot 49.3 percent from the field while holding the Wings to 38.4-percent shooting.

Delle Donne is leading the WNBA in scoring at 21.3 points per game. She is 10th in rebounding, averaging 7.4 rebounds per game.

Alex Bentley leads Connecticut in scoring at 13.5 points per contest. Ogwumike and Alyssa Thomas are tied for the team lead in rebounding, averaging six rebounds per game.

This is the second time Chicago and Connecticut have met this season. The Sky beat the Sun 93-70 in the season opener May 14 at Allstate Arena.

Courtney Vandersloot had 14 points and seven assists for Chicago. Cappie Pondexter scored 13 points. Bentley scored 14 points to lead Connecticut. Delle Donne missed that game due to illness.

Chicago and Connecticut will take time off after this game for the WNBA's month-long break for the Summer Olympics. Both teams will return to action Aug. 26.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

May 14, 2016 Score ATS Results
CONN 70 Under: 163
CHI « 93 Cover: 14
Tools: Recaps

Sep 13, 2015 Score ATS Results
CHI 75 Over: 161
CONN « 86 Cover: 15
Tools: Recaps

Aug 30, 2015 Score ATS Results
CONN « 72 Cover: 13
CHI 68 Under: 140
Tools: Recaps

Jul 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
CONN 76 Over: 172
CHI « 96 Cover: 12
Tools: Recaps

Jul 2, 2015 Score ATS Results
CHI « 77 Under: 151
CONN 74 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
CHI 65 Under: 132
CONN « 67 Cover: 7
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

7/21 - Thursday's Results: 0 - 0 ( NO PLAY )

July's Total: 34 - 48 41.46 %

Overall : WLT PCT UNITS RANK

ATS Picks 59-62-3 48.76% -4600

O/U Picks 57-67-0 45.97% -8350

[StarDust Bum]

Standings

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak

New York Liberty 18 8 0.692 0 8-5 10-3 10-2 7-3 L-1

Indiana Fever 12 12 0.500 5 5-6 7-6 5-6 7-3 W-3

Atlanta Dream 12 12 0.500 5 7-4 5-8 7-6 4-6 L-1

Chicago Sky 11 12 0.478 5 6-5 5-7 5-5 5-5 W-3

Washington Mystics 9 14 0.391 7 4-7 5-7 5-5 3-7 L-6

Connecticut Sun 7 16 0.304 9 3-8 4-8 1-9 4-6 W-1

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak

Los Angeles Sparks 20 3 0.870 0 11-1 9-2 7-1 8-2 L-2

Minnesota Lynx 20 4 0.833 0 10-2 10-2 11-1 7-3 W-5

Phoenix Mercury 10 14 0.417 10 7-6 3-8 2-9 5-5 L-1

Seattle Storm 9 14 0.391 11 6-7 3-7 4-6 5-5 W-1

Dallas Wings 9 15 0.375 11 5-8 4-7 7-5 2-8 L-5

San Antonio Stars 5 18 0.217 15 4-7 1-11 1-10 3-7 L-5

Updated Fri Jul 22 12:07 PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, JULY 22

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

LA at WAS 07:00 PM

WAS +9.0

O 157.0


DAL at ATL 07:30 PM

ATL -2.5

O 164.0


SEA at MIN 08:00 PM

MIN -13.0

U 159.5


CONN at CHI 08:30 PM

CHI -6.5

U 167.0

[StarDust Bum]

7/22 - Friday's Results: 4 - 4

July's Total: 38 - 52 42.33 %

Overall : WLT PCT UNITS RANK

ATS Picks 60-65-3 48.00% -5750

O/U Picks 60-68-0 46.88% -7400

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA ready for sprint to the finish
August 24, 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) With the Olympics behind it, the WNBA is ready to restart its season after a month-long break.

There should be quite the sprint to the finish over the league's final weeks.

''Very excited to get the back end of the season going,'' WNBA President Lisa Borders said. ''You think about the format changes, top eight teams make the playoffs, doesn't matter what your geography is, it matters what your record is.''

