The Bum's 2017 WNBA Picks-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sun (12-8) at Liberty (9-9)
Date: July 19, 2017 11:00 AM EDT

It's been a while since the Connecticut Sun have been taken seriously. After all, their win totals the past four seasons -- 14, 15, 13 and 10 -- have kept the Sun near or at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

The 2017 season started and it was business as usual for head coach Curt Miller as the Sun lost their first four games.

Then something happened along the way to another uninspiring season -- the Sun won five straight games, twice, and now sit atop the Eastern Conference with a 12-8 record heading into the All-Star break.

But first the Sun have some business to take care of before the All-Star break as they look for a season sweep of the New York Liberty in a matinee affair Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

The Sun already defeated the Liberty 96-76 at home on June 14 and at the Garden on June 23 by a score of 94-89.

Connecticut is led by All-Stars Jonquel Jones and Jasmine Thomas, both first-time selections. Jones has quietly established herself as one of the premier frontcourt players in the league. She is just one of two players -- Minnesota's Sylvia Fowles is the other -- to average a double-double (15.9 points, 11.8 assists).

Thomas is the engine that makes things go, averaging 5.2 assists to go with her 15 points per game.

"We feed off of her energy," fellow guard Courtney Williams told the New Haven Register. "Her and Jas (Jasmine Thomas), when they have it I think we have it going as well."

To say the Liberty (9-9) have underachieved in the first half of the season would be an understatement. New York opened the season winning seven of 11 but then the offense went into a funk and the Liberty dropped five of their next seven, forcing head coach Bill Laimbeer to tweak his starting lineup.

The initial result -- an 85-55 win over a shorthanded Washington squad -- snapped a two-game losing streak.

Sugar Rodgers was benched in favor Bria Hartley and the third-year guard pumped in 15 points. Rodgers added some much-needed firepower off the bench and finished with 14 points

"We gave it our best shot with having (Epiphany Prince) and Sugar out there on the court at the same time," Laimbeer told the New York Daily News. "It just didn't give us the pace of play that we were looking for, getting up and down a little more. ... We felt we needed to get more easy baskets."

The Liberty entered the game averaging less than 15 bench points per game. Against the Mystics, New York erupted for 41 points by the backups.

The Sun will be a better barometer to determine whether the Liberty offense has come of its doldrums. The Mystics were missing All-Star Elena Delle Donne (sprained ankle) and second-leading scorer Tayler Hill (torn ACL).

"I think (Connecticut's) a true test just to see where we are," said New York All-Star Tina Charles.

WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 23, 2017 Score ATS Results
CONN « 94 Cover: 9.5
NEW 89 Over: 183
Tools: Recaps

Jun 14, 2017 Score ATS Results
NEW 76 Over: 172
CONN « 96 Cover: 18
Tools: Recaps

Sep 9, 2016 Score ATS Results
CONN 82 Over: 171
NEW « 89 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 17, 2016 Score ATS Results
CONN 76 Cover: 1
NEW « 83 Over: 159
Tools: Recaps

Jun 16, 2016 Score ATS Results
NEW « 80 Cover: 0.5
CONN 72 Under: 152
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dream (9-10) at Mystics (11-9)
Date: July 19, 2017 11:30 AM EDT

The Washington Mystics are coming off their worst loss of the season, but two recent injuries are causing more suffering.

The Mystics (11-9) will face the Atlanta Dream (9-10) on Wednesday afternoon at the Verizon Center in Washington without Elena Delle Donne (right ankle) for a second consecutive game. Washington's top scorer sat out Sunday's 85-55 loss at the New York Liberty, and a recent MRI revealed the 2015 WNBA MVP's injury is a sprain.

The Mystics already knew second-leading scorer Tayler Hill will miss the season after tearing the ACL in right knee in Friday's win over Indiana.

"We have the All-Star break coming up, we have one game. We have to figure out a way to win on Wednesday against Atlanta," Mystics coach Mike Thibault said. "We don't know how long Elena is going to be out. We know that we're not going to have Tayler. Other people are going to have to step up. We've been playing a certain kind of lineup for five games now, and now we have to adjust, so we'll see. I thought we had a couple people play well, but not enough."

