2016 wnba thread news notes picks !

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WNBA BEST BETS:

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 94-87-5 51.93% -850

O/U Picks 87-99-0 46.77% -10950

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

Time (ET) Away Home Site

6:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse

8:00 PM Seattle Storm Atlanta Dream Philips Arena

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It's win or go home for Mercury, Fever

Two teams that didn't live up to preseason hype square off Wednesday, when Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury visit the Indiana Fever for a win-or-go-home, first-round playoff battle at Bankers Life Fieldhouse that could mark the final game of veteran star Tamika Catchings.

One of the WNBA's all-time greats, Catchings has announced that she will retire when the Fever's season ends, which could be Wednesday.

The first two rounds of this season's playoffs are single-elimination, so there is no tomorrow for Wednesday's loser. The winner advances to the second round and will face either the New York Liberty or the Chicago Sky on the road.

The Fever, after reaching last year's WNBA Finals, were expected to be among the top-tier of contenders again this season. But Indiana (17-17) struggled with inconsistency, especially on the offensive end and didn't secure home court in the first round of the playoffs until an 83-60 win over the Dallas Wings in their regular season finale.

Indiana is 11th in the league in scoring, averaging 80.5 points per game, and last in the league in rebounding.

The Mercury (16-18) also experienced a disappointing regular season. With Taurasi returning from a one-year hiatus to join with Brittney Griner and Penny Taylor, Phoenix was expected to be a top-tier contender. Instead, the Mercury barely got into the playoffs, winning three of their last four to secure the eighth seed.

Their struggles, for the most part, haven't come on the offensive end of the court. Taurasi leads five Mercury players averaging in double figures at 17.8 points per game. She scored 19 points in Phoenix's 79-65 win at Indiana on Aug. 31, the teams' most recent meeting.

Indiana won two of three overall against Phoenix this season, but will have their hands full with Griner, who has emerged as the league's premier shot-blocker. Her 107 blocks led the WNBA this season and were 28 more than second-place Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream.

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Preview: Mercury (16-18) at Fever (17-17)
Date: September 21, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

Two teams that didn't live up to preseason hype square off Wednesday, when Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury visit the Indiana Fever for a win-or-go-home, first-round playoff battle at Bankers Life Fieldhouse that could mark the final game of veteran star Tamika Catchings.

One of the WNBA's all-time greats, Catchings has announced that she will retire when the Fever's season ends, which could be Wednesday.

The first two rounds of this season's playoffs are single-elimination, so there is no tomorrow for Wednesday's loser. The winner advances to the second round and will face either the New York Liberty or the Chicago Sky on the road.

The Fever, after reaching last year's WNBA Finals, were expected to be among the top-tier of contenders again this season. But Indiana (17-17) struggled with inconsistency, especially on the offensive end and didn't secure home court in the first round of the playoffs until an 83-60 win over the Dallas Wings in their regular season finale.

Indiana is 11th in the league in scoring, averaging 80.5 points per game, and last in the league in rebounding.

The Mercury (16-18) also experienced a disappointing regular season. With Taurasi returning from a one-year hiatus to join with Brittney Griner and Penny Taylor, Phoenix was expected to be a top-tier contender. Instead, the Mercury barely got into the playoffs, winning three of their last four to secure the eighth seed.

Their struggles, for the most part, haven't come on the offensive end of the court. Taurasi leads five Mercury players averaging in double figures at 17.8 points per game. She scored 19 points in Phoenix's 79-65 win at Indiana on Aug. 31, the teams' most recent meeting.

Indiana won two of three overall against Phoenix this season, but will have their hands full with Griner, who has emerged as the league's premier shot-blocker. Her 107 blocks led the WNBA this season and were 28 more than second-place Elizabeth Williams of the Atlanta Dream.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 30, 2016 Score ATS Results
PHO « 79 Cover: 11.5
IND 65 Under: 144
Tools: Recaps

Jul 8, 2016 Score ATS Results
IND « 78 Cover: 24
PHO 60 Under: 138
Tools: Recaps

May 18, 2016 Score ATS Results
PHO 93 Over: 190
IND « 97 Cover: 9
Tools: Recaps

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Short-handed Dream set to fend off Bird, Storm

The Atlanta Dream will be short-handed on Wednesday when they tip off the WNBA playoffs against the Seattle Storm at Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion.

Atlanta forward Tiffany Hayes will miss Wednesday's contest, serving a one-game suspension after picking up her seventh technical foul in the regular-season finale against Minnesota. Hayes is second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.0 points.

