Cnotes 2018 wnba picks,trends,notes,news !

[StarDust Bum]

Aces wrap up road trip against Wings

The twists and turns of the young WNBA season include the Las Vegas Aces showing signs of life and the recently vibrant Dallas Wings searching for answers with starting guard Karima Christmas-Kelly out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

The Aces (3-7) embarked on their current road trip with only one win after eight games. They have since defeated the Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty and complete their travel with a game at Dallas (4-4) on Friday night.

The Wings won three of four games before losing at home 75-72 on Wednesday to the Phoenix Mercury when guard Skylar Diggins-Smith missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

That was not the most heartbreaking development for the Wings that day. Earlier that afternoon, it was announced Christmas-Kelly, an eight-year veteran known for her defense and playmaking ability, will require knee surgery and will be lost the rest of the season.

"It throws a little rhythm off. You lose that especially in games like tonight," Dallas coach Fred Williams said after the loss to Phoenix. "She's a big voice for us on the floor."

Las Vegas enters Friday's game playing with its best rhythm of the season. The Aces are coming off a 78-63 victory over the Liberty, achieving a successful return for coach Bill Laimbeer, who coached New York for five seasons.

Dearica Hamby led the Aces with 17 points and Kayla McBride added 16. The guards combined to make 14 of 23 shots from the field.

"We showed it can be done," said post player A'ja Wilson, who scored 13 points.

Wilson had 17 of her 35 points in the fourth quarter and overtime of Las Vegas' previous game at Indiana, a 101-92 overtime victory over the winless Fever.

"It's a process," McBride said of the modest two-game winning streak. "We are learning to play with each other. When we play hard and together, we can be a dangerous team."

The process for the Wings is to adapt without Christmas-Kelly with forward Kayla Thornton and guards Kaela Davis and Aerial Powers.

Thornton has the defensive capabilities similar to Christmas-Kelly with the ability to guard multiple positions. She defended Phoenix center Brittney Griner and guard Diana Taurasi.

"We needed her energy defensively to guard inside and out," Williams said. "She's a player that's strong, will-powered and going to get better."

[StarDust Bum]

Sun, Storm meet after former coach dies

Anne Donovan's death Wednesday was felt across the WNBA.

Especially for those associated with the Connecticut Sun and Seattle Storm, who meet Friday night at Key Arena.

Donovan, who died of heart failure at age 56, coached the Storm from 2003 to 2007 and led them to their first WNBA title in 2004. She guided Connecticut from 2013 to 2015 and helped draft Sun standouts Chiney Ogwumike and Alyssa Thomas.

"Anne Donovan will always be remembered as a championship coach and a championship person," Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel said in a statement. "Her dedication, passion and winning spirit set the tone for Storm basketball."

The league-leading Sun trailed visiting the Washington Mystics by 28 points at halftime Wednesday when Ogwumike glanced at her phone and noticed the news that Donovan had died.

Connecticut (7-2) erased that deficit before losing to the Mystics 95-91. Courtney Williams led the Sun with 34 points as Thomas suffered a right shoulder injury late in the third quarter and didn't return.

"I think, deep down, you never know, that second-half run could have been (because Donovan's death) was largely in the back of our minds," Ogwumike, who had 19 points and 13 rebounds, told The Norwich Bulletin. "You realize it's more than a game, but at the same time, we play for so much, we play for those who believe in us.

"I know in the second half, on a couple of dead balls, I was thinking, 'What? How'?"

The Storm (7-3) rallied from a 14-point deficit Tuesday to defeat the visiting Chicago Sky 96-85 as Breanna Stewart scored a season-high 30 points.

Stewart rebounded from a season-low 12 points in a 67-64 home loss to Atlanta in which she was plagued by foul trouble, with four of the five calls against her coming at the offensive end.

"I was just confident (and) I wanted to have a good bounce-back game," said Stewart, who went 9 of 13 from the field Tuesday and made four 3-pointers. "Thankfully, I didn't get an offensive foul called on me tonight and I was just being aggressive. My teammates were doing a good job of finding me."