Emma Meesseman paced Washington with 19 points against New York, but she was the only Mystic to score in double figures. The Mystics trailed 30-14 after the first quarter and shot 27.7 percent from the field overall.

"Obviously it's not easy playing without them because they are major pieces, but I think in professional sports, you can't use that as an excuse," Meesseman said. "You have to keep playing... you have to keep trying. It's true that it's been a really short time (since their injury) so I'm sure we'll try to adjust to that in practice now for the next game."

Atlanta must deal with its own kind of adjustments, specifically travel and tired legs. The Dream headed to Washington after Tuesday's 88-75 home win over San Antonio.

After trailing by 10 points following the first quarter, the Dream outscored the Stars 47-28 over the second and third quarters. Tiffany Hayes had 12 of her 25 points in the second quarter and Brittney Sykes finished with 20. Atlanta attempted 41 free throws and outscored San Antonio 41-13 from the free-throw line.

The win stopped a two-game slide.

"Our goal is to get back to .500 after this week," Dream coach Michael Cooper said following Saturday's loss at Seattle. "It will be tough, but we can do it."

Washington defeated Atlanta 78-72 at home on June 4 behind 23 points from Delle Donne, who will also miss Saturday's WNBA All-Star game. Hayes, a college star for powerhouse Connecticut, is slated for her first appearance.

"I just feel like I finally joined the pack," Hayes told The Ledger (Ga.). "Everybody comes from UConn and comes to the league and does great things. Most of them are All-Stars. I finally get to say that I was one of the UConn people that were elected as an All-Star and I earned it."[/I][/B]

The Washington Mystics are coming off their worst loss of the season, but two recent injuries are causing more suffering.

The Mystics (11-9) will face the Atlanta Dream (9-10) on Wednesday afternoon at the Verizon Center in Washington without Elena Delle Donne (right ankle) for a second consecutive game. Washington's top scorer sat out Sunday's 85-55 loss at the New York Liberty, and a recent MRI revealed the 2015 WNBA MVP's injury is a sprain.

The Mystics already knew second-leading scorer Tayler Hill will miss the season after tearing the ACL in right knee in Friday's win over Indiana.

"We have the All-Star break coming up, we have one game. We have to figure out a way to win on Wednesday against Atlanta," Mystics coach Mike Thibault said. "We don't know how long Elena is going to be out. We know that we're not going to have Tayler. Other people are going to have to step up. We've been playing a certain kind of lineup for five games now, and now we have to adjust, so we'll see. I thought we had a couple people play well, but not enough."

Emma Meesseman paced Washington with 19 points against New York, but she was the only Mystic to score in double figures. The Mystics trailed 30-14 after the first quarter and shot 27.7 percent from the field overall.

"Obviously it's not easy playing without them because they are major pieces, but I think in professional sports, you can't use that as an excuse," Meesseman said. "You have to keep playing... you have to keep trying. It's true that it's been a really short time (since their injury) so I'm sure we'll try to adjust to that in practice now for the next game."

Atlanta must deal with its own kind of adjustments, specifically travel and tired legs. The Dream headed to Washington after Tuesday's 88-75 home win over San Antonio.

After trailing by 10 points following the first quarter, the Dream outscored the Stars 47-28 over the second and third quarters. Tiffany Hayes had 12 of her 25 points in the second quarter and Brittney Sykes finished with 20. Atlanta attempted 41 free throws and outscored San Antonio 41-13 from the free-throw line.

The win stopped a two-game slide.

"Our goal is to get back to .500 after this week," Dream coach Michael Cooper said following Saturday's loss at Seattle. "It will be tough, but we can do it."

Washington defeated Atlanta 78-72 at home on June 4 behind 23 points from Delle Donne, who will also miss Saturday's WNBA All-Star game. Hayes, a college star for powerhouse Connecticut, is slated for her first appearance.