The Dream also could be without starting forward Sancho Lyttle, who is battling a foot sprain. Lyttle is second on the team in rebounding.

While the Dream are ailing, Seattle is surging. The Storm finished the regular season with wins in five or their last six games, including a 91-82 victory over the Dream in Atlanta on Sept. 4. Veteran guard Sue Bird and rookie star Breanna Stewart each had 23 points in that contest.

Dream coach Michael Cooper said the Storm caught his team off-guard with their tempo in the last meeting.

"They play half-court basketball, but the last time we played they were up-tempo and I think that suits them," Cooper told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Sue Bird is an older player now, but if she has those sprite legs, we're going to have to run. We're going to look to pick it up for 40 minutes."

Bird has been her normal steady self, averaging 12.9 points and 5.8 assists, but Stewart is Seattle's primary catalyst. The leading Rookie of the Year candidate, Stewart leads Seattle in average scoring (18.3 points), rebounds (9.3) and blocks (64).

Seattle won two of three meetings overall with the Dream this season.

The first two rounds of this season's playoffs are single-elimination, so there is no tomorrow for the loser. The winner advances to the second round and will face either the New York Liberty or Chicago Sky on the road.

"As a lower-seeded team, it's exciting that it's just one game in the playoffs," Bird told the Seattle Times. "As a higher-seeded team, you're not thrilled about that. ... We're in a good spot. We're playing and when you're in a situation like this, anything is possible."


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Preview: Storm (16-18) at Dream (17-17)
Date: September 21, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Atlanta Dream will be short-handed on Wednesday when they tip off the WNBA playoffs against the Seattle Storm at Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion.

Atlanta forward Tiffany Hayes will miss Wednesday's contest, serving a one-game suspension after picking up her seventh technical foul in the regular-season finale against Minnesota. Hayes is second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.0 points.

The Dream also could be without starting forward Sancho Lyttle, who is battling a foot sprain. Lyttle is second on the team in rebounding.

While the Dream are ailing, Seattle is surging. The Storm finished the regular season with wins in five or their last six games, including a 91-82 victory over the Dream in Atlanta on Sept. 4. Veteran guard Sue Bird and rookie star Breanna Stewart each had 23 points in that contest.

Dream coach Michael Cooper said the Storm caught his team off-guard with their tempo in the last meeting.

"They play half-court basketball, but the last time we played they were up-tempo and I think that suits them," Cooper told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Sue Bird is an older player now, but if she has those sprite legs, we're going to have to run. We're going to look to pick it up for 40 minutes."

Bird has been her normal steady self, averaging 12.9 points and 5.8 assists, but Stewart is Seattle's primary catalyst. The leading Rookie of the Year candidate, Stewart leads Seattle in average scoring (18.3 points), rebounds (9.3) and blocks (64).

Seattle won two of three meetings overall with the Dream this season.

The first two rounds of this season's playoffs are single-elimination, so there is no tomorrow for the loser. The winner advances to the second round and will face either the New York Liberty or Chicago Sky on the road.

"As a lower-seeded team, it's exciting that it's just one game in the playoffs," Bird told the Seattle Times. "As a higher-seeded team, you're not thrilled about that. ... We're in a good spot. We're playing and when you're in a situation like this, anything is possible."



WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Sep 4, 2016 Score ATS Results
SEA « 91 Cover: 13
ATL 82 Over: 173
Tools: Recaps

Jul 5, 2016 Score ATS Results
SEA 64 Under: 141
ATL « 77 Cover: 7
Tools: Recaps

Jun 28, 2016 Score ATS Results
ATL 81 Cover: 2.5
SEA « 84 Push: 165
Tools:

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Wednesday's 1st Round Matchups
September 19, 2016

A look at the two first-round series in the WNBA playoffs. The league changed the format for this postseason with both the first and second round being one game each.

No. 5 Indiana (17-17) vs. No. 8 Phoenix (16-18)

Season Series: Fever won 2-1.

Indiana: Tamika Catchings will have at least one more chance to play in front of her home fans. The 10-time All-Star who is retiring after the playoffs had a wonderful celebration after her final regular season home game Sunday.

Now she's trying to win a second WNBA championship in her illustrious career. The Fever have been up-and-down all season and will need to put together a strong effort for 40 minutes against the Mercury.

Phoenix: The Mercury might have been the biggest disappointment in the regular season.