Only 4 1-2 games separate fourth place and 11th after the league changed its playoff format this season to get rid of conferences. The top eight teams will make the playoffs.

''The league is very close right now and anybody can make it into the playoffs or get kicked out at this point,'' Chicago Sky star Elena Delle Donne said. ''Every game is do or die.''

Phoenix, which had nearly half its team go to Rio, had been the biggest disappointment this season. Picked in preseason by the league's general managers to win the title, the Mercury sit at 10-14 and in seventh place.

''The WNBA season is very tricky, especially with the Olympic break,'' Diana Taurasi said. ''If we can start building momentum and playing good basketball, we have championship caliber talent. We just need to start playing like it.''

Los Angeles and Minnesota have already clinched playoff spots and most likely will be the top two seeds, earning them byes into the semifinals. The Sparks had plenty of time to rest over the last month as none of their players was in the Olympics.

Not the case for Minnesota, which had coach Cheryl Reeve and stars Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles all with the gold medal-winning U.S. team.

Reeve isn't worried about the impact playing in the Olympics has had on her core four.

''They would have been playing anywhere whether it was here or there,'' she said. ''The domestic stuff was pretty challenging on their time and their bodies. Once we got to Rio and settled on the (cruise) ship and got a little more of a rhythm and downtime. ... Geno's done a great job managing their bodies. We'll continue down that path.''

Here are a few other things to watch as the WNBA gets back underway:

RETURNING FROM INJURY: New York sits in third place and should get a boost from the return of Epiphanny Prince, who missed the first 26 games while recovering from an ACL injury . Coach Bill Laimbeer expects her to be ready come playoff time.

FAREWELL: Tamika Catchings won her fourth gold medal and now winds down her playing career in Indiana. She's not the only person retiring at the end of the season. Penny Taylor also announced this is her last year playing professionally . Swin Cash announced her retirement in the middle of the season, effective at the end of this year. San Antonio coach Dan Hughes said before the season it would be his final one on the bench.

POWER POLL: The AP power poll will pick back up on Tuesday, Aug. 31. In the last one before the break the order was Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York, Indiana, Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix, Seattle, Connecticut, Dallas, Washington and San Antonio.

SUPER 20: The WNBA is celebrating the end of the season with a new ad and a sweepstakes. With only 58 games left, the WNBA is offering any fan who buys a ticket entry into a sweepstakes to attend next year's All-Star game or the NBA All-Star game or a cash prize.

''The thought behind WNBA Super20 was with all the interest coming out of the Olympics and our women's national team, with their sixth consecutive gold medal, we really wanted to do something special for our fans and create something that would say thank you to our core fans,'' WNBA chief operating officer Jay Parry said. ''And also introduce the WNBA to casual fans and give them a reason to come to a WNBA game as we race towards the playoffs.''

[StarDust Bum]

Standings

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak
New York Liberty 18 8 0.692 0 8-5 10-3 10-2 7-3 L-1
Atlanta Dream 13 12 0.520 4 8-4 5-8 7-6 5-5 W-1
Indiana Fever 12 12 0.500 5 5-6 7-6 5-6 7-3 W-3
Chicago Sky 11 13 0.458 6 6-6 5-7 5-6 5-5 L-1
Washington Mystics 9 15 0.375 8 4-8 5-7 5-5 2-8 L-7
Connecticut Sun 8 16 0.333 9 3-8 5-8 2-9 5-5 W-2

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak
Los Angeles Sparks 21 3 0.875 0 11-1 10-2 7-1 8-2 W-1
Minnesota Lynx 21 4 0.840 0 11-2 10-2 12-1 8-2 W-6
Phoenix Mercury 10 14 0.417 11 7-6 3-8 2-9 5-5 L-1
Seattle Storm 9 15 0.375 12 6-7 3-8 4-7 4-6 L-1
Dallas Wings 9 16 0.360 12 5-8 4-8 7-5 2-8 L-6
San Antonio Stars 5 18 0.217 15 4-7 1-11 1-10 3-7 L-5