"I just feel like I finally joined the pack," Hayes told The Ledger (Ga.). "Everybody comes from UConn and comes to the league and does great things. Most of them are All-Stars. I finally get to say that I was one of the UConn people that were elected as an All-Star and I earned it."


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 4, 2017 Score ATS Results
ATL 72 Under: 150
WAS « 78 Cover: 0.5
Tools: Recaps

Sep 15, 2016 Score ATS Results
WAS 91 Cover: 0
ATL « 94 Over: 185
Tools: Recaps

Jun 18, 2016 Score ATS Results
ATL 65 Under: 160
WAS « 95 Cover: 25.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 5, 2016 Score ATS Results
WAS « 86 Cover: 16.5
ATL 79 Over: 165
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Fever (7-12) at Mercury (11-8)
Date: July 19, 2017 3:30 PM EDT

The Phoenix Mercury, without injured star center Brittney Griner and coming off back-to-back losses, hope to get back on track Wednesday afternoon against visiting Indiana.

The Fever (7-12) lost five consecutive games and are the second-lowest scoring team in the WNBA at 76.8 points per game. They have failed to reach 70 points three times during their five-game skid, including an 80-62 loss at the Los Angeles Sparks on Monday night.

Phoenix (11-8) lost Griner -- the leading scorer and shot-blocker in the league -- to a left knee bone bruise and a right ankle sprain during Friday night's home loss to league-leading Minnesota. The Lynx also beat the Mercury in St. Paul two days later.

Indiana won't mind not seeing Griner, who posted a total of 70 points and 19 rebounds in two games against the Fever this season, both victories for the Mercury.

"She's carried us in a lot of games this year," Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi said of Griner, whose injuries were expected to keep her out three to four weeks. "Now, the people who have been working hard behind the scenes can hopefully come in and help."

Taurasi, who will be an All-Star starter for the West, did not travel to Minnesota on the weekend in order to rest. She is eighth in the league in scoring at 17.9 points per game. The WNBA career scoring leader will have to do even more with Griner out of the lineup.

Indiana has four players averaging double-figure points, led by forward Candice Dupree at 13.9. She also averages a team-high 5.5 rebounds. Dupree is in her first season with Indiana after seven seasons with the Mercury, who sent her to the Fever in a three-way trade in the offseason.

"She's calm. She knows the game inside and out, so for her to be able to work her way in was very easy and made my job a whole lot easier," Indiana point guard Briann January said on WNBA.com. "I have one eye on her all the time when we're on offense. She does a lot on defense as well. Her leadership has just helped our team. We are very happy she's here."

The replacement for Griner on Sunday was 6-foot-6 post player Angel Robinson, signed late last month after she finished a commitment playing for Montenegro in the FIBA EuroBasket Championships. She last played in the WNBA with the Seattle Storm in 2014.

Robinson had eight points and six rebounds in 20 minutes on Sunday.

"We've got to try to scrape out some wins and have the mindset that every game is a playoff game," said Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello said.


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 7, 2017 Score ATS Results
PHO « 98 Cover: 3.5
IND 90 Over: 188
Tools: Recaps

May 17, 2017 Score ATS Results
IND 62 Under: 147
PHO « 85 Cover: 20
Tools: Recaps

Sep 21, 2016 Score ATS Results
PHO « 89 Cover: 6.5
IND 78 Over: 167
Tools: Recaps

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

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Wednesday, July 19

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Trend Report
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11:00 AM
CONNECTICUT vs. NEW YORK
Connecticut is 6-10-2 ATS in its last 18 games when playing New York
Connecticut is 2-18 SU in its last 20 games when playing New York
New York is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 5 games

11:30 AM
ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Atlanta is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 4-9-1 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Atlanta

1:00 PM
DALLAS vs. MINNESOTA
Dallas is 6-13 ATS in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 6 games
Minnesota is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Dallas
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas

3:30 PM
INDIANA vs. PHOENIX
Indiana is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Indiana is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games when playing at home against Indiana
Phoenix is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games


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

WNBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, July 19


Indiana @ Phoenix

Game 613-614
July 19, 2017 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
104.277
Phoenix
108.891
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Phoenix
by 4 1/2
151
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix
by 7 1/2
156
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(+7 1/2); Under