First-year Storm coach Dan Hughes, who has 17 years of experience in the league, said Friday's game will be a good gauge for his team.

"This is a year where I'm still gathering data. What's important is ... I want some momentum coming out (of the current five-game homestand)," Hughes said. "It's going to be interesting to me because we've got a really good Connecticut team (coming in) that's probably playing the best in the league right now. That will be a really good measure."

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, JUNE 15
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

LA at WAS 07:00 PM
LA -4.0
U 160.0

LV at DAL 08:00 PM
LV +8.0
O 171.5

CONN at SEA 10:00 PM
SEA -2.0
O 174.0

[StarDust Bum]

Parker leads Sparks past Mystics, 97-86
June 15, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) Candace Parker had 23 points, seven rebounds and a career-high 11 assists, Alana Beard scored all 10 of her points in the fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Washington Mystics 97-86 on Friday night.

Los Angeles led by 20 points but Washington rallied to tie it at 76.

Chelsea Gray drew two defenders in the lane and found Beard open in the corner for a 91-84 lead. The Sparks made six straight free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal it.

Riquna Williams scored 13 of her season-high 16 points in the first half and made all six of her field goals for Los Angeles (7-2). Odyssey Sims also scored 16 points.

Elena Delle Donne had 18 points, seven rebounds and four steals for Washington (6-5). LaToya Sanders added 12 points and 11 rebounds.

STORM 103, SUN 92

SEATTLE (AP) - Natasha Howard scored a career-high 25 points, Breanna Stewart had 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals, and Seattle beat Connecticut.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis added 18 points off the bench for Seattle (8-3).Chiney Ogwumike scored a career-high 30 points on 13-of-16 shooting for Connecticut (7-3).

The teams honored former coach Anne Donovan with a black stripe on their jerseys. Donovan, the 56-year-old Hall of Famer who died Wednesday, led the Storm to a WNBA championship in 2004, becoming the first female coach to win a title in the league. She also coached the Sun, Indiana Fever, Charlotte Sting and New York Liberty.

WINGS 77, ACES 67

DALLAS (AP) - Elizabeth Cambage had 28 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, and Skylar Diggins-Smith added 20 points and six assists to help Dallas beat Las Vegas.

Glory Johnson had 11 points and nine rebounds for Dallas (5-4), which tied a season-high with 48 points in the paint. The Wings outrebounded the Aces 43-27. Kayla McBride led Las Vegas (3-8) with 22 points, and A'ja Wilson added 14.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY JUNE 16, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Atlanta Dream Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse
8:00 PM New York Liberty Minnesota Lynx Target Center
10:00 PM Connecticut Sun Phoenix Mercury Talking Stick Resort Arena

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY JUNE 17, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
6:00 PM Los Angeles Sparks Chicago Sky Wintrust Arena
8:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Las Vegas Aces Mandalay Bay Event Center


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


WNBA MAY RECORD: OVERALL PICKS

Totals............30 - 22 - 2...57.69%......+29.00

MAY'S BEST BETS:

TOTALS........................11 - 12.................-11.00.......................... ...18 - 8 - 1................+46.00


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


WNBA 2018 RECORD

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

06/15/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
06/14/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
06/13/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
06/12/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
06/10/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
06/09/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -1100
06/08/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
06/07/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
06/05/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
06/01/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00