Predicting by the league's GMs to win the title, Phoenix had to make a push in the final few weeks to even make the postseason.

Despite having Brittney Griner in the middle, the Mercury have been inconsistent on defense this season, giving up 83.3 points a game. Like Catchings, Penny Taylor has announced she'll retire after the playoffs.

The Australian guard has helped the Mercury win three championships.

Prediction: Phoenix

No. 6 Atlanta (17-17) vs. No. 7 Seattle (16-18)

Season Series: Storm won 2-1.

Atlanta: This is the Dream's seventh playoff appearance overall and first since 2014. The game will be played at Georgia Tech where Atlanta will play its home games for the next two seasons.

Angel McCoughtry has led the Dream all season in scoring (19.5). The offseason additions of Elizabeth Williams and Layshia Clarendon really have bolstered the team this season.

Seattle: The Storm are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2013 after going 7-3 since the Olympic break. Breanna Stewart has already had a rookie season to remember.

She set the WNBA record for defensive rebounds in a season, had the third most points ever by a first-year player and was third in blocked shots. The Storm won in Atlanta on Sept. 4.

Prediction: Seattle

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WNBA buzz from new playoff format
September 19, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) The WNBA changed its playoff format this season to ensure the best teams advanced and to create more of a buzz for the postseason.

While the playoffs don't tip-off until Wednesday, the change definitely made for an exciting finish to the regular season. Half of the eight seeds weren't determined until the final day of the regular season Sunday and only one game separated fifth place from eighth.

''This format is great as every game counts,'' said Atlanta's Elizabeth Williams. ''We literally didn't know our seeds until the last game. I like the one and done, it's kind of like March Madness in that respect.''

Williams' one and done reference was in regards to the first two rounds of the playoffs, which will be single elimination contests with fifth-seeded Indiana hosting No. 8 Phoenix and seventh-seed Seattle playing at No. 6 Atlanta on Wednesday. The second round begins Saturday with New York and Chicago waiting - and it will also be single elimination.

The eight teams with the best record qualified for the playoffs, regardless of conference affiliation. And they were seeded according to their record.

''It definitely gives you a feeling that anyone has a chance to win,'' said Seattle guard Sue Bird. ''In the past if you were the four-seed in the conference you knew you'd have a really tough time getting out of the opening round against the No. 1.''

Teams will be reseeded after every round. And while it turned out that four teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences made the playoffs, the top teams with the best two records were both from the Western Conference. However, they won't play until potentially the WNBA Finals.

''The new WNBA playoff format is extremely fan-friendly, because we're able to showcase across the best eight teams, full-stop, regardless of conference,'' said ESPN vice president for women's sports programming Carol Stiff.

Minnesota and Los Angeles had the best marks all season long and earned them byes until the semifinals. The Lynx are looking to become the league's first back-to-back champions since Los Angeles repeated in 2001-02.

That's the last time that the Sparks won a title, a drought they are trying to end.

''We know it's going to be a series as opposed to one game,'' Sparks coach Brian Agler said of getting the bye. ''It's unchartered waters for everybody and I like it. I think it adds an element of urgency and an element of suspense throughout the season.''

Agler's team last played on Sept. 16 and won't play against until the 28th of the month.

''The dynamic will create an extremely competitive atmosphere,'' said Los Angeles' Nneka Ogwumike. ''There's something for everyone to look forward to, the fans and the players.''

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Ogwumike wins WNBA Player of Year
September 20, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) Nneka Ogwumike put up career numbers this season for Los Angeles and was arguably the most consistent impact player in the league.

Her efforts earned her Associated Press WNBA Player of the Year honors on Tuesday. The award was chosen by the 14-member media panel that votes for the weekly power poll.

''It's special that there are different perspectives on so many things we do,'' Ogwumike said in a phone interview.'' Players, coaches, GMs, media. It's interesting to see the support coming from all different angles.''

She averaged 19.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists and shot 66.5 percent from the field, helping lead the Sparks to the second best record in the WNBA and a bye until the semifinals of the playoffs.

''It's a great thing for someone like Nneka to win an award like this as it shows that hard work and perseverance and continuing to develop your game can elevate you to superstar status,'' said Los Angeles coach Brian Agler, who was named the AP's coach of the year.

Agler narrowly edged Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve for coach of the year honors Los Angeles also had the sixth woman of the year in Jantel Lavender.

Atlanta's Elizabeth Williams was voted the most improved player. She was traded in the offseason from Connecticut to the Dream and helped them reach the playoffs.

