Cnotes 2018 wnba picks,trends,notes,news !

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Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Odds to win the AFC this coming season:

3-1: New England Patriots

4-1: Pittsburgh Steelers

7-1: Los Angeles Chargers

9-1: Jacksonville Jaguars

10-1: Texans, Chiefs, Raiders

12-1: Tennessee Titans

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Armadillo: May 17, 1979: Phillies 23, Cubs 22….a recap

On May 17, 1979, Phillies beat the Cubs 23-22 in 10 innings, in one of the strangest games ever:

13) Phillies were 24-10 at the time; Chicago was 16-16. Cubs had 26 hits in the game, Phils had 24.

12) The game was 7-6 Phillies, after the first inning. Somewhere, someone bet the under in this game.

11) Phillies starting pitcher Randy Lerch homered in the top of the first inning, never finished the bottom of the first. Both starting pitchers got only one out before being removed.

10) Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt hit 3rd/4th in Phillies’ order; they combined to score seven runs and knock in eight. Light-hitting Larry Bowa was 5 for 8 in the game.

9) Bob Boone was 3-4 with five RBI’s; his son Aaron is now the manager in the Bronx. Boone and Schmidt were both walked intentionally twice.

8) Reliever Tug McGraw faced 10 batters; seven of them scored. McGraw is the father of the great singer Tim McGraw.

7) 22 of the first 53 Cubs who came to bat scored, but Rawly Eastwick slammed the door shut in the last two innings, retiring all six Cubs he faced.

6) Donnie Moore faced 14 batters and seven of them scored, but he did hit a triple, one of his two career three-baggers.

5) Phillies led this game 21-9 in the 5th inning but Cubs tied the game off of Ron Reed in the 8th inning; Reed pitched 19 years in the major leagues and also played 119 games for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons from 1965-67.

4) Dave Kingman hit three homers for the Cubs; Bill Buckner knocked in seven runs, seven years before his infamous error in the ’86 World Series.

3) Phillies went home the next day and got swept in a 3-game series by the Expos. Chicago lost its next four games after this one.

2) 1979 turned out to be the only year in a six-year stretch where the Phillies missed the playoffs; they finished 84-78, the Cubs 80-82.

Phillies fired manager Danny Ozark late in 1979, hired Dallas Green and won the ’80 World Series.

1) Naysayers like to criticize baseball now but attendance that day was 14,952; when was last time the Cubs drew less than 15,000 for a home game?

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WNBA
Dunkel

Sunday, May 20


Las Vegas @ Connecticut

Game 601-602
May 20, 2018 @ 1:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Las Vegas
105.630
Connecticut
108.344
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Connecticut
by 3
152
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Connecticut
by 13 1/2
155 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Las Vegas
(+13 1/2); Under

Indiana @ Washington

Game 603-604
May 20, 2018 @ 1:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
100.448
Washington
109.350
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 9
151
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 12
157
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(+12); Under

Atlanta @ Dallas

Game 605-606
May 20, 2018 @ 3:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
103.543
Dallas
107.033
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 3 1/2
170
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
N/A

Los Angeles @ Minnesota

Game 607-608
May 20, 2018 @ 5:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
118.325
Minnesota
121.785
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 3 1/2
154
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 5 1/2
157 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(+5 1/2); Under

New York @ Chicago

Game 609-610
May 20, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
113.710
Chicago
106.270
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 7 1/2
170
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 3
158
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(-3); Over

Phoenix @ Seattle

Game 611-612
May 20, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
107.483
Seattle
111.809
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 4 1/2
165
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
by 2 1/2
159
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(-2 1/2); Over

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WNBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, May 20