TOTALS..........27 - 23........54.00%.....+8.50

WNBA BEST BET RECORD

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

06/15/2018................2 - 1.....................+4.50....................... ..1 - 2.....................-6.00.............-1.50
06/14/2018................0 - 1.....................-5.50..........................1 - 0....................+5.00.............-0.50
06/13/2018................1 - 1.....................-0.50..........................0 - 2....................-11.00............-11.50
06/12/2018................2 - 2.....................-1.00..........................3 - 1.....................+9.50............+8.50
06/10/2018................3 - 1.....................+9.50....................... ..2 - 2.....................-1.00.............+8.50
06/09/2018................0 - 1......................-5.50.........................0 - 1.....................-5.50.............-11.00
06/08/2018................3 - 0.....................+15.00...................... 1 - 2......................-6.00............+9.00
06/07/2018................2 - 1.....................+4.50....................... 2 - 1......................+4.50...........+9.00
06/05/2018................0 - 1......................-5.50........................0 - 1......................-5.50............-11.00
06/01/2018................1 - 2......................-6.00........................3 - 0.....................+15.00..........+9.00

TOTALS....................14 - 11...................+9.50.................... 13 - 12...................-1.00.............+8.50

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, June 16

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ATLANTA (6 - 4) at INDIANA (0 - 10) - 6/16/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) as a road favorite of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.
ATLANTA is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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NEW YORK (3 - 5) at MINNESOTA (3 - 6) - 6/16/2018, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 103-70 ATS (+26.0 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in May, June, or July games this season.
MINNESOTA is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 4-3 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 5-2 straight up against NEW YORK 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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CONNECTICUT (7 - 2) at PHOENIX (8 - 3) - 6/16/2018, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 4-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 4-3 straight up against CONNECTICUT 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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WNBA

Saturday, June 16

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Trend Report
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Atlanta Dream
Atlanta is 6-16-1 ATS in its last 23 games
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Atlanta's last 9 games
Atlanta is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Atlanta is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games on the road
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Indiana
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana Fever
Indiana is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana's last 9 games
Indiana is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games at home
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Indiana is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta


New York Liberty
New York is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games
New York is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of New York's last 17 games
New York is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New York is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New York's last 10 games on the road
New York is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Minnesota
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
New York is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
New York is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Minnesota's last 13 games
Minnesota is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Minnesota is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota's last 12 games at home
Minnesota is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing New York
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against New York
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against New York


Connecticut Sun
Connecticut is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Connecticut is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Connecticut is 15-8 ATS in its last 23 games on the road
Connecticut is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Connecticut is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Connecticut's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Connecticut is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Connecticut is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Connecticut's last 14 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games
Phoenix is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Phoenix is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games at home
Phoenix is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Connecticut
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Connecticut
Phoenix is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Connecticut
Phoenix is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Connecticut
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Phoenix's last 14 games when playing at home against Connecticut


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WNBA
Dunkel

Saturday, June 16


Atlanta @ Indiana

Game 309-310
June 16, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
104.485
Indiana
106.523
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 2
161
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 5
151 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(+5); Over

New York @ Minnesota

Game 311-312
June 16, 2018 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
107.903
Minnesota
110.338
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 2 1/2
160
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 7
156
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+7); Over

Connecticut @ Phoenix

Game 313-314
June 16, 2018 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Connecticut
113.519
Phoenix
112.602
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Connecticut
by 1
156
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Connecticut
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Connecticut
N/A

[StarDust Bum]

Dream, Fever match up again in quick turnaround

The Atlanta Dream and the Indiana Fever will play the back end of a two-game, home-and-home series when they square off Saturday for the second time in three nights at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

The Dream won Thursday night's home game against the Fever 72-67 as Tiffany Hayes scored 23 points, going 11 of 15 from the free-throw line. Angel McCoughtry had 16 points and Jessica Breland grabbed 13 rebounds for Atlanta (6-4).

Indiana remains winless, falling to a franchise-worst 0-10 start despite 17 points from Candace Dupree, 13 each from Victoria Vivens and Tiffany Mitchell, and 10 points from Natalie Achonwa. Erica Wheeler, playing in the 100th game of her career, finished with a game- and career-high 10 assists.

The Fever, as they have in five of their 10 losses this season, led going into the fourth quarter but could not come up with the plays they needed down the stretch.