Updated Wed Aug 24 5:38 PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Schedules

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 26, 2016

Time (ET) Away Home Site

7:00 PM Minnesota Lynx Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena
8:00 PM New York Liberty San Antonio Stars Freeman Coliseum
8:30 PM Atlanta Dream Chicago Sky Allstate Arena
10:00 PM Dallas Wings Phoenix Mercury Talking Stick Resort Arena
10:00 PM Los Angeles Sparks Seattle Storm KeyArena

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY AUGUST 27, 2016

Time (ET) Away Home Site

7:00 PM Washington Mystics Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 28, 2016

Time (ET) Away Home Site

3:00 PM Connecticut Sun Atlanta Dream Philips Arena
4:30 PM Chicago Sky Dallas Wings College Park Center
7:00 PM San Antonio Stars Washington Mystics Verizon Center
7:00 PM Seattle Storm Minnesota Lynx Target Center
9:00 PM Los Angeles Sparks Phoenix Mercury Talking Stick Resort Arena

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 30, 2016

Time (ET) Away Home Site

7:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse
7:00 PM San Antonio Stars Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena

Updated Wed Aug 24 5:04 PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA ready for sprint to the finish
August 24, 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) With the Olympics behind it, the WNBA is ready to restart its season after a month-long break.

There should be quite the sprint to the finish over the league's final weeks.

''Very excited to get the back end of the season going,'' WNBA President Lisa Borders said. ''You think about the format changes, top eight teams make the playoffs, doesn't matter what your geography is, it matters what your record is.''

Only 4 1-2 games separate fourth place and 11th after the league changed its playoff format this season to get rid of conferences. The top eight teams will make the playoffs.

''The league is very close right now and anybody can make it into the playoffs or get kicked out at this point,'' Chicago Sky star Elena Delle Donne said. ''Every game is do or die.''

Phoenix, which had nearly half its team go to Rio, had been the biggest disappointment this season. Picked in preseason by the league's general managers to win the title, the Mercury sit at 10-14 and in seventh place.

''The WNBA season is very tricky, especially with the Olympic break,'' Diana Taurasi said. ''If we can start building momentum and playing good basketball, we have championship caliber talent. We just need to start playing like it.''

Los Angeles and Minnesota have already clinched playoff spots and most likely will be the top two seeds, earning them byes into the semifinals. The Sparks had plenty of time to rest over the last month as none of their players was in the Olympics.

Not the case for Minnesota, which had coach Cheryl Reeve and stars Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles all with the gold medal-winning U.S. team.

Reeve isn't worried about the impact playing in the Olympics has had on her core four.

''They would have been playing anywhere whether it was here or there,'' she said. ''The domestic stuff was pretty challenging on their time and their bodies. Once we got to Rio and settled on the (cruise) ship and got a little more of a rhythm and downtime. ... Geno's done a great job managing their bodies. We'll continue down that path.''

Here are a few other things to watch as the WNBA gets back underway:

RETURNING FROM INJURY: New York sits in third place and should get a boost from the return of Epiphanny Prince, who missed the first 26 games while recovering from an ACL injury . Coach Bill Laimbeer expects her to be ready come playoff time.

FAREWELL: Tamika Catchings won her fourth gold medal and now winds down her playing career in Indiana. She's not the only person retiring at the end of the season. Penny Taylor also announced this is her last year playing professionally . Swin Cash announced her retirement in the middle of the season, effective at the end of this year. San Antonio coach Dan Hughes said before the season it would be his final one on the bench.

POWER POLL: The AP power poll will pick back up on Tuesday, Aug. 31. In the last one before the break the order was Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York, Indiana, Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix, Seattle, Connecticut, Dallas, Washington and San Antonio.

SUPER 20: The WNBA is celebrating the end of the season with a new ad and a sweepstakes. With only 58 games left, the WNBA is offering any fan who buys a ticket entry into a sweepstakes to attend next year's All-Star game or the NBA All-Star game or a cash prize.