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LAS VEGAS (0 - 0) at CONNECTICUT (0 - 0) - 5/20/2018, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 41-27 ATS (+11.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) as a road underdog of 12.5 to 15 points over the last 3 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) as a road underdog of 12.5 to 18 points over the last 3 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) as a road underdog of 12.5 or more points over the last 3 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 76-51 ATS (+19.9 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 since 1997.
LAS VEGAS is 60-38 ATS (+18.2 Units) in road games against Eastern conference opponents since 1997.
LAS VEGAS is 60-38 ATS (+18.2 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 4-2 against the spread versus LAS VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 6-0 straight up against LAS VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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INDIANA (0 - 1) at WASHINGTON (0 - 0) - 5/20/2018, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 312-371 ATS (-96.1 Units) in all games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-2 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 6-1 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (0 - 0) at DALLAS (0 - 1) - 5/20/2018, 3:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 5-1 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 4-2 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LOS ANGELES (0 - 0) at MINNESOTA (0 - 0) - 5/20/2018, 5:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 9-7 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 8-8 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
11 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW YORK (0 - 0) at CHICAGO (1 - 0) - 5/20/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in home games in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in home games on Sunday games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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PHOENIX (1 - 0) at SEATTLE (0 - 0) - 5/20/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 16-35 ATS (-22.5 Units) in May games since 1997.
SEATTLE is 121-83 ATS (+29.7 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1997.
PHOENIX is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.

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

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Sunday, May 20

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Trend Report
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Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
Las Vegas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Las Vegas is 13-6 ATS in its last 19 games on the road
Las Vegas is 2-16 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Las Vegas is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Connecticut
Las Vegas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Connecticut
Las Vegas is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
Las Vegas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
Connecticut is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Connecticut is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
Connecticut is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Connecticut is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Connecticut is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Connecticut's last 6 games at home
Connecticut is 6-2-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Las Vegas
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Las Vegas
Connecticut is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Las Vegas
Connecticut is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Las Vegas


Indiana Fever
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games
Indiana is 6-11-1 ATS in its last 18 games on the road
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Washington
Indiana is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Washington
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Indiana's last 15 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington Mystics
Washington is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games
Washington is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games
Washington is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games at home
Washington is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Indiana
Washington is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Indiana
Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Washington's last 15 games when playing at home against Indiana


Atlanta Dream
Atlanta is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games
Atlanta is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games
Atlanta is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games on the road
Atlanta is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Dallas
Atlanta is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Dallas
Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Atlanta is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas Wings
Dallas is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Dallas's last 9 games
Dallas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games at home
Dallas is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Dallas is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Dallas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Dallas is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta


Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games
Los Angeles is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Los Angeles's last 18 games
Los Angeles is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Los Angeles is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games on the road
Los Angeles is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Los Angeles's last 9 games when playing Minnesota
Los Angeles is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Los Angeles is 6-17 SU in its last 23 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Los Angeles's last 8 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games
Minnesota is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Minnesota is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games at home
Minnesota is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Minnesota's last 9 games when playing Los Angeles
Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
Minnesota is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games when playing at home against Los Angeles


Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Phoenix is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games
Phoenix is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Phoenix is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Phoenix's last 24 games on the road
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
Phoenix is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing Seattle
Phoenix is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Phoenix is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Seattle Storm
Seattle is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Seattle is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Seattle is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games at home
Seattle is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Seattle is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games when playing Phoenix
Seattle is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Seattle is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix

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Mystics begin season at home against Fever

The Washington Mystics open their 2018 WNBA season with high expectations and will put those to the test against the Indiana Fever on Sunday afternoon at the Capital One Center in Washington, D.C., for the first of three regular-season games.

The Fever opened Saturday, losing 82-64 at home to the Chicago Sky.

Washington compiled an 18-16 record in 2017 and advanced to the league semifinals before losing to the Minnesota Lynx. The Mystics retained the nucleus from that squad, including Elena Delle Donne, Kristi Toliver and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, and brought in a handful of other talented players to help propel them to the top of the league.

The Mystics are still waiting on Tayler Hill, LaToya Sanders and Ruffin-Pratt (who should be active for the season opener) to return to full health.

Rookie additions Ariel Atkins and Myisha Hines-Allen have impressed in training camp, and 2017 first-round pick Shatori Walker-Kimbrough continues to improve.