''The change of scenery is the first main thing that would pop up,'' said Williams on the biggest difference for her this year. ''I think coming to this team, coach (Michael) Cooper having a lot of confidence in me in the beginning. Getting healthy and playing overseas in Turkey also helped me gain some confidence.''

Connecticut's Chiney Ogwumike earned comeback player of the year honors after recovering from microfracture surgery in her right knee that sidelined her last year.

''There's nothing more humbling than coming back from an injury,'' said Chiney Ogwumike. ''Being named comeback player of the year means the absolute world to me because, like many athletes who fall down, we keep fighting to not only get back up, but also to exceed expectations.''

Minnesota's Sylvia Fowles was defensive player of the year while leading the Lynx to one of the top-rated defenses in the league.

Seattle's Breanna Stewart won rookie of the year, finishing third all-time for points by a rookie and breaking Lisa Leslie's WNBA record for defensive rebounds in a season. The former UConn star was the only rookie on the AP WNBA first team. She was joined by Ogwumike, Tina Charles, Maya Moore and Elena Delle Donne.

Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Angel McCoughtry, Candace Parker and Sylvia Fowles were on the second team.

Stewart also headlined the all-rookie team. She was joined by San Antonio's Moriah Jefferson, Dallas' Aerial Powers, Chicago's Imani Boyette and Indiana's Tiffany Mitchell.

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POWER POLL

The Minnesota Lynx finished the season where they started, atop the AP Power Poll . The Lynx were a unanimous choice at No. 1. The team held the top spot in the poll 10 of the 15 weeks.

''Our team prides itself on being efficient on both ends of the court,'' Reeve said. ''Finishing No. 1 in the power rankings exemplifies that commitment.''

Los Angeles, which was first the other five weeks, finished second. The Sparks were followed by New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Indiana and Seattle. Phoenix, Connecticut, Washington, Dallas and San Antonio rounded out the poll.

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PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Nneka Ogwumike had 20.5 points, 10 rebounds and four assists last week to help the Sparks win their final two regular season contests. Others receiving votes included: Minnesota's Maya Moore, Connecticut's Jasmine Thomas.

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WNBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, September 21

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PHOENIX (16 - 18) at INDIANA (17 - 17) - 9/21/2016, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 29-41 ATS (-16.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in road games in August or September games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) against Eastern conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 35-20 ATS (+13.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 5-2 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 4-3 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SEATTLE (16 - 18) at ATLANTA (17 - 17) - 9/21/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 9-23 ATS (-16.3 Units) in road games on Wednesday since 1997.
SEATTLE is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1997.
SEATTLE is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in August or September games this season.
SEATTLE is 112-81 ATS (+22.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game since 1997.

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

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WNBA

Wednesday, September 21

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Trend Report
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6:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. INDIANA
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Phoenix's last 9 games when playing Indiana
Phoenix is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Indiana
Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Indiana is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Phoenix

8:00 PM
SEATTLE vs. ATLANTA
Seattle is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Seattle is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing at home against Seattle

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA PLAYOFF RECORD:

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 0 - 0

O/U Picks 0 - 0


WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

PHO at IND 06:00 PM

IND +4.5

U 160.5

SEA at ATL 08:00 PM

SEA -2.0

O 160.5

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WNBA Playoff Capsules
September 21, 2016

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Diana Taurasi scored 20 points, DeWanna Bonner had 11 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Indiana Fever 89-78 on Wednesday night in a single-elimination game of the WNBA playoffs.

Tamika Catchings, who played in her final game, and the entire Indiana team knelt with their arms intertwined during the national anthem. Two members of the Mercury, Kelsey Bone and Mistie Bass, also took a knee.

Briann January made a reverse layup with 2:39 remaining to pull Indiana to 77-72 and she drew an offensive foul on Taurasi on the other end. Erlana Larkins had a putback on Indiana's next possession to cap a 10-1 run to make it 77-74.

But Phoenix answered with a 6-1 run - on free throws by Taurasi, Penny Taylor and Bonner - for an 83-75 lead.

Brittney Griner added 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocks for Phoenix, which will play at New York on Saturday.

Catchings and Marissa Coleman each scored 13 points as all five starters for Indiana scored in double figures.

DREAM 94, STORM 85

ATLANTA (AP) - Angel McCoughtry scored 37 points and the Dream beat the Storm.

McCoughtry scored seven straight points - on a 3-pointer, bank shot and pull-up jumper - to cap Atlanta's 19-5 run to start the fourth for an 85-71 lead. She collided with Breanna Stewart on Seattle's next possession and stayed on the ground before being helped to the bench by the Atlanta staff. She later returned.

Bria Holmes added 21 points for Atlanta, which will face the Chicago Sky on Sunday. Atlanta was without its second leading scorer Tiffany Hayes, who was serving a one-game suspension after picking up her seventh technical foul. The Dream's second leading rebounder, Sancho Lyttle, did not play due to a foot injury.

McCoughtry, who picked up her fourth foul early in the third, made two free throws with 1:11 left in the quarter to give Atlanta a 66-64 lead - its first since 21-20.

Jewell Loyd scored 24 points and Stewart added 19 points in their first career playoff games for Seattle.

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SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2016

Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Phoenix Mercury New York Liberty Madison Square Garden


SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

Time (ET) Away Home Site
1:00 PM Atlanta Dream Chicago Sky Allstate Arena

Updated Thu Sep 22 3:04 AM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Basketball Trend Report

PHOENIX (17 - 18) at NEW YORK (21 - 13) - 9/24/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 20-31 ATS (-14.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 99-65 ATS (+27.5 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.
NEW YORK is 43-26 ATS (+14.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
NEW YORK is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) in home games this season.
NEW YORK is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 this season.
NEW YORK is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

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

ATLANTA (18 - 17) at CHICAGO (18 - 16) - 9/25/2016, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 47-29 ATS (+15.1 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent since 1997.
ATLANTA is 35-20 ATS (+13.0 Units) off an upset win as an underdog since 1997.
CHICAGO is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) in home games after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 28-46 ATS (-22.6 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 8-7 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 9-6 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
10 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

Cinderella Mercury next try to knock off Liberty

The new early-round single-elimination WNBA playoff format has the No. 8 seed Phoenix Mercury as a Cinderella team heading to New York to play the No. 3-seeded Liberty in a second-round game Saturday.

Phoenix (17-18) upset fifth-seeded Indiana 89-78 in Indianapolis in the first round Wednesday. Mercury guard Diana Taurasi scored 20 points and wing player DeWanna Bonner had 11 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter. Post player Brittney Griner added 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.

After a re-seeding of the teams, Phoenix was paired with New York (21-13) at 7 p.m. ET. The winner will advance to play a best-of-five semifinal series against No. 2 seed Los Angeles beginning next Wednesday.

New York is led by WNBA Most Valuable Player candidate Tina Charles, a post player who became just the third player in league history to be the leading scorer (21.5 points a game) and rebounder (9.9). She is the first member of the Liberty to lead the WNBA in either category.

Although the Mercury were the final team to clinch a playoff berth, they are more talented than the No. 3 vs. No. 8 matchup suggests with U.S. Olympians Griner and Taurasi on the roster. Charles was their teammate in the Rio Games. Her battle in the paint against Griner is worth watching in the elimination game.

Although Griner has won the league's Defensive Player of the Year award in each of the past two seasons, she has faced difficulty subduing Charles. The Liberty center has averaged 26.6 points and 11.0 rebounds in three games against Phoenix this season.

The Liberty, 10-7 at Madison Square Garden this season, closed the regular season on a three-game losing streak and went just 3-5 following the Olympic break. New York had more than a week off to prepare for this win-or-go-home game, which will be played at Madison Square Garden, where the Liberty went 10-7 this season.

New York won the regular-season series against Phoenix 2-1, going 1-1 in games at Madison Square Garden, including a 92-70 win in the most recent meeting on Sept. 3.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mercury (16-18) at Liberty (21-13)
Date: September 24, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The new early-round single-elimination WNBA playoff format has the No. 8 seed Phoenix Mercury as a Cinderella team heading to New York to play the No. 3-seeded Liberty in a second-round game Saturday.

Phoenix (17-18) upset fifth-seeded Indiana 89-78 in Indianapolis in the first round Wednesday. Mercury guard Diana Taurasi scored 20 points and wing player DeWanna Bonner had 11 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter. Post player Brittney Griner added 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.

After a re-seeding of the teams, Phoenix was paired with New York (21-13) at 7 p.m. ET. The winner will advance to play a best-of-five semifinal series against No. 2 seed Los Angeles beginning next Wednesday.

New York is led by WNBA Most Valuable Player candidate Tina Charles, a post player who became just the third player in league history to be the leading scorer (21.5 points a game) and rebounder (9.9). She is the first member of the Liberty to lead the WNBA in either category.

Although the Mercury were the final team to clinch a playoff berth, they are more talented than the No. 3 vs. No. 8 matchup suggests with U.S. Olympians Griner and Taurasi on the roster. Charles was their teammate in the Rio Games. Her battle in the paint against Griner is worth watching in the elimination game.

Although Griner has won the league's Defensive Player of the Year award in each of the past two seasons, she has faced difficulty subduing Charles. The Liberty center has averaged 26.6 points and 11.0 rebounds in three games against Phoenix this season.

The Liberty, 10-7 at Madison Square Garden this season, closed the regular season on a three-game losing streak and went just 3-5 following the Olympic break. New York had more than a week off to prepare for this win-or-go-home game, which will be played at Madison Square Garden, where the Liberty went 10-7 this season.

New York won the regular-season series against Phoenix 2-1, going 1-1 in games at Madison Square Garden, including a 92-70 win in the most recent meeting on Sept. 3.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Sep 3, 2016 Score ATS Results
PHO 70 Over: 162
NEW « 92 Cover: 19
Tools: Recaps

Jul 1, 2016 Score ATS Results
NEW « 99 Cover: 14.5
PHO 88 Over: 187
Tools: Recaps

Jun 26, 2016 Score ATS Results
PHO « 104 Cover: 9.5
NEW 97 Over: 201
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA PLAYOFF RECORD:

WLT PCT UNITS

ATS Picks 0 - 2

O/U Picks 1 - 1


SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

PHO at NY 07:00 PM

PHO -2.5

U 162.0

[StarDust Bum]

Taurasi helps Mercury advance to semifinals, beat Liberty
September 24, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) Diana Taurasi tends to play her best when the most is on the line.

The star guard scored 30 points and Brittney Griner added 22 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks to help the eighth-seeded Phoenix Mercury beat the No. 3 New York Liberty 101-94 on Saturday night. Taurasi is 13-3 in WNBA elimination games in her storied career, including a 6-0 mark on the road.

''I'm not afraid of it. It's a challenge. It's fun,'' she said. ''When you go on the road, especially here at the Garden. These fans are so thirsty they want a championship so bad. We came in the underdog. Today was a whole lot of fun.''

The Mercury will head to Minnesota for the semifinals, which is a five-game series as opposed to the single elimination games that Phoenix won in the opening two rounds of the postseason.

''It's going to be hard. They are the best in the league right now,'' Taurasi said. ''They are the defending champs. We know what they do. They know what we do. It's going to be a battle of wills more than anything. Right now we're finding our groove. Finding who we are.''

Just as they did during their first-round playoff game, Phoenix players Mistie Bass and Kelsey Bone kneeled during the playing of the national anthem . Liberty guard Brittany Boyd sat on the bench with her head bowed. She also said she did that in the final few games of the regular season.

''I don't want to stand up. I choose not to stand up and I sit down and pray,'' said Boyd, who wore a Colin Kaepernick jersey into the arena and had it hanging in her locker. ''Colin (Kaepernick) and his message about social injustice going on in this country today is something I believe needs change. This wasn't the first game I sat down for the national anthem. I don't agree with some of the stuff that's going on. This is me using my platform.''

With Phoenix clinging to a two-point lead early in the fourth quarter Taurasi scored five straight points in a 10-2 run that gave them an 84-76 advantage. New York refused to quit, hitting back-to-back 3s to get within 84-82. But that's as close as the Liberty could get as they came up empty on the next few possessions. New York trailed 90-86 with 1:29 left before Taurasi hit a 3-pointer from the wing, pumping her fists at midcourt after it swished through the net that virtually sealed the victory.

Phoenix was in control in the first half as the Mercury led by 15 points in the second quarter thanks to the play of Penny Taylor, who finished with 20 points. Trailing 52-41 at the break, the Liberty opened the second half on a 13-2 run capped by Tina Charles' 3-pointer to tie it at 54. They trailed 68-67 after three quarters and the game was tied at 74 after Epiphanny Prince's 3-pointer with 7:23 left in the final period.

Tanisha Wright scored 21 points and Tina Charles added 19 to lead New York. The loss also marked the end of Swin Cash's career. The 15-year WNBA player announced during the season that she would retire after the Liberty's season ended.

''It's tough to completely reflect right now, but I'm really proud of this team,'' Cash said. ''Took some bumps along the way, injuries. We set a really solid foundation on how hard you have to work and what it takes to get to that next level.''