Dallas @ Minnesota

Game 611-612
July 19, 2017 @ 1:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
110.762
Minnesota
117.717
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 7
183
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 14
169 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+14); Over

Atlanta @ Washington

Game 609-610
July 19, 2017 @ 11:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
108.787
Washington
114.905
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 6
161
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 3
154
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-3); Over

Connecticut @ New York

Game 607-608
July 19, 2017 @ 11:00 am

Dunkel Rating:
Connecticut
114.176
New York
113.775
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
Even
155
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Connecticut
by 2 1/2
162 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+2 1/2); Under




WNBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, July 19

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CONNECTICUT (12 - 8) at NEW YORK (9 - 9) - 7/19/2017, 11:00 AM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in all games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 this season.
CONNECTICUT is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in July games over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in May, June, or July games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
CONNECTICUT is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
CONNECTICUT is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.
CONNECTICUT is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 26-11 ATS (+13.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 5-4 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 7-2 straight up against CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (9 - 10) at WASHINGTON (11 - 9) - 7/19/2017, 11:30 AM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 303-361 ATS (-94.1 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 31-54 ATS (-28.4 Units) as a home favorite of 3 points or less since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 57-83 ATS (-34.3 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 177-225 ATS (-70.5 Units) after a division game since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 14-35 ATS (-24.5 Units) after scoring 55 points or less since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 4-2 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 5-3 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DALLAS (10 - 11) at MINNESOTA (15 - 2) - 7/19/2017, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games in July games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 19-30 ATS (-14.0 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 15-27 ATS (-14.7 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 5-4 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 8-1 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

INDIANA (7 - 12) at PHOENIX (11 - 8) - 7/19/2017, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) in home games in May, June, or July games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 5-3 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 4-4 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wings (10-11) at Lynx (15-2)
Date: July 19, 2017 1:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Lynx have won three WNBA titles in five Finals appearances over the past six seasons. They won at least 22 games in each of those years.

Last year, the Lynx were a league-best 28-6 during the regular season and lost a heartbreaking WNBA Finals to the Los Angeles Sparks.

They might be even better this season.

Minnesota (15-2), which is off to the best start in franchise history, hosts the Dallas Wings (10-11) on Wednesday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

"I'm just glad that we have been able to win through some of the mistakes and the growing pains that every team, every year, goes through," Minnesota All-Star guard Maya Moore told the team's website. "This year, we are working through our ups and downs, as every team is. To be able to do that while winning is encouraging for us, to know that we have what it takes to win every game that we play if we come with the highest amount of focus and energy."

Minnesota leads the WNBA in scoring offense (86.9 points) and defense (76.7).

The Lynx have won two in a row since a surprising 100-76 loss to the then-3-12 Chicago Sky.

On Sunday, Minnesota outscored the Phoenix Mercury 43-24 in the second half of its 81-66 win.

"The third quarter we were pretty good and got the flow that we wanted in the game," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told the website. "Our defense had to improve. It was one of those things where we probably over-coached. We were playing a team for the second time and wanted to make a few changes.

"We cleaned it up at halftime and got back to some of the things that were more effective in the pick-and-roll coverages. We played off of our defense, got some good flow and got great production off the bench."

The Wings outlasted Chicago in a 112-106 double-overtime win on Sunday to end a two-game skid.

Even with a season high in points, Dallas shot less than 40 percent from the field for the third straight game.

Wings guard Skylar Diggins-Smith saved the game with a 3-pointer that tied it with 3.4 seconds remaining in the first overtime.

"I felt it was going in," Diggins-Smith told the Dallas Morning News. "I haven't really been making very many of my threes these last few games. But I feel like I'm still shooting with confidence."

The win wasn't pretty, though, and coach Fred Williams focused on the 29 shots his team missed from within 5 feet of the rim.

"I think a lot of is sometimes the fear of contact and rushing it going in," Williams told the newspaper.

Diggins led Dallas with 26 points, and rookie Kaela Davis had a career-high 23 on 9-for-13 shooting.

"There was a lot of times we could have hung our heads and just thrown the towel in," Davis told the Morning News. "We didn't, and I think it shows a lot of character about this team."

After the Wednesday game, both teams will have six days off for the All-Star break. Minnesota's Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore are All-Star Game starters for the Western Conference. Moore was the leading vote-getter among fans.


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 11, 2017 Score ATS Results
MIN « 91 Cover: 7
DAL 74 Under: 165
Tools: Recaps

May 20, 2017 Score ATS Results
MIN « 89 Over: 176
DAL 87 Cover: 8.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 17, 2016 Score ATS Results
MIN « 98 Over: 195
DAL 97 Cover: 8
Tools: Recaps

Jul 9, 2016 Score ATS Results
DAL 56 Under: 149
MIN « 93 Cover: 25.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 4, 2016 Score ATS Results
DAL 63 Under: 143
MIN « 80 Cover: 4.5
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CONN at NY 11:00 AM

CONN -2.5

O 162.0

ATL at WAS 11:30 AM

WAS -3.0

U 155.5

DAL at MIN 01:00 PM

MIN -14.0

U 170.0

IND at PHO 03:30 PM

PHO -6.5

O 157.0

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Capsules
July 19, 2017

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Sylvia Fowles had 24 points and 12 rebounds, Maya Moore added 23 points and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Dallas Wings 100-74 on Wednesday.

Fowles, Moore and Rebekkah Brunson combined for 42 of Minnesota's 54 first-half points as the Lynx took a 14-point lead in front of a kids' day crowd of 17,834.

Brunson added 12 points to help Minnesota (16-2) reached the century mark for the 16th time in franchise history. The Lynx shot 57 percent from the field - Fowles went 10 of 11 and Moore was 9 of 15. Seimone Augustus had nine assists, and Lindsay Whalen added seven.

Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 23 points for her fifth straight 20-plus game for Dallas (10-12).

FEVER 84, MERCURY 77

PHOENIX (AP) - Erica Wheeler had 20 points and seven assists, Candice Dupree scored 17 points, and Indiana beat Phoenix to snap a five-game losing streak.

Briann January hit a jumper to give Indiana (8-12) an 81-77 lead with 48.5 seconds left.

Diana Taurasi made six 3-pointers and scored 34 points for Phoenix (11-9). Brittney Griner did not play for Phoenix because of knee and ankle injuries.

LIBERTY 96, SUN 80

NEW YORK (AP) - Tina Charles had 28 points and 17 rebounds to help New York beat Connecticut in front of a camp day crowd of 17,443 at Madison Square Garden.

Charles scored 10 points in the third quarter, showing off a dazzling array of moves in the post as the Liberty (10-9) turned a four-point halftime lead into a 20-point advantage.

Jonquel Jones had 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Sun (12-9).

MYSTICS 100, DREAM 96, OT

WASHINGTON (AP) - Kristi Toliver scored 29 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, and Washington ocrcame a 21-point deficit to beat Atlanta.

Ivory Latta and Meesseman each scored 18 points for Washington (12-9), which was without Elena Delle Donne because of an ankle injury.

Rookie Brittney Sykes had a season-high 27 points for Atlanta (9-11).

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY JULY 20, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:30 PM Chicago Sky Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center
8:00 PM Indiana Fever San Antonio Stars AT&T Center

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY JULY 22, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:30 PM East All Stars West All Stars KeyArena

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY JULY 25, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
12:30 PM Washington Mystics San Antonio Stars AT&T Center
7:00 PM Chicago Sky Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena
7:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
8:00 PM Indiana Fever Dallas Wings College Park Center
8:00 PM New York Liberty Minnesota Lynx Target Center
10:30 PM Seattle Storm Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center

Updated Wed Jul 19 10:04 PM EDT

************************

LEAGUE STANDINGS

Rank Team W L PCT GB CONF HOME ROAD L-10 STREAK

#1 Minnesota Lynx16 2 0.889 - 10-0 8-1 8-1 8-2 W 3

#2 Los Angeles Sparks14 5 0.737 2.5 5-3 9-0 5-5 8-2 W 2

#3 Connecticut Sun12 9 0.571 5.5 6-4 5-3 7-6 6-4 L 1

#4 Washington Mystics12 9 0.571 5.5 9-2 8-2 4-7 5-5 W 1

#5 Phoenix Mercury11 9 0.550 6 4-6 6-6 5-3 5-5 L 3

#6 New York Liberty10 9 0.526 6.5 3-5 7-4 3-5 4-6 W 2

#7 Dallas Wings10 12 0.455 8 5-6 6-5 4-7 6-4 L 1

#8 Atlanta Dream9 11 0.450 8 4-7 6-3 3-8 4-6 L 1

#9 Seattle Storm9 11 0.450 8 4-3 7-6 2-5 4-6 L 1

#10 Indiana Fever8 12 0.400 9 4-4 5-5 3-7 4-6 W 1

#11 Chicago Sky7 13 0.350 10 3-7 2-7 5-6 5-5 W 1

#12 San Antonio Stars2 18 0.100 15 0-10 1-8 1-10 2-8 L 2

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA July Record:

Date.................... W-L-T................... % ...................Units Record

07/19/2017............4-4-0.............50.00%.........................-2.00
07/18/2017............0-2-0...............0.00%.......................-11.00
07/17/2017............1-1-0.............50.00%.........................-0.50
07/16/2017............7-0-1...........100.00%......................+35.00
07/15/2017............2-0-0............100.00%.....................+10.00
07/14/2017............0-6-0................0.00%......................-33.00
07/13/2017............0-2-0................0.00%......................-11.00
07/12/2017............0-2-0................0.00%......................-11.00
07/09/2017............1-3-0...............25.00%.....................-11.50
07/08/2017............4-2-0...............66.67%......................+9.00
07/07/2017............2-2-0...............50.00%.......................-0.20
07/06/2017............0-4-0.................0.00%.....................-22.00
07/05/2017........... 5-1-0 ...............83.33%................... +19.50
07/02/2017........... 2-2-0............... 50.00% ......................-0.20
07/01/2017........... 0-4-0................. 0.00%.................... -22.00

Totals:...............28 - 36 - 1...........43.75%.......................- 50.90

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WNBA

Thursday, July 20

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

3:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. LOS ANGELES
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Chicago is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Los Angeles's last 16 games when playing Chicago

8:00 PM
INDIANA vs. SAN ANTONIO
Indiana is 3-7-2 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Antonio's last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana

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

WNBA
Dunkel

Thursday, July 20


Indiana @ San Antonio

Game 617-618
July 20, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
103.896
San Antonio
104.627
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 1
149
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 2
153 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(+2); Under

Chicago @ Los Angeles

Game 615-616
July 20, 2017 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
110.136
Los Angeles
118.182
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 8
176
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
by 11 1/2
163
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+11 1/2); Over




WNBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, July 20

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CHICAGO (7 - 13) at LOS ANGELES (14 - 5) - 7/20/2017, 3:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 8-2 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 9-1 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

INDIANA (8 - 12) at SAN ANTONIO (2 - 18) - 7/20/2017, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, JULY 20

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CHI at LA 03:30 PM

LA -12.0

O 164.0

IND at SA 08:00 PM

IND -3.5

U 153.0

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WNBA Capsules
July 20, 2017

LOS ANGELES (AP) Stefanie Dolson hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 13 seconds left and scored 15 points to help the Chicago Sky beat Los Angeles 82-80 on Thursday for the Sparks' first home loss of the season.

After a timeout with 20.4 seconds left, Courtney Vandersloot curled around the defense, drove the baseline and found an open Dolson in the corner for a 3-pointer.

Nneka Ogwumike dribbled into a double team in the lane and her shot was blocked out-of-bounds by Imani Boyette with 4.8 seconds left. Boyette blocked another shot under the basket, and Ogwumike's putback was short at the buzzer.

Vandersloot had her fourth double-double in six games with 14 points and a career-high 14 assists for Chicago (8-13). Cappie Pondexter scored eight points to reach 6,500 for her career.

Pondexter made a jumper with 7:24 left in the fourth quarter to give Chicago its first lead, 67-65, since 9-8.

Nneka Ogwumike had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles (14-6).

STARS 85, FEVER 61

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Isabelle Harrison had 18 points and nine rebounds, rookie Kelsey Plum scored a season-high 16 points and San Antonio beat Indiana for its series victory in eight days.

Moriah Jefferson added 11 points and eight assists for San Antonio (3-18). Harrison was 8 of 10 from the field. Plum - the former Washington star drafted No. 1 overall - was 5 of 9 and made all five of her free throws.

Tiffany Mitchell scored 13 points for Indiana (8-13), which has lost six of seven. Candice Dupree grabbed six rebounds for sole possession of ninth in WNBA history with 2,488.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY JULY 22, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:30 PM East All Stars West All Stars KeyArena

***********************************

WNBA July Record:

Date.................... W-L-T................... % ...................Units Record

07/20/2017............1-3-0.............25.00%.......................-11.50
07/19/2017............4-4-0.............50.00%.........................-2.00
07/18/2017............0-2-0...............0.00%.......................-11.00
07/17/2017............1-1-0.............50.00%.........................-0.50
07/16/2017............7-0-1...........100.00%......................+35.00
07/15/2017............2-0-0............100.00%.....................+10.00
07/14/2017............0-6-0................0.00%......................-33.00
07/13/2017............0-2-0................0.00%......................-11.00
07/12/2017............0-2-0................0.00%......................-11.00
07/09/2017............1-3-0...............25.00%.....................-11.50
07/08/2017............4-2-0...............66.67%......................+9.00
07/07/2017............2-2-0...............50.00%.......................-0.20
07/06/2017............0-4-0.................0.00%.....................-22.00
07/05/2017........... 5-1-0 ...............83.33%................... +19.50
07/02/2017........... 2-2-0............... 50.00% ......................-0.20
07/01/2017........... 0-4-0................. 0.00%.................... -22.00

Totals:...............29 - 39 - 1...........42.64%.......................- 62.40

[StarDust Bum]

Moore, Ogwumike lead West in ASG
July 22, 2017

The future of the WNBA looks to be in good hands if Saturday's All-Star Game is any indication.

On display were future Hall of Famers and a handful of rock-solid veterans with plenty of All-Star experience. But youth dominated the two All-Star rosters and, while the more All-Star experienced West waltzed to a 130-121 win, the East team acquitted itself with flying colors.

Minnesota's Maya Moore scored 23 points and Los Angeles' Nneka Ogwumike, the reigning league MVP, added 22 to lead the West to the win at KeyArena in Seattle.

"I was inspired by some of the East players, turning it up a bit," Moore said. "We each had flashes of regular-season moments. But for the most part we played in All-Star mode."

"We had fun and that was the point of the day."

All-Star mode meant lots of smiles, friendly trash-talking, very little defense and lots of points.

In fact, the combined 251 points scored Saturday set a WNBA All-Star Game record. But that wasn't the only record broken.

The 130 points by the West tied for the most by one team. The West connected on 56.8 percent of its shots and made 19 3-point shots, both records.

Atlanta's Layshia Clarendon recorded 10 assists, the most by a first-time All-Star.

And Seattle's Sue Bird set an All-Star record to the delight of the hometown fans with 11 assists.

Her best moment, Bird said, was redeeming herself from a poor performance in the 3-point contest at halftime.

"All Star games can be funny at times," she said. "You want to have fun but also want to be competitive at times. Both teams did a good job showcasing their talents and having fun with it."

Bird finished with just eight points in addition to her 11 assists. Many of the young East players impressed Bird, who specifically singled out Connecticut's Jonquel Jones, who dunked in the final minute.

"Jonquel alone. Some of the stuff she's doing at 6-6, handling, step-back threes, dunks. ... I think this All-Star Game, you got to see some Hall of Famers and some young studs who are going to take over."

Jones, one of the first-time All-Stars, led the East with 24 points, including the dunk at the end of the game, and nine rebounds.

"DT (Diana Taurasi) asked me if I had one in me, and I said, 'Yeah yeah, I got one in'" Jones said. "They opened up the lane for me and I just threw it down. I'm happy I was able to do in the All-Star Game.

"It's been an awesome experience."

A total of 10 players -- eight from the East and two from the West -- made their All-Star debuts.

The five West starters were making a combined 31 All-Star appearances, including hometown favorite Bird, who was playing in her 10th All-Star Game.

The East pushed the pace early, often catching the more veteran West squad lagging.

"They're young, it's their first time; they just don't get how this works," Bird said.

But in the end, it was the veteran experience of the West that prevailed.

Moore was chosen MVP of the game, her second straight All-Star Game honor.

The East started four first-time All-Stars along with veteran Tina Charles.

Jasmine Thomas, Alyssa Thomas, Tiffany Hayes and Jones all were making their All-Star debuts. Alyssa Thomas started in place of Washington's Elena Delle Donne, who sprained ankle on July 14 and could not play.

The West was without All-Star reserve Brittney Griner, the league's leading scorer, who injured her left knee and is expected to miss a month.

NOTES: Chicago's Allie Quigey defeated Sugar Rodgers 27-19 in the championship round to win the 3-point shooting contest, which took place at halftime. Also taking part in the contest was Connecticut's Jasmine Thomas, Minnesota's Maya Moore and Seattle's Sue Bird. ... There was no All-Star Game last year as players were participating in the Summer Olympics. ... Seven All-Stars played at the University of Connecticut, the most ever in an All-Star Game from one school. ... Only four fouls were called in the first half. Two were called on Maya Moore and one each on the East's Jonquel Jones and Layshia Clarendon. ... Among the celebrities in the stands were former Seattle SuperSonics coach Lenny Wilkens, Boston Celtics great Bill Russell, who coached the SuperSonics from 1973-1977, and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, wearing a Magic Johnson jersey.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY JULY 25, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
12:30 PM Washington Mystics San Antonio Stars AT&T Center
7:00 PM Chicago Sky Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena
7:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
8:00 PM Indiana Fever Dallas Wings College Park Center
8:00 PM New York Liberty Minnesota Lynx Target Center
10:30 PM Seattle Storm Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Connecticut Sun Washington Mystics Verizon Center
7:00 PM New York Liberty Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse
7:30 PM Minnesota Lynx Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
8:00 PM Los Angeles Sparks San Antonio Stars AT&T Center
8:30 PM Phoenix Mercury Chicago Sky Allstate Arena
10:00 PM Dallas Wings Seattle Storm KeyArena

Updated Sun Jul 23 1:04 AM EDT

*****************************************

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

Connecticut Sun 12 9 0.571 0 5-3 7-6 6-4 6-4 L-1

Washington Mystics 12 9 0.571 0 8-2 4-7 9-2 5-5 W-1

New York Liberty 10 9 0.526 1 7-4 3-5 3-5 4-6 W-2

Atlanta Dream 9 11 0.450 2 6-3 3-8 4-7 4-6 L-1

Indiana Fever 8 13 0.381 4 5-5 3-8 4-4 3-7 L-1

Chicago Sky 8 13 0.381 4 2-7 6-6 3-7 6-4 W-2


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

Minnesota Lynx 16 2 0.889 0 8-1 8-1 10-0 8-2 W-3

Los Angeles Sparks 14 6 0.700 3 9-1 5-5 5-3 7-3 L-1

Phoenix Mercury 11 9 0.550 6 6-6 5-3 4-6 5-5 L-3

Dallas Wings 10 12 0.455 8 6-5 4-7 5-6 6-4 L-1

Seattle Storm 9 11 0.450 8 7-6 2-5 4-3 4-6 L-1

San Antonio Stars 3 18 0.143 14 2-8 1-10 0-10 3-7 W-1

Updated Sun Jul 23 1:14 AM EDT