Washington will focus on playing with pace and getting valuable shots, which for the Mystics translates to 3-point looks and shots close to the basket. It's a tight-knit group, and the players think their closeness will transfer to the court.

"Last year, it was like a first date, no one wants to step on each other's toes, just getting to know each other," Delle Donne said. "This year, it's just family. Such a different vibe, we can feel it on the court. We're not afraid to make mistakes, there's a lot of energy, and much better communication."

The Mystics will have to adapt to playing without Emma Meesseman, who decided to skip this season because of Belgian national team commitments and a bit of burnout. She has arguably been the best player on the team for much of her five years with the franchise, and she and Delle Donne were a dynamite and dangerous frontcourt duo.

To make up for Meesseman's absence, Washington signed former Mystics player Monique Currie and hope to slide her into the shooting forward spot.

Washington coach Mike Thibault said he's going to rely heavily on Currie to score at least 10 points a night and to provide key veteran leadership.

"There's things Mo's learned at other places that are a little bit different that she can bring to us and help younger teammates with," Thibault said. "She can step back from the process a little bit. That's where her voice will be important on and off the court."

Indiana (0-1) will have to regroup and do so quickly after its season-opening loss on Saturday.

The Fever gets right back on the court Sunday for their first road game and continues a brutal beginning stretch of the season that includes four more games in the next seven days.

Candice Dupree led the Fever with 14 points and eight rebounds in the loss at home to Chicago, Erica Wheeler added 13 points and Tiffany Mitchell hit for 11.

The Fever shot just 37 percent in the loss, hit just 3 of 15 3-point attempts, and were outrebounded 44-32. Indiana had just five turnovers in the game -- and only two of those came from their starters.

Pokey Chatman's second season as Indiana's coach could not be much worse than her first, which ended with a 9-25 mark and snapped the Fever's record 12-year streak of playoff appearances.

"I think buy-in is the biggest thing," Dupree said before Saturday's season opener. "We didn't necessarily have that from the entire team last season. It's tough to win games if people aren't going to do what the coach asks them to do or what coach wants. This year, they're eager to learn to play."

Eight of the 12 players on Indiana's roster are 25 years old or younger.

"They're just hungry, and they're excited to learn," Chatman said. "They give life to me when I come to the gym."

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Wings may be a woman down against Dream

The Dallas Wings might be without starting forward Glory Johnson for their home opener Sunday against the revamped Atlanta Dream.

Johnson may be out of the lineup after suffering a leg injury in the season-opening loss at Phoenix on Thursday. She left the arena with crutches. Dallas coach Fred Williams said it is a hamstring issue.

If Johnson is out for an extended period, second-year forward Kaela Davis and rookie Azura Stevens will see more playing time.

The game will be the season opener for Atlanta, which was named the WNBA's most improved team during the offseason in a vote of league general managers after finishing 12-22 last year.

The Dream, with new coach Nicki Collen, a former Connecticut Sun assistant, signed veteran free agents Renee Montgomery and Jessica Breeland after last season.

Montgomery, a point guard, is a former first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Lynx who won WNBA titles in 2015 and 2017. Breeland, in her eighth year in the WNBA, is a former All-Star forward.

"If there's one thing I've tried to do since I've come, it's getting to know these players and their games and getting them to buy in," Collen said of her new team. "I think we have the talent to be successful, but I think it takes them figuring out how to share the basketball and taking a better shot."

In Friday's 86-78 loss to Phoenix, Dallas struggled to find consistency on offense despite having the presence of talented post player Liz Cambage, a member of Australian's national team who was out of the WNBA for four seasons while playing overseas.

Cambage, who stands 6 feet 8, scored 14 points on nine shots in the first half but made only 1 of 5 after halftime. Point guard Skylar Diggins-Smith got on track in the second half with 16 points after scoring only two in the first half.

"For us, we're still learning each other and trying to figure it out," Diggins-Smith said. "It's not an effort thing, just a few mistakes. You have to give them credit. Quick turnaround, we have another home opener on Sunday and it was good for us to get out there and compete."