"I keep telling them we're close," Indiana coach Pokey Chatman said about her team's failure to claim its first victory. "We've had a couple of overtime games and a couple other one-opportunity games, all against quality teams. You don't get much closer than that. Our job is to make sure to keep the players ready for that moment."

Indiana's 10-game losing streak ties a franchise worst.

Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana's standout rookie, had her worst game as a professional, scoring just two points on 1 of 12 shooting overall and 0 of 5 from 3-point range.

"It makes it hard when she feels like she's repeating herself," Achonwa said of Chatman's message after the game. "It's how you take on tomorrow and how do we learn from today and get better. We'll see how we respond from this. We've got to keep fighting to get that win."

The Dream, despite traveling cross country after a game in Los Angeles late Tuesday, won for the fourth time in five games and captured their third straight in the series over Indiana. Atlanta and Indiana have now played 41 times, with the Dream winning 21 of them.

Averaging a team-high 19.0 points this year, Hayes has topped 2,500 career points during her six-year career in the WNBA. She has six 20-plus games in 2018 through 10 outings.

Hayes has also shown the ability to draw fouls and get to the free throw line. She is attempting 7.0 per game, which ranks fourth in the WNBA. She tied the Atlanta franchise record for attempts in one quarter with 12 in the first quarter against Indiana on Thursday.

"I was drafted to this team in 2012, and it is part of my job to work with our younger players and teach them how to play the right way," Hayes said in an interview on Friday. "I think I've gotten better every year that I've been on this team, but I'm still learning."

Coach Nicki Collen has preached defense since she took over the Dream this offseason, and her approach is starting to show. Atlanta is second in the WNBA in points allowed at 75.7 per game.

Atlanta has not swept a back-to-back series since defeating Connecticut on Aug. 23, 2015, and Aug. 25, 2015.

[StarDust Bum]

Lynx use break in schedule to prepare for Liberty

Off to their worst start in eight years and with six days between games, the Minnesota Lynx went to work this week on the basics.

On Wednesday, the Lynx (3-6) started what coach Cheryl Reeve called a "mini-training camp" ahead of a Saturday home game against the New York Liberty at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn.

"A three-day training camp," Reeve told the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune. "Just don't tell the players that. I didn't use those two words together, 'training' and 'camp.' We know exactly how to win games. We know what has to be done. And we know we're not getting it done.

"I can't explain all the reasons for it. But we're going to ensure that there are some really basic things we do well the next time we play a basketball game."

One game after ending a four-game losing streak -- Minnesota's longest since 2010 -- Reeve's team fell to first-place Connecticut on June 9.

The Lynx, who lost just seven games during the 2017 regular season, sit in ninth place in the 12-team WNBA. Reeve wanted to make sure her players are putting the team first.

"It's not, 'Minnesota Lynx No. 1,'" she said. "It's like, 1A, and there is a B and C. That can't happen. For this group, it's always been Minnesota Lynx No. 1. We didn't share that spot with anything."

Reeve focused on lapses in concentration: missed layups, deflected passes, missed free throws.

"Those are things that aren't hard to change, but (you have to) recognize it's a problem," Reeve said. "Nobody has to have some magical analytics solution to it. It's going back to the things this franchise has been built on, which is defending our tails off, rebounding the basketball and sharing the ball on offense."

The Liberty (3-5) are coming off a 78-63 home loss to Las Vegas that New York star Tina Charles saw coming.

"The past few games we've been getting lucky, just squeaking by," Charles said, according to the league's website. "I believe we needed this, we needed to get smacked around and know what it feels like, and hopefully we respond next time we have practice."

Charles is second in the WNBA in scoring (21.9 points per game) and minutes played (34.1).

The Liberty shot 42 percent from the floor, including 4 of 24 from deep, against a Las Vegas team that was playing back-to-back road games.

New York has just one win -- at home on Sunday over winless Indiana -- in its past four games.

[StarDust Bum]

Mercury host Sun in attractive matchup

One of the more anticipated matchups of the WNBA season thus far will take place Saturday night in Phoenix when the Mercury host the road-weary Connecticut Sun.