''The thought behind WNBA Super20 was with all the interest coming out of the Olympics and our women's national team, with their sixth consecutive gold medal, we really wanted to do something special for our fans and create something that would say thank you to our core fans,'' WNBA chief operating officer Jay Parry said. ''And also introduce the WNBA to casual fans and give them a reason to come to a WNBA game as we race towards the playoffs.''

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Friday, August 26


Atlanta @ Chicago

Game 655-656
August 26, 2016 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
105.932
Chicago
113.590
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 7 1/2
172
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 5
167 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(-5); Over

Los Angeles @ Seattle

Game 657-658
August 26, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
123.805
Seattle
113.328
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 10 1/2
156
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
by 8 1/2
160 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-8 1/2); Under

Dallas @ Phoenix

Game 659-660
August 26, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
105.016
Phoenix
109.596
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Phoenix
by 4 1/2
167
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix
by 6
172 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+6); Under

Minnesota @ Connecticut

Game 651-652
August 26, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
117.827
Connecticut
115.433
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 2 1/2
155
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 8 1/2
160 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Connecticut
(+8 1/2); Under

New York @ San Antonio

Game 653-654
August 26, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
110.984
San Antonio
104.486
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 6 1/2
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 9
149 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(+9); Under




WNBA

Friday, August 26

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CONNECTICUT
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Connecticut
Connecticut is 2-2-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Connecticut is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Minnesota

8:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. SAN ANTONIO
New York is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New York's last 7 games on the road
San Antonio is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of San Antonio's last 16 games when playing New York

8:30 PM
ATLANTA vs. CHICAGO
Atlanta is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games on the road
Chicago is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Chicago is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games at home

10:00 PM
DALLAS vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Dallas's last 9 games
Dallas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas

10:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. SEATTLE
Los Angeles is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Los Angeles's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 7 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
Seattle is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Los Angeles

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, August 26

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MINNESOTA (21 - 4) at CONNECTICUT (8 - 16) - 8/26/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 15-8 ATS (+6.2 Units) in all games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) as an underdog this season.
CONNECTICUT is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) against Western conference opponents this season.
CONNECTICUT is 33-18 ATS (+13.2 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
CONNECTICUT is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.
CONNECTICUT is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 4-1 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 3-2 straight up against CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK (18 - 8) at SAN ANTONIO (5 - 18) - 8/26/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 23-7 ATS (+15.3 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in August or September games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 44-27 ATS (+14.3 Units) in road games on Friday since 1997.
NEW YORK is 43-24 ATS (+16.6 Units) in road games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1997.
NEW YORK is 78-52 ATS (+20.8 Units) in road games against Western conference opponents since 1997.
NEW YORK is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 78-52 ATS (+20.8 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1997.
NEW YORK is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 97-63 ATS (+27.7 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.
NEW YORK is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NEW YORK is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 3-3 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 4-2 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ATLANTA (13 - 12) at CHICAGO (11 - 13) - 8/26/2016, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in home games off a upset loss as a favorite since 1997.
CHICAGO is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in home games after allowing 75 points or more this season.
CHICAGO is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games after scoring 75 points or more this season.
CHICAGO is 26-43 ATS (-21.3 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 7-7 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-6 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LOS ANGELES (21 - 3) at SEATTLE (9 - 15) - 8/26/2016, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 26-48 ATS (-26.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 86-115 ATS (-40.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 162-204 ATS (-62.4 Units) after scoring 75 points or more since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 14-28 ATS (-16.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 114-79 ATS (+27.1 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games on Friday over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 6-4 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 6-4 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DALLAS (9 - 16) at PHOENIX (10 - 14) - 8/26/2016, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 23-37 ATS (-17.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
PHOENIX is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 4-11 ATS (-8.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHOENIX is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 23-42 ATS (-23.2 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 9-5 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 8-6 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons