Cnotes 2018 wnba picks,trends,notes,news !

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, JULY 5
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NY at WAS 07:00 PM
WAS -8.5
U 160.0

LA at MIN 08:00 PM
MIN -3.5
U 154.5

IND at DAL 08:00 PM
IND +10.0
O 167.0

CHI at LV 10:00 PM
LV -4.0
O 172.5

[StarDust Bum]

Lynx hold off Sparks in title rematch
July 5, 2018

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Rebekkah Brunson grabbed 12 boards while becoming the leading rebounder in WNBA history, helping the Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks 83-72 on Thursday.

Brunson began the night in third place with 3,306 rebounds. She passed Lisa Leslie (3,307) early on and overtook Tamika Catchings (3,316) when she grabbed Candace Parker's missed 3-pointer with 7:17 left in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected on the following play for arguing a call, but Brunson was later recognized with a standing ovation from the crowd and a hug from Lynx owner Glen Taylor when the achievement was announced during the ensuing media timeout.

Brunson also had 15 points in her 82nd career double-double, putting her ahead of Yolanda Griffith for sixth on the WNBA career list.

Sylvia Fowles added 27 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven assists for the Lynx (11-7), who bounced back from their first loss in eight games.

Candace Parker led the Sparks (12-7) with 22 points.

MERCURY 84, SUN 77

PHOENIX (AP) - Diana Taurasi had 25 points, Brittney Griner scored 23 and Phoenix took over sole possession of first place in the WNBA.

DeWanna Bonner made a pair of key baskets down the stretch that helped the Mercury (14-5) hold off the Sun. She finished with 12 points and a season-high 13 rebounds.

The Sun (10-8) never led. They trailed by as many as 15 in the third quarter before going on a 17-3 run to cut the deficit to 73-72.

Chiney Ogwumike, Rachel Banham and Jasmine Thomas had 11 points each for Connecticut.

MYSTICS 86, LIBERTY 67

WASHINGTON (AP) - Elena Delle Donne scored 11 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter to help Washington pull away for the win.

Natasha Cloud had 10 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in the first double-double of her career. LaToya Sanders added 14 points for the Mystics (11-6).

Washington used a 15-5 run to open a 71-59 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Liberty (5-13) got the deficit within single digits twice and then the Mystics closed the game on an 8-0 run.

Tina Charles had 26 points and 12 rebounds for New York. Epiphanny Prince added 11 points.

WINGS 90, FEVER 63

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Azura Stevens scored a career-high 26 points, and Dallas never trailed.

The Wings (9-8) opened the game with an 8-0 run and pulled away with a 19-4 run that ended at 33-16 early in the second quarter. The Fever (2-17) got as close as 47-36 early in the third quarter, but Dallas extended the lead to 65-41 and closed the game on a 7-0 run to take its largest lead at the final score.

Liz Cambage added 17 points and nine rebounds and Aerial Powers scored 11 for the Wings.

Candice Dupree had 21 points and Cappie Pondexter scored 12 for the Fever.

ACES 84, SKY 80

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Kayla McBride scored 28 points and Las Vegas pulled ahead of Chicago in the WNBA standings.

McBride's driving layup with 2:14 left made it 80-77, and the Aces (7-12) made 4 of 6 free throws down the stretch. A'ja Wilson was fouled on a putback and made 1 of 2 free throws to make it a two-possession game with 31.2 seconds left.

Las Vegas led for most of the second half and took the lead for good late in the third quarter at 69-67 on Wilson's jumper. Wilson finished with 24 points.

The Sky (6-12) went scoreless for the final 3:52 of the game. Allie Quigley had 13 points, Diamond DeShields scored 11 and Cheyenne Parker finished with 10 for Chicago.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY JULY 6, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Seattle Storm Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY JULY 7, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Washington Mystics Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center
8:30 PM Minnesota Lynx Chicago Sky Wintrust Arena
10:30 PM Connecticut Sun Las Vegas Aces Mandalay Bay Event Center

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY JULY 8, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Dallas Wings New York Liberty Westchester County Center
3:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
7:00 PM Washington Mystics Seattle Storm KeyArena

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY JULY 10, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Los Angeles Sparks Seattle Storm KeyArena
8:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Dallas Wings College Park Center
8:30 PM Las Vegas Aces Chicago Sky Wintrust Arena

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
11:30 AM Atlanta Dream Washington Mystics Capital One Arena
11:30 AM New York Liberty Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena
12:00 PM Minnesota Lynx Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY JULY 12, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:30 PM Dallas Wings Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center


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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

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WNBA JUNE RECORD: OVERALL PICKS

TOTALS................66 - 53....................55.46%.....................+ 49.50

JUNE'S BEST BETS:

TOTALS................40 - 23....................55.03%...................... +49.50

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WNBA JULY RECORD: OVERALL PICKS.

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

07/05/2018 3-4-1 42.86% -7.00
07/03/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
07/01/2018 3-7-0 30.00% -23.50

TOTALS...........11-14.........44.00%.....-22.00


JULY'S BEST BETS:

07/05/2018.................2 - 1...............+4.50........................1 - 3...............-11.50.............-7.00
07/03/2018.................2 - 2................-1.00........................3 - 1...............+9.50..............+8.50
07/01/2018.................1 - 4................-17.00......................2 - 3................-6.50...............-23.50

TOTALS.......................5 - 7................-13.50......................6 - 7................-8.50..............-22.00

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s 6-pack

Odds on potential NBA Finals matchups next season:

+155: Celtics-Warriors

+425: 76ers-Warriors

+900: Celtics-Lakers

+900: Celtics-Rockets

+1500: Raptors-Warriors

+2000: 76ers-Lakers

Tweet of the Day
“I’m playing short. That’s the position I want to play. That’s the position I know I can play and produce.”
Manny Machado, a real team guy

Friday’s quiz
What active pitcher has given up the most career home runs to the White Sox?

Thursday’s quiz
Cleveland Indians played Marlins, Cubs the last two times they were in World Series.

Wednesday’s quiz
New York Mets have used Polo Grounds, Shea Stadium and Citi Field as a home field.

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Friday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here…….

13) Washington Nationals are a mess; in their last 25 games, their starting pitchers have one win. One. They had a players’ only meeting Wednesday, then fell behind 7-0 in the second inning last night- they’re 43-43 and sinking fast.

Nationals beat Miami 14-12 Thursday, after trailing 9-0.

Dusty Baker went 192-132 in two years as Washington’s manager, and they fired him so they could hire a guy who has never managed before. Why was this a good idea?

12) Agent Scott Boras was whining about shifts hurting lefty hitters more than righty hitters; I wonder who Bryce Harper’s agent is?

11) Speaking of Boras, six of the Washington Nationals’ eight highest-paid players are represented by Boras. Daniel Murphy and Harper are free agents this coming winter and neither is having a good season this year.

Maybe Boras should be managing the Nationals; he played minor league ball back in the day.

10) Rubber game of a series is the 3rd game of a 3-game series, when teams split the first two. Here are teams with best records in rubber games this season:
New York (A) 8-2, Boston 5-2, Seattle 7-3, Houston 8-4, Arizona 6-3

9) Teams with worst records in rubber games:
Royals 2-8, Orioles 1-3, Jays/Mets 2-5, Rockies 3-7

8) Major league teams have concessions stands where you can buy game-used items, like foul balls or broken bats or game-used jerseys/caps. They’re not cheap; I was in Philly’s ballpark last fall and I can personally attest that the pine tar on a bat is really sticky.

Would be interesting to know how much a team nets from those sales in the course of a season.

7) Colorado’s 1-0 home win over the Giants Wednesday as their first 1-0 win at Coors Field since June 12, 2010.

6) 51-year old Steve Stricker has made the cut in 27 consecutive majors, the longest current active streak; Brooks Koepka is next, at 16.

5) Whats the worst day to have a birthday? Dec 26? Feb 29? July 5? Jan 2?

4) Baseball DL doings:
— Angels put P Tyler Skaggs and OF Chris Young on the DL.
— Nationals put P Erick Fedde on the DL.
— Arizona put OF Jarrod Dyson on the DL.
— Mariners put C Mike Zunino on the DL.

3) Interesting that Yuli Gurriel was playing 3B for the Astros last night, with the White Sox in town. Houston has been rumored to be interested in acquiring Chicago’s 1B Jose Abreu.

2) Graduate transfer Geno Crandall bolts North Dakota for Gonzaga; it is getting to the point where mid-major coaches are becoming reluctant to pay for kids’ summer school now, since if they graduate early, they’re more likely to jump to greener pa$ture$.

Crandall is a 6-4 guard who scored 28 points against the Zags in a 89-83 Gonzaga win in OT in Spokane last fall. Very good player.

1) Western Kentucky signed a 5-star basketball recruit named Charles Bassey, who will be at WKU this fall, after re-classifying from the Class of 2019.

In a stunning coincidence, the Hilltoppers also hired young Bassey’s guardian as an assistant coach, and will play him $200,000 a year— a totally legal move.

Larry Brown did the same thing when he signed Danny Manning at Kansas— Ed Manning had been a truck driver before his son was recruited by the Jayhawks.

[StarDust Bum]

Storm go for 4th win in row vs. Dream

The Seattle Storm will have the WNBA's top scorer, leading playmaker, best road record and the momentum from three straight wins in their corner when they visit the Atlanta Dream on Friday at McCamish Pavilion on the campus of Georgia Tech University.

Don't expect Seattle to slow down, even when facing the Dream's balanced scoring and a hostile road atmosphere.

The Storm head south to Atlanta after a 77-62 win on the road against New York on Tuesday as Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd scored 21 points each to pace Seattle.

Seattle (13-5) held the Liberty to just 38.2 percent shooting leading and only 62 points, a season low for a Storm opponent. Seattle is now 5-2 on the road, continuing to add to its best road start in franchise history.

Stewart, the league's leading scorer who came into the night averaging 21.9 points, also grabbed eight rebounds and nabbed three steals, tying a season high. Loyd eclipsed the 20-point mark for the seventh time in 2018.

Natasha Howard posted 13 points and Sue Bird dished out a season high-tying 11 assists. Bird has now recorded nine or more assists in five straight games, accumulating a total of 50 in those games. The Storm had 25 assists on their 30 field goals.

"Our offense lends to making the right pass at the right time," Bird said. "That's really all that I do. I'm not out there necessarily breaking down the defense and making the exciting pass every time."

In a game dominated by defense, Seattle coach Dan Hughes felt the key to his team's performance was how his team defended in the paint.

"(New York) is very post-oriented, and I thought our post defense, and our ability to use a team approach on it, really helped," said Hughes.

The Dream return home after a dramatic 87-83 road win over Indiana on Sunday in which Brittney Sykes led Atlanta with 20 points and seven assists. Tiffany Hayes added 19 points and Angel McCoughtry scored 15 for the Dream.

Hayes' running jumper with 26.2 seconds remaining and two free throws with 9.1 to play clinched the victory for Atlanta (8-8), just its second win in its past six games. The Dream shot 50 percent from the field and outrebounded Indiana.

The Dream has played five of its last six games on the road. Friday's contest with Seattle is the first of a two-game homestand and seven games on their home court in July.

McCoughtry, who took a year off from the WNBA last year to rest, said she's still getting used to the day-to-day grind again and the extensive travel. Unlike NBA teams, WNBA franchises don't charter planes because of the cost.

"It definitely is a lot tougher than I remember," McCoughtry said. "More games in a shorter period of time, but that's life in the WNBA."

Atlanta beat the Storm in Seattle 67-64 on June 10 in Seattle. The two teams will play for the third and final time of the year on July 22 in the Pacific Northwest. The Dream own a 12-11 all-time edge over Seattle and have won eight of the 11 games played in Atlanta.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Friday, July 6


Seattle @ Atlanta

Game 611-612
July 6, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
110.932
Atlanta
109.923
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 1
155
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
by 3 1/2
159
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+3 1/2); Under




WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, July 6

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SEATTLE (13 - 5) at ATLANTA (8 - 8) - 7/6/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1997.
SEATTLE is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) as a home underdog of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ATLANTA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 7-1 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 5-3 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Friday, July 6

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

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, JULY 6
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

SEA at ATL 07:00 PM

ATL +5.0

O 161.0

[StarDust Bum]

Stewart scores 29 to help Storm beat Dream 95-86
July 6, 2018

ATLANTA (AP) Breanna Stewart had 29 points, nine rebounds and three blocks to help the Seattle Storm beat the Atlanta Dream 95-86 on Friday night for their fourth straight victory.

Sue Bird added 18 points and 10 assists, Alysha Clark scored 14 points and Jewell Loyd had 11 for Seattle (14-5). Natasha Howard had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

After Atlanta (8-9) jumped to a 9-2 lead, the Storm scored 14 of the next 15 points and never again trailed. Stewart converted a four-point play and then hit a jumper to spark a 14-0 run that made it 50-21 with a minute left in the first half.

The Dream outscored Seattle 29-19 in the third quarter and a 3-pointer by Tiffany Hayes trimmed their deficit to 72-66 early in the fourth, but Atlanta got no closer. Loyd answered with a 3 and then a pull-up jumper to push the lead back into double figures.

Angel McCoughtry scored 26 points and Hayes added 23 for the Dream.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY JULY 7, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Washington Mystics Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center
8:30 PM Minnesota Lynx Chicago Sky Wintrust Arena
10:30 PM Connecticut Sun Las Vegas Aces Mandalay Bay Event Center

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY JULY 8, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Dallas Wings New York Liberty Westchester County Center
3:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
7:00 PM Washington Mystics Seattle Storm KeyArena


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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

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WNBA JUNE RECORD: OVERALL PICKS

TOTALS................66 - 53....................55.46%.....................+ 49.50

JUNE'S BEST BETS:

TOTALS................40 - 23....................55.03%...................... +49.50

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WNBA JULY RECORD: OVERALL PICKS.

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

07/06/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/05/2018 3-4-1 42.86% -7.00
07/03/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
07/01/2018 3-7-0 30.00% -23.50

TOTALS...........12-15.........44.44%.....-22.50


JULY'S BEST BETS:

07/06/2018.................0 - 1................-5.50........................1 - 0...............+5.00..............-0.50
07/05/2018.................2 - 1...............+4.50........................1 - 3...............-11.50.............-7.00
07/03/2018.................2 - 2................-1.00........................3 - 1...............+9.50..............+8.50
07/01/2018.................1 - 4................-17.00......................2 - 3................-6.50...............-23.50

TOTALS.......................5 - 8................-19.00......................7 - 7................-3.50..............-22.50

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

NFL players who were targeted most on red zone pass plays LY:

26— Rob Gronkowski NE, Jimmy Graham Sea, Cooper Kupp LAR

25— Julio Jones Atl

24— Keenan Allen LAC

23— Davonte Adams GB, Jarvis Landry Mia, Antonio Brown Pitt

21— Travis Kelce KC, Adam Theilen Minn, Michael Thomas NO

20— Fitzgerald Az, Bryant Dal, Abdullah Det, Jeffrey/Agholor/Ertz, all Phil

Quote of the Day
“He’s very demanding. A lot of guys haven’t had a coach like that…….you have to have a thick skin, that’s for sure. You have to park your ego, and you have to realize that you can’t take things personally. That’s the biggest thing.”
Sean Elliott, on playing for Gregg Popovich

Saturday’s quiz
Who did Carmelo Anthony break into the NBA with?

Friday’s quiz
Justin Verlander has given up the most career home runs to the White Sox (41).

Thursday’s quiz
Cleveland Indians played Marlins, Cubs the last two times they were in World Series.

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Saturday’s List of 13: NFL knowledge for a summer Saturday

13) Seven new head coaches in the NFL this coming season, 17 new offensive coordinators— over half the teams in the NFL changed OC’s after last year. 13 teams have new defensive coordinators.

12) There are only three offensive coordinators in the NFL who’ve been in that job with the same team for more than three years; Scott Linehan (Dallas), Pete Carmichael (NO, though Sean Payton is the real OC there) and Josh McDaniels (NE).

Only six defensive coordinators have been in their current job with the same team for 4+ years.

11) Pete Carroll is going into his 9th season in Seattle, but he’ll have two new coordinators this season; Mike McCarthy has been in Green Bay for a dozen years, but he’ll have two new coordinators this season, too.

10) Over was 13-3 in Falcon games in 2016, 2-13-1 last year. Over is 21-11 in Washington games the last two years.

9) Baltimore Ravens went 9-7 LY, missing playoffs for 3rd year in row when their defense gagged at end of a 31-27 home loss to Cincinnati in Week 17, giving up a 49-yard TD pass in the last minute.

When an NFL team is +17 in turnovers, +14 in sacks, scores eight TD’s on defense/special teams (T1 in NFL) and doesn’t make the playoffs, that not good.

8) Vikings, Patriots had similar profiles last year; they both won despite not forcing many turnovers (Minn 19, NE 18), but rarely turning ball over themselves (Minn 14, NE 12).

7) Teams who turned ball over the most LY: Browns 41, Broncos 34, Dolphins 29.

Teams who turned ball over the least: Chiefs 11, Patriots 12, Vikings/Raiders 14.

6) Teams with the most takeaways LY: Ravens 34, Jaguars 33, Lions 32, Eagles 31.

Teams with the least takeaways LY:

5) Jets, Raiders were only NFL teams LY to not score a TD on defense or special teams.

4) Carolina Panthers were 11-5 LY, 8-1 in games decided by 8 or fewer points, 4-0 in games decided by 3 or fewer points.

Norv Turner as the Panthers’ new OC will be fascinating, how he utilizes Cam Newton.

3) Chargers went 9-7 LY, but were 1-4 in games decided by 3 or fewer points, losing three of those games during their 0-4 start, when the Bolts’ kickers screwed up in key spots. Chargers used four different kickers last year.

2) Dak Prescott loses his top two red zone targets from LY, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. Dallas has only three players on its team who are 30+ years old.

1) Alex Smith is a QB who doesn’t take as many chances as most QB’s, so his teams don’t turn the ball over as much- they had 11 turnovers LY, least in league. but Smith is in Washington now, and rookie QB Mahomes (1 start LY) is the Chiefs’ QB.

Its not inconceivable that their giveaway total could double this season; 19 of 32 NFL teams turned the ball over 22+ times LY.

[StarDust Bum]

Brunson, streaking Lynx visit Sky

Minnesota Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson already boasted plenty of career accomplishments as a five-time WNBA champion, a four-time All-Star and a six-time All-Defense selection.

The powerful 36-year-old added another major milestone to her legacy: the WNBA's career rebound leader.

Brunson will play her first game since breaking the record when Minnesota (11-7) travels to take on the Chicago Sky (6-12) Saturday night at Wintrust Arena.

Brunson will be all business at tipoff.

Until then, she can enjoy the fact that she has more career rebounds (3,318) than any other player in league history, including previous record-holder Tamika Catchings (3,317) and previous runner-up Lisa Leslie (3,307), both of whom she surpassed Thursday night in Minnesota.

"This is a great feeling, individually," Brunson said to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "You know, this feels really good to kind of have your work pay off. I feel like I'm the type of player that I don't necessarily get the shine, the spotlight, the attention, so it feels good to be recognized for something that you feel you contribute all the time.

"The championships, that's about us being able to play together. So it's two different things."

To that end, Minnesota also has proved that it can play together this season. The Lynx have won eight of their last nine games as they look to defend last season's championship win over the Los Angeles Sparks.

Maya Moore leads Minnesota with 19.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Next in scoring is Sylvia Fowles, a former Sky standout who is averaging a double-double with 17.7 points and 11.8 rebounds.

Seimone Augustus rounds out the list of double-digit scorers at 10.4 points per game. The new history-maker, Brunson, is averaging 8.0 points and 7.3 boards.

Chicago is looking to snap a three-game skid that included losses to the New York Liberty, Dallas Wings and Las Vegas Aces. The Sky are in danger of posting back-to-back losing seasons barring a late turnaround.

"We just have to learn from this and bounce back," Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot said recently to the Chicago Daily Herald.

Allie Quigley leads Chicago with 16.8 points and 2.6 assists per game. Rookie Diamond DeShields has provided a much-needed boost in the paint, averaging 13.8 points and 4.9 rebounds. Others averaging in double digits include Vandersloot (10.6 points) and Cheyenne Parker (10.4 points).

Chicago is 4-5 at home. Minnesota is 5-4 on the road.

[StarDust Bum]

Aces could match franchise's 2017 win total vs. Sun

Bill Laimbeer is doing some coaching job out in the desert, eh?

In his first season since leaving the New York Liberty, the veteran WNBA coach has taken what was a forlorn franchise in San Antonio and with a little help turned that team into a respectable and potential playoff team.

Last season in San Antonio, the franchise won eight games, which was one more than the previous season. On Saturday, the Las Vegas Aces (7-12) can match last season's total when they host the Connecticut Sun at Mandalay Bay Events Center.

The little bit of help propelling the Aces upward in the standings stands 6 feet 4 and averages 20.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. She was the top pick in the draft, and A'ja Wilson is living up to her lofty status.

Wilson also is getting a little help as well. Kayla McBride, who was the No. 3 overall pick in 2014 by the Stars, is averaging 18.5 points per game and has blossomed this season under Laimbeer. And she has proved to be a steady influence for Wilson.

"I call her my vet," Wilson told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "She really keeps me sane through games. ... When I'm having a bad game or missing a shot, I can always count on K-Mac."

McBride scored 28 points and Wilson 24 in the 84-80 win over Chicago on Thursday.

"They're growing and they're hungry and they want that playoff chance, so I told them they had to win this game and they did," Laimbeer said.