Defensively, Dallas looked dominating, holding Phoenix to 40 percent shooting from the field. Cambage held four-time All-Star center Brittney Griner to 4-of-12 shooting form the floor.

"Just having her in the paint dramatically changes things for us defensively," Dallas team president and general manager Greg Bibb told the Dallas Morning-News. "I think we're going to be a significantly better defensive team this year because of her."

[StarDust Bum]

Sparks, Lynx renew rivalry to kick off season

The WNBA wasted little time getting to its marquee matchup.

Seven months after playing their second straight five-game WNBA Finals, the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks kick off their 2018 seasons on Sunday at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

In 2017, it was the Lynx who turned the tables on their arch-rival, defeating the defending-champion Sparks to win a second title in three years.

In what has turned into the WNBA's best rivalry, the teams have split their last 10 Finals meetings and their last 16 games overall.

"This has probably gone to a level I have not seen," Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve, a 17-year WNBA veteran, said of the rivalry.

"This has been awesome for women's basketball," Lynx guard Seimone Augustus agreed, according to the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune. "A lot of eyes have been on the games. The way the playoffs have gone down, it's epic. And it was needed. People needed to see great basketball being played."

The Minnesota starting five, led by its two MVPs, Maya Moore (2014) and Sylvia Fowles (2017), is unchanged from last season but the bench looks quite different.

Reserve forward Plenette Pierson, a key role player off the bench, retired after last season. Natasha Howard was traded to Seattle for a second-round draft pick, and Renee Montgomery left in free agency.

The Lynx signed defensive stopper Tanisha Wright, a 12-year veteran who returned to the league after a one-year retirement, and acquired three-time All-Star selection Danielle Robinson from Phoenix for a first-round pick.

Playing point guard for the Lynx will be Lindsey Whalen's day job this season. Whalen has taken over as head coach of her alma mater, the University of Minnesota. She plans to play at least one more season with the Lynx.

The Lynx-Sparks rivalry gets a little extra heat on Sunday.

The Lynx will unveil their 2017 championship banners with the Los Angeles players looking on.

"I think it definitely adds salt to the wound a little bit," Sparks star Candace Parker said via conference call with the Twin Cities media. "The last time we were on the court, not only do we have to play them, but we have to hear when they get their rings. I think it definitely adds salt, it adds motivation."

Minnesota forward Rebekkah Brunson, unsurprisingly, sees things differently.

"I think it'll be a great atmosphere and I think it's going to be an amazing game for the league and the fans," Brunson said. "We've always had this rivalry. Every game that we play against each other is important to both teams. It's going to be great after winning at Williams (Arena) last year to come back and play them again at home. It's exciting. I think everybody's excited for it. The league, the fans, the players."

The teams have split the past 16 games and the Sparks and Lynx are separated by just three points: the Sparks have scored 1,221 points, the Lynx, 1,218.

Parker, a two-time WNBA MVP, and the rest of the Los Angeles starters, including Nneka Ogwumike, whose last-second shot sunk Minnesota in Game 5 of the 2016 Finals, have returned for 2018.

And they're hungry for another crown.

"You remember the losses," Parker said. "I feel like that feeling lives with you, you take it with you, it's in your stomach and you feel sick. There are a number of shots in my career where I remember where I was, who I was defending, what my first reaction was. Those really stick with you, but I think they kind of push you and motivate you to make sure that you try not to let that happen again."

[StarDust Bum]

Sky open new arena vs. Liberty

The Chicago Sky will try to open the season with two wins in as many days when they face the New York Liberty in their home opener Sunday evening at the new Wintrust Arena.

Chicago (1-0), coming off a resounding 82-64 road victory over the Indiana Fever on Saturday afternoon in its opener, return home to a new building a few miles south of downtown Chicago after previously playing at suburban Allstate Arena.

Ultimately, Sky coach Amber Stocks knows that her players, not the building, will determine how far the team can go this season.

"Depth is one thing that we have that few teams do," Stocks said to the Daily Herald. "A lot of teams will have a seven-player rotation, and I think we will be able to get productive minutes from 10 players every game."

Meanwhile, New York will open on the road after finishing last season on top of the Eastern Conference with 22 wins. The Liberty were bounced out of the playoffs in the second round by the Washington Mystics.

Katie Smith will make her coaching debut for the Liberty. She served as an assistant for the previous four seasons and was promoted to replace Bill Laimbeer, who left to become president of basketball operations and coach of the Las Vegas Aces.

Smith inherits a talented roster that includes playmaking guard Shavonte Zellous.

"We're able to do whatever we pretty much want to," Zellous said to the New York Times. "It's going to be fun to watch. It's just not stand and pass it into (forward/center Tina Charles) and watch Tina work."

Most of New York's roster returns from last season.

The Liberty added rookie Kia Nurse, who shined during her collegiate career with the Connecticut Huskies. Guard Brittany Boyd also will add to the scoring attack after she missed most of last season with a torn Achilles' tendon.

For Chicago, rookie Diamond DeShields already is off to a stellar start one game into her career. The former Tennessee product who spent last season in Turkey netted 18 points in her WNBA debut against the Fever on Saturday.

Guard Allie Quigley notched a team-leading 19 points for the Sky. She made 8 of 12 shots, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.

Now, the Sky will try to replicate their success less than 24 hours later in their home debut.

"I'd say our one long-term goal is to get one of the top six seeds in the playoffs," Stocks said to the Daily Herald. "I think we have a playoff (caliber) team."

[StarDust Bum]

Mercury visit Storm in matchup of title hopefuls

The Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm want to get back to championship-winning form this season.

It's just that their players don't want to talk too much about it.

"There was one year, I was not saying that word anymore," Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, told the Arizona Republic. "It's just easy to say we want to win a championship.

"Do we have the talent? Yes. Are we going to take that extra step of making sure we put it together and we make it work to the point we're playing at a level together as a championship team? We'll see. We have the talent, the experience and the ability to do that. Now we've got to put it together."

The Mercury did that Friday night in their season opener as Taurasi scored 26 points, including the 1,000th 3-pointer of her career, in an 86-78 victory against the visiting Dallas Wings.

DeWanna Bonner, who returned after missing last season to give birth to twins, added 17 points and 12 rebounds. Brittney Griner, battling foul trouble, scored 13 points and newcomer Briann January had 10.

The Storm opens their season Sunday night, hosting the Mercury at Seattle's KeyArena.

With veteran Sue Bird and emerging superstars Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd, the Storm also have title aspirations.

"I'm not going to say anything. I don't want to jinx it," Loyd told The Seattle Times. "That would be pretty dope, though."

Of course, the Mercury and Storm have to contend with the Los Angeles Sparks and Minnesota Lynx in the Western Conference.

The Storm selected UCLA point guard Jordin Canada with the No. 5 overall pick in the WNBA draft and brought in veteran Courtney Paris to help shore up the frontcourt.

"The first thing I want to be is a winning basketball team. We haven't been a winning basketball team since 2011," said new Storm coach Dan Hughes, a 20-year WNBA veteran. "We have to change the defensive direction where it's been and where we'd like to go. ... To be elite, we're going to have to shore up the defensive side of the ball."

Stewart, who is entering her third professional season, won four NCAA titles at UConn, earning MVP honors of the Final Four each time.

"I'm here to win. That's why I play basketball. I'm tired of being 15-19 or whatever ..." Stewart told The Times. "It's about winning and bringing that culture back to the Storm franchise."

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, MAY 20
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

LV at CONN 01:00 PM
CONN -17.0
O 154.5

IND at WAS 01:00 PM
WAS -13.0
U 153.5

ATL at DAL 03:00 PM
ATL +4.0
O 161.0

LA at MIN 05:00 PM
LA +7.5
U 154.0

NY at CHI 07:00 PM
NY -6.5
U 151.0

PHO at SEA 09:00 PM
SEA -2.5
U 156.0

[StarDust Bum]

Sparks edge Lynx 77-76 on Gray's shot in WNBA Finals rematch
May 20, 2018

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Chelsea Gray's contested off-balance shot in the lane at the buzzer gave the Los Angeles Sparks a 77-76 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in their season opener Sunday, an intense rematch of last year's WNBA finals.

Lindsay Whalen had 10 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter for the Lynx, including a pair of free throws with 5.8 seconds left. Gray, who finished with 18 points and eight assists, dribbled into traffic at the other end after a timeout and gave the short-handed Sparks some payback for losing the title last fall.

Odyssey Sims led the Sparks with 21 points, Nneka Ogwumike added 19 points and nine rebounds, and Essence Carson had 10 points. Los Angeles shot just 3 for 18 from 3-point range.

Sylvia Fowles had 15 points and 12 rebounds, Rebekkah Brunson pitched in 15 points, and Maya Moore had just 11 points on 4-for-14 shooting for the Lynx. They had a staggering 24 turnovers that turned into 23 points for the Sparks.

SUN 101, ACES 65

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) - Alyssa Thomas had 13 points, 16 rebounds and six assists to help Connecticut beat expansion Las Vegas in the season opener for both teams.

Tamera Young, who scored the first two points in franchise history on a jumper 51 seconds in, scored 23 for the Aces.

Every Connecticut player scored at least two points, led by Alex Bentley's 18. The Sun hit 11 of 22 from 3-point range, while the Aces shot 26.5 percent from the field, including 1 of 7 from behind the arc. Thomas also had two steals and three blocks.

Rookie A'ja Wilson, the first overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft, had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Las Vegas.

WINGS 101, DREAM 78

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Skyler Diggins-Smith scored 25 points, and Liz Cambage had 21 points, nine rebounds and four blocks to help Dallas beat Atlanta.

Christmas-Kelly finished with 15 points, hitting 11 of 14 free throws, and 10 rebounds, Kaela Davis also scored 15 points, and Kayla Thornton added 13 for the Wings (1-1).

Angel McCoughtry, who sat out last season to rest, had 13 points. She was one of five players to score in double figures for Atlanta (0-1) and hit a jumper early in the fourth quarter to become the 18th player in league history with at least 5,000 career points. The four-time WNBA All-Star is 10 points behind Taj McWilliams-Franklin's 5,013 for 17th on the career list.

MYSTICS 82, FEVER 75

WASHINGTON (AP) - Kristi Toliver hit four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points, and Elena Delle Donne had 13 points and seven assists to help Washington beat Indiana.

Delle Donne hit Toliver for a 3 to make it 82-73 with 1:08 remaining. The Fever (0-2) trailed by as many as 14 points early in the fourth quarter, but Candice Dupree made a jumper and then a runner in the lane 26 seconds later to pull the Fever within six with 1:25 to play.

Monique Curry and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt scored 11 points apiece for Washington (1-0), which made 11 of 25 from 3-point range and 15 of 16 free throws.

Natalie Achonwa had career highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds for Indiana. Dupree scored 13 points with 10 boards.

SKY 80, LIBERTY 76

CHICAGO (AP) - Allie Quigley scored 15 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter to help Chicago beat New York.

It was the Sky's first game at the new Wintrust Arena.

Jamierra Faulkner had 14 points, five rebounds and five assists. Gabby Williams, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft, scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting for Chicago.

Tina Charles led New York with 19 points. Rookie Kia Nurse added 17 and Amanda Zahui B scored 15.

PHOENIX 87 SEATTLE 82

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA 2018 RECORD

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

05/20/2018 5-7-0 41.66% -13.50
05/19/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
05/18/2018 1-0-1 100.00% +5.00

Totals...............8 - 7 - 1....53.33%....+1.50


WNBA BEST BET RECORD

DATE:...........................ATS............... .....UNITS...............................O/U.....................UNITS

05/20/2018..................1 - 2....................- 6.00..............................3 - 3 - 0.................- 1.50
05/19/2018..................1 - 0....................+5.00........................ ......1 - 0 - 0.................+5.00
05/18/2018..................1 - 0....................+ 5.00.............................0 - 0 - 1.................+0.00

TOTALS........................3 - 2.....................+4.00....................... ....4 - 3 - 1..................+3.50

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY MAY 22, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Las Vegas Aces Washington Mystics Capital One Arena
7:00 PM Los Angeles Sparks Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY MAY 23, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
12:00 PM Atlanta Dream Chicago Sky Wintrust Arena
8:00 PM Dallas Wings Minnesota Lynx Target Center
10:00 PM Seattle Storm Phoenix Mercury Talking Stick Resort Arena

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MAY 24, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Los Angeles Sparks Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena
7:00 PM Washington Mystics Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MAY 25, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:30 PM Minnesota Lynx New York Liberty Westchester County Center
10:00 PM Chicago Sky Seattle Storm KeyArena

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY MAY 26, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
6:00 PM Dallas Wings Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
7:00 PM Indiana Fever Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Odds to win the CFL’s Grey Cup this coming season:

2-1: Calgary Stampeders

5-1: Hamilton Tiger-Cats

6-1: Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, Toronto

7-1: Edmonton Eskimos

12-1: BC Lions, Ottawa RedBlacks

18-1: Montreal Alouettes

**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….

13) Major League Baseball has something they need to clean up, for their own good, if they want to promote their product. I’m thinking it would be a pretty simple fix.

There was one 10pm Eastern time game Monday night; Rockies-Dodgers, but the game wasn’t shown in the Westgate SuperBook because Dodger games are blacked out in Las Vegas. Why?

12) LA and Las Vegas are 265 miles apart, a 4-hour drive; why in God’s name would Dodger games be blacked out here?

There were over 100 people in the SuperBook when the NBA game ended Monday; lot of them would’ve stuck around and watched the ballgame, and thats good for the sport, but they all either went home or played blackjack or whatever.

They’re playing ballgames in Japan and England next year, to “grow the game”. How about showing the Dodgers in Las Vegas? That would grow the game, too.

11) Was playing video poker Monday and was talking to a guy who is a Chicago cop; good guy. He told me the Westgate comps him his room because he plays video poker for ten hours at a time. Ten hours!!!! I wouldn’t be able to see the screen after half that long.

10) SuperBook had ESPN’s volume on Monday night; the 90 minutes before the Celtics-Cavs game was a seemingly eternal pre-game show. I mean, a 2-hour game doesn’t need a 90-minute pregame show, where very little, if anything new is ever said.

Best of the on-air personalities is Jalen Rose, who actually says stuff you can learn from, or will at least make you think. He claimed Monday night that Kyrie Irving won’t be happy if Boston wins the NBA title with him sitting out, since it would increase the chances that he would have to move elsewhere when his contract comes up.

Interesting theory; not sure if it is true, but it something to consider going forward.

9) 19-year old Juan Soto hit his first major league homer for the Nationals Monday night; he started this season in A ball, got only 35 plate appearances in AA before getting the call to the major leagues.

If Soto does real well in Washington, it’ll put pressure on Toronto’s brass to promote their #1 prospect, 19-year old Vladimir Guerrero Jr, who is batting .421 in the AA Eastern League. Thats .421 in 39 games, roughly 25% of a season.

8) Orioles 3, White Sox 2— Chicago had guys on 1st and 3rd, two out and Jose Abreu up in the 9th inning; he was quickly walked intentionally, which isn’t a surprise. Abreu is the White Sox’ best hitter, and Buck Showalter doesn’t let the other team’s best hitter beat him, if he can help it.

When he was managing Arizona, Showalter once walked Barry Bonds intentionally in the ninth inning, with the bases loaded and the Diamondbacks nursing a 2-run lead. He walked a guy with bases loaded!!! Next guy lined out to right to end the game, by the way.

7) Nationals 10, Padres 2— Padres’ 22-year old prospect Franmil Reyes hit his first big league homer Monday night in Washington; he is 3 for 20 in his first seven MLB games. He had 14 HR’s in 130 AB’s in AAA ball this season, before he was called up.

Reyes is listed at 6-5, 275; he looks bigger than that; his future may be as a DH. He didn’t look so good playing right field Monday.

6) Washington 3, Tampa Bay 0— Golden Knight fans were delighted when Washington won and forced a Game 7, while the Las Vegas team rests its tired legs.

5) Cavaliers 111, Celtics 102— This was by far the best game of this round of the playoffs, and it wasn’t that good. Home teams are 6-1 SU/ATS in the conference finals so far.

4) Phillies 3, Braves 0— Atlanta got shut out only once in its first 42 games; they’ve been blanked twice in their last four games.

3) 53% of NBA players have played in the G-League, which surprised me.

2) New Jersey Giants’ coach Pat Shurmur threw out the first pitch at a Mets’ game this weekend, after they were turned down by #1 draft pick Saquon Barkley, who was born in the Bronx and has different baseball allegiances.

1) Something I’m curious about but will probably never know: when good players leave the Patriots and go play somewhere else, are they happier away from Foxboro?

I’m not inferring they are or aren’t, other than I’ve read some stuff lately that suggests that maybe some guys are. Brady/Gronkowski aren’t at OTA’s this week; thats not a good sign.

[StarDust Bum]

Opening weekend highlighted by rematch
May 21, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) What an opening weekend for the WNBA.

The finals rematch between Los Angeles and Minnesota was decided at the buzzer, while Connecticut welcomed Las Vegas to the league with the most lopsided loss in opening day history.

The Lynx celebrated their fourth championship in seven years by receiving their rings before the game Sunday against the Sparks, adding fuel to the league's top rivalry.

Los Angeles got the last laugh though with Chelsea Gray hitting an off-balance shot in the lane at the buzzer for the 77-76 win.

''Chelsea is the game-winner queen,'' said Odyssey Sims, who led the Sparks with 21 points. ''I don't know how she squeezed up and flipped it in. I still don't believe. I don't even know how, but it was amazing.''

The win was even more remarkable since the Sparks were missing Candace Parker - out with a back injury.

''We love Candace. She's a heck of a player, one of the best in the league, but I just kind of focus on the people that are here,'' Sparks coach Brian Agler said. ''That's all we do.''

Connecticut opened its season with a 36-point victory over the relocated Aces, who moved from San Antonio to Las Vegas this past offseason. It was the second-biggest margin of victory for the Sun in franchise history, only trailing a 42-point rout of New York in 2012.

The Sun were actually down 14-4 early against the Aces before taking command.

''We have a long way to go and we know that,'' Las Vegas coach Bill Laimbeer said. ''We are missing a lot of players, four contributors from last year and we have to wait for them to get back. They are a very good basketball team and we knew we were going to be in a hornets nest and we were exposed, we lack shooters, shooting 26 percent again two games in a row is not going to cut it and we have to find a solution.''

The Aces are missing stars Kayla McBride and Kelsey Plum, who are playing in the Turkish League finals.

Other tidbits from the opening weekend:

STRONG START: Phoenix beat both Dallas and Seattle to improve to 2-0 for the fifth time in franchise history. The previous two times the Mercury did that (2009 and 2014), they went on to win the WNBA championship. ... Chicago also started 2-0 for the first time since 2014.

WELCOME BACK: Liz Cambage had a stellar opening weekend as Dallas went 1-1. The Australian star, who skipped the last few seasons while playing overseas, averaged 19.5 points and nine rebounds and three blocks.

''It was unfortunate to lose to Phoenix the other night,'' Cambage said after Sunday's 101-78 win over Atlanta. ''We came back just wanting to win, needed to get this first win at home. I think we've really developed a lot since the last game.''

3-POINT BARRAGE: Diana Taurasi became the first WNBA player with 1,000 career 3-pointers and just the fourth in basketball history to do it in less than 400 games. She joined the NBA's Damian Lillard, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Taurasi reached the milestone in the season-opening win over Dallas.