The Mercury, the league's hottest team with a six-game winning streak, are tied with the Seattle Storm for the second-best record in the WNBA at 8-3.

Connecticut is right behind them with a 7-3 record after losing consecutive games, including a 103-92 decision Friday night at Seattle.

The Los Angeles Sparks have the best record in the league in terms of winning percentage (.778) at 7-2.

The back-to-back days of playing continues Connecticut's arduous schedule. The Sun recently played a stretch of five games in nine days in five cities, going 4-1 to start the season with the league's best record at the time at 7-1.

"Try to understand what you go through in playing five games in nine days in five different cities -- the wake-up calls, the commercial flights, breakfast and lunch always in the airports," Connecticut coach Curt Miller said. "You land and grab your bags and go right to practice. You get checked in and the next day you're waking up to a shoot-around or a walk-through. For us to go 4-1 in that stretch is simply remarkable and a credit to that locker room."

The Sun followed their 95-91 home loss to Washington on Wednesday with the defeat at Seattle despite a combined 59 points against the Storm from power forward Chiney Ogwumike (30 points before fouling out) and point guard Jasmine Thomas (29 points and six assists)

In a loss to the Mystics, the Sun trailed by as many as 30 points in the first half and were behind 65-37 at halftime. They rallied to take an 87-86 lead behind a career-high 34 points from shooting guard Courtney Williams before suffering their first home loss of the season.

Despite the recent struggles, Connecticut is averaging 92.3 points per game and on pace to be just the third team in league history to average at least 90 points per game. The last team to do it was the Mercury in 2010. The Sun have six players averaging at least 10 points per game.

Phoenix post player Brittney Griner and point guard Diana Taurasi have accounted for 60 percent of the Mercury's offense.

Taurasi scored 21 points and Griner added 18 before fouling out late in the Mercury's 75-72 win at Dallas on Tuesday night. Phoenix went 20 of 22 at the line. Taurasi made all 10 of her free throws.

Taurasi, in her 14th season in the WNBA after starring at UConn, said after Tuesday's win at Dallas that she can still improve.

"I still want to get better as a basketball player and become a better teammate," she said. "The day that I wake up and I do not have that inner fire then it is time to go, but I still have it and enjoy playing, and competing and I'm going to keep going."

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, JUNE 16
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ATL at IND 07:00 PM
ATL -5.0
U 151.5

NY at MIN 08:00 PM
MIN -7.0
U 157.5

CONN at PHO 10:00 PM
PHO -2.5
O 170.0

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Capsules
June 16, 2018

PHOENIX (AP) Diana Taurasi had 19 points, DeWanna Bonner added 15 and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Connecticut Sun 89-72 on Saturday night to extend their winning streak to seven games.

The Mercury (9-3) have the longest active streak in the WNBA and matched the 1998 and 2014 teams for the best start in franchise history. Sancho Lyttle added 14 points for Phoenix, Brittney Griner had 12, Camille Little 11.

Morgan Tuck led the Sun (7-4) with 20 points, and Brionna Jones had a career-high 17.

FEVER 96, DREAM 64

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Victoria Vivians scored a career-best 21 points to help Indiana beat Atlanta for its first victory of the season.

The Fever (1-10) trailed 38-35 at halftime before outscoring the Dream 36-16 advantage in the third quarter. Indiana opened the fourth quarter with a 15-6 run to lead 86-60.

Indiana's 10-game losing streak matched a franchise worst. The Fever's last regular-season win came on Aug. 6 and was followed by eight straight losses to end the 2017 season.

Angel McCoughtry led the Dream (6-5) with 19 points and eight rebounds.

LYNX 85, LIBERTY 71

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Sylvia Fowles scored 25 points, hitting 10 of 13 shots, in Minnesota's victory over New York.

Maya Moore added 20 points, and Cecilia Zandalasini had 13 for the defending campion Lynx (4-6). Tina Charles had 12 points for the Liberty (3-6).

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY JUNE 17, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
6:00 PM Los Angeles Sparks Chicago Sky Wintrust Arena
8:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Las Vegas Aces Mandalay Bay Event Center


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

WNBA MAY RECORD: OVERALL PICKS

Totals............30 - 22 - 2...57.69%......+29.00

MAY'S BEST BETS:

TOTALS........................11 - 12.................-11.00.......................... ...18 - 8 - 1................+46.00


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


WNBA 2018 RECORD

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

06/16/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
06/15/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
06/14/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
06/13/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
06/12/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
06/10/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
06/09/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -1100
06/08/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
06/07/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
06/05/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
06/01/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00

TOTALS..........30 - 26........53.57%.....+7.00

WNBA BEST BET RECORD

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

06/16/2018................2- 1......................+4.50...................... ...1 - 2......................-6.00............-1.50
06/15/2018................2 - 1.....................+4.50....................... ..1 - 2.....................-6.00.............-1.50
06/14/2018................0 - 1.....................-5.50..........................1 - 0....................+5.00.............-0.50
06/13/2018................1 - 1.....................-0.50..........................0 - 2....................-11.00............-11.50
06/12/2018................2 - 2.....................-1.00..........................3 - 1.....................+9.50............+8.50
06/10/2018................3 - 1.....................+9.50....................... ..2 - 2.....................-1.00.............+8.50
06/09/2018................0 - 1......................-5.50.........................0 - 1.....................-5.50.............-11.00
06/08/2018................3 - 0.....................+15.00...................... 1 - 2......................-6.00............+9.00
06/07/2018................2 - 1.....................+4.50....................... 2 - 1......................+4.50...........+9.00
06/05/2018................0 - 1......................-5.50........................0 - 1......................-5.50............-11.00
06/01/2018................1 - 2......................-6.00........................3 - 0.....................+15.00..........+9.00

TOTALS....................16 - 12...................+14.00.................... 14 - 13...................-7.00.............+7.00

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

— Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. Have a great day!!!

— AL playoff race is almost over; NY, Boston, Astros, Seattle and the Central winner.

— Astros 10, Royals 2— Houston won its last ten games.

— BC Lions 22, Alouettes 10— Montreal didn’t score after the first quarter.

— Mets 5, Arizona 1— Michael Conforto had a homer and four RBI.

— PA announcer at the Dodgers game last night was Mary Hart, the ex-host of Entertainment Tonight.


**********

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind…….

13) Seattle Mariners are 23-10 in one-run games this season, which means………
a) They’ve gotten the most out of their team up to this point.
b) It will be difficult to sustain this level of winning; a slide could happen.

12) Marlins 5, Orioles 4— In their last 18 games, Baltimore is 2-0 against the Mets, 0-16 against everyone else. Orioles are the third team since 2000 to reach 50 losses before 20 wins in a season (’03 Tigers, ’10 Orioles).

11) When a major league ballplayer reaches eight years of service time, he gets a gold pass, which is a lifetime pass for two to any major league game.

10) Mike Bibby is 40 years old now; he played 14 years in the NBA, where he averaged 14.7 ppg in his career.

Current pictures of Bibby surfaced on Twitter this week; he looks like a bodybuilder or a WWE wrestler now. He last played in the NBA six years ago.

9) Milwaukee Brewers have newly-acquired Brad Miller playing shortstop at AAA Colorado Springs; it figures that he could become the Brewers’ shortstop fairly soon.

8) Middle Tennessee State has had a really good basketball team the last few years, but with coach Kermit Davis off to Ole Miss, the Blue Raiders had a rough week. Two of their best returnees transferred out, and they threw two other kids off the team.

7) Obscure trivia: Detroit Tigers played in the World Series in both 1968 and 1984. Only six players played against Detroit in both those seasons: Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew, Tommy John, Rollie Fingers, Tom Burgmeier and Graig Nettles.

6) Sounds like high school basketball players might once again be able to go right from high school to the NBA, as early as 2021 or 2022. That would be a good rule change.

5) Phil Mickelson shot an 81 on his 48th birthday, including hitting a putt on 13 when the ball was still rolling on his previous putt. Not his finest moment.

4) In the Canadian Football League, coaches can use an instant replay challenge on pass interference calls/non-calls.

3) Giants’ 3B Evan Longoria will undergo surgery on Tuesday to stabilize the fracture in the fifth metacarpal of his left hand. He is expected to be out for 6-8 weeks.

2) Arizona’s Patrick Corbin has allowed two homers to lefty batters this season; both of them hit by the Mets’ Michael Conforto. Before his 2nd inning homer last night, Conforto was 0 for his last 30 with men on base.

1) Calgary 28, Hamilton 14— #82 on the Stampeders made a tremendous one-handed catch late in the first half of this game. If it was in the NFL, it would be in highlight films for years.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, June 17

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

LOS ANGELES (7 - 2) at CHICAGO (3 - 6) - 6/17/2018, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 141-185 ATS (-62.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 33-18 ATS (+13.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in June games over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) against Eastern conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in home games after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1997.
CHICAGO is 35-55 ATS (-25.5 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 8-3 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 9-2 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

PHOENIX (9 - 3) at LAS VEGAS (3 - 8) - 6/17/2018, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LAS VEGAS is 35-21 ATS (+11.9 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 5-2 against the spread versus LAS VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 7-0 straight up against LAS VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




WNBA

Sunday, June 17

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

Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles is 18-5-1 ATS in its last 24 games
Los Angeles is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games
Los Angeles is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Los Angeles is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games on the road
Los Angeles is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Chicago
Los Angeles is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing Chicago
Los Angeles is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Los Angeles is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Los Angeles's last 10 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago Sky
Chicago is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Chicago is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games
Chicago is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Chicago is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chicago's last 11 games at home
Chicago is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Los Angeles
Chicago is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing Los Angeles
Chicago is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
Chicago is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chicago's last 10 games when playing at home against Los Angeles


Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games
Phoenix is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Phoenix is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games on the road
Phoenix is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Las Vegas
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Las Vegas
Phoenix is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing on the road against Las Vegas
Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Las Vegas is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games
Las Vegas is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Las Vegas is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Las Vegas's last 10 games at home
Las Vegas is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Phoenix
Las Vegas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Las Vegas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 6 games when playing at home against Phoenix


---------------------------------------------------------
WNBA
Dunkel

Sunday, June 17


Los Angeles @ Chicago

Game 315-316
June 17, 2018 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
114.208
Chicago
101.238
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 13
168
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
by 10
163
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-10); Over

Phoenix @ Las Vegas

Game 317-318
June 17, 2018 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
114.991
Las Vegas
107.154
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Phoenix
by 8
167
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix
by 6 1/2
164
Dunkel Pick:
Phoenix
(-6 1/2); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Sparks hope to give Parker successful homecoming vs. Sky

The Los Angeles Sparks will go for their fourth win in a row when they visit the Chicago Sky on Sunday afternoon at Wintrust Arena near downtown Chicago.

At 7-2, Los Angeles sits atop the WNBA standings. The Sparks boast an impressive 3-1 record on the road and recently scored a season-high 97 points in an 11-point win over the Washington Mystics on Friday

Another scoring outburst could be in store for the Sparks, who have four players averaging in double digits.

Veteran forward Candace Parker leads the way with 16.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. The Windy City visit carries special meaning for the 32-year-old, who shined as a high school player in the Chicago suburb of Naperville.

"It's a lot of fun to go home," Parker told ESPN two years ago during a trip to play the Sky. "Some really talented basketball players have come out of Chicago, and it was very competitive for me growing up."

The Sparks also have plenty of scoring support from Nneka Ogwumike (16.7 points, team-high 7.2 rebounds per game), Chelsea Gray (15.0) and Odyssey Sims (13.1). Complementary players such as Essence Carson (7.2) and Riquna Williams (5.9) also have made an impact as Los Angeles chases its second WNBA championship in the past three years.

Meanwhile, Chicago (3-6) started strong but has tailed off in recent weeks. A win over Los Angeles would give the Sky a statement victory on their new home court and rejuvenate the squad for the second half of June and beyond.

The Sky have lost three straight games, all by double digits, including last Sunday's 77-59 loss in Los Angeles when they shot 28 percent. But Chicago is 2-2 on its home court, where it earned its most recent victory June 3 with a 95-90 victory over the Las Vegas Aces.

Allie Quigley leads the Sky with 16.1 points per game. She is followed by rookie Diamond DeShields, who has posted 13.7 points and 5.1 boards on average. DeShields notched her second 20-point game and made five 3-pointers for a career high in Tuesday's 96-85 loss against the Seattle Storm.

Cheyenne Parker also will try to maintain her good play off the bench. She posted 10 points and 10 rebounds against Seattle for her third double-double of the season.

Sky coach Amber Stocks remains confident in her team despite a recent skid.

"We really have a unique situation in that we have several specialty players," Stocks told reporters in comments published by the Chicago Sun-Times. "One thing that this road trip taught us was, first and foremost, stay together. We're more powerful together than we are individually."


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

Aces return home to host Mercury

Four games in a span of seven days, and all on the road. That's a recipe for disaster for a young team that doesn't have much of a winning history in recent years.

But the Las Vegas Aces came away with a split of those four road games and now are feeling pretty good as they return to their desert playground.

Bill Laimbeer's squad, led by rookie A'ja Wilson, returns to the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip Sunday to take on the Brittany Griner, Diana Taurasi and the 9-3 Phoenix Mercury.

The Aces (3-8) started their road trip with a loss to the Mercury, then beat the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty before finishing their weeklong journey with a 77-67 loss on Friday at Dallas.

After the game, Laimbeer said his team made strides but has a lot to learn.

"Well, I told the players after the game that I thought it was a solid road trip for us," he said. "We played quality teams, got a couple of wins, but we've got to learn the mental part of the game. Every possession counts. (Friday), we got a little mentally fatigued and it cost us."

Veteran Kayla McBride echoed her coach's assessment of the Aces' play.

"Getting wins anywhere in this league on the road is a big deal, so for this young team to get two back-to-back I think was really good," she said. "Obviously, we didn't finish the road trip how we wanted to, but carrying this momentum, the league that we play in, the schedule that we have, we kind of have to be prepared no matter what. We're going to travel back, get ready to play Phoenix for our home fans."

Phoenix is coming off an 89-72 home win on Saturday night against the Connecticut Sun and extended its winning streak to seven games.

Taurasi scored 19 to lead four other Phoenix players in double figures. The Mercury held the Sun to 36.7 percent shooting from the field.

The Mercury defeated the Aces on June 10 by tightening up on defense and controlling the boards where they held a 49-40 advantage, including plus 12 on the offensive end.

Phoenix, no doubt, will employ the same strategy Sunday.

The trio of Taurasi, Griner and DeWanna Bonner were practically unstoppable and combined to score 58 points against the Aces. Griner also recorded seven blocks.

"I was just trying to keep them from scoring," Griner said after the win. "Block the shot, keep them from scoring, give us another possession. It pumped me up to try to get another one."

The Aces hung tough, but just didn't have enough firepower against a veteran team.

"When we needed it, we buckled down defensively," Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello said after the win. "To be a championship team you have to rebound, and we did, we went and got some boards."

Heading into Saturday night's game against the Sun, the Mercury were averaging 82.5 points per game and giving up 79.7. The Aces were allowing 85.5 points and a league-high 37.5 rebounds per game.

Expect the Mercury to exploit the Aces' weakness on the boards.

"I wish we outrebounded our opponents every single game, but when we need to we do," Brondello said.