The Sun and Aces met in the season opener for both in a game the Aces would like to forget. Alyssa Thomas had 13 points, 16 rebounds and six assists as Connecticut handed Vegas its worst defeat of the season, 101-35.

The Sun (10-8) went on to win seven of their first nine games, but they have gone 3-6 since then. Their offense is not the problem. Chiney Ogwumike leads five players in double figures at 15.3 points per game.

The versatility of Connecticut's starters was the hallmark of the Sun early in the season.

"The beauty of our team," Ogwumike told the Hartford Courant. "Anybody can catch the rebound and go. When we settle in, we're really hard to stop."

But from June 13 to June 22, the Sun's defense failed and Connecticut lost four straight.

Coach Curt Miller's squad seems to have righted the ship heading into July. He did have a warning for his team after that season-opening blowout of the Aces, who were playing without McBride and Kelsey Plum.

"They are going to pound it every night at people until their star guards get back," Miller said. "There are certainly things to work and grow on, but I like our starters and our depth."

The Sun, 3-3 in their last six games, lost 84-77 to the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday to continue a trend of win one game and lose the next. Phoenix held Connecticut to a season-low 34.6 percent from the field.

The Sun were playing their third game in five days and it showed.

"For us, we just have to be resilient on the road," Ogwumike said. "Some days it's going to go your way, some days it's not."

[StarDust Bum]

Sparks look to end skid against Mystics

The Los Angeles Sparks are not used to this roller-coaster ride. They are usually perched comfortably atop the WNBA standings.

But this season is proving to be a little more challenging for Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike and company.

The Sparks are 12-7 and just percentage points behind the Washington Mystics (11-6), who will face the Sparks on Saturday in Los Angeles. The two are virtually tied for the third-best record in the league.

Phoenix and Seattle have the best records in the WNBA at 14-5.

But Los Angeles has lost two in a row, the first by one point to Connecticut and then a road defeat to defending champion Minnesota on Thursday.

In that game, Minnesota's Rebekkah Brunson became the WNBA career rebounds leader.

The Mystics and Sparks met June 15. Los Angeles was on cruise control as the Sparks beat the Mystics 97-86 on Washington's home court. And as usual, the teams pointed to defense as being the key to the victory.

"I thought we played great defense the first half," Parker said after the win. "Going in the second half, we knew they were going to make adjustments. I just think credit to them, they made adjustments and we did not do a good job of reacting."

Mystics coach Mike Thibault said, "We were a step behind defensively the whole first half and that carried over to our offense. "They kind of had their way with us. It wasn't good tonight. L.A. is really good."

But since that loss, the Mystics and Elena Delle Donne have been pretty good. They're 5-1 with their only loss being a 10-point defeat to Phoenix. On Thursday, Washington walloped New York by 19 points.

Four Mystics scored in double figures, led by forward Delle Donne's 21 points. She as 8 of 19 from the field and 3 of 8 from 3-point range. Washington is now 10-3 this season with Delle Donne in the lineup.

Mystics guard Natasha Cloud toyed with a triple-double and compiled 10 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

Even though the offense was clicking, Thibault continued the line about defense being the key.

"The biggest thing is when you play defense, you give yourself a chance to win," Thibault said. "I thought we were just slightly off in the first half defensively. The second half defensively was excellent. That is an A rating defense in the second half."

While the Mystics' defense is earning accolades from Thibault, the Sparks still rank No. 1 in fewest points allowed at 76.5 per game. Washington is allowing 81 per game. The two teams are just about dead even in defensive field-goal percentage. Los Angeles allows opponents to shoot 45.1 percent and Washington's opponents shoot 45.0 percent.

Sparks guard and defensive guru Alana Beard said that understanding the opponent's strengths and defending against what they do well is the key to beating the Mystics.

"At least 60 percent of Kristi Tolliver's shots are 3s and 25 percent of Delle Donne's are 3s," Beard said. "You want to make them do something else. KT, when she is hitting her 3s, it is getting everyone else going."

The Sparks focus on keeping the ball out of her hands while taking up her space around the 3-point line to force her to pass.

The Sparks have scuffled lately, going 3-5 in their last eight games. Ogwumike missed three games but returned in a win over Las Vegas on Sunday. She has returned to playing like an All-Star, scoring 35 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the two losses after the victory over the Aces.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Saturday, July 7


Washington @ Los Angeles

Game 301-302
July 7, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
106.595
Los Angeles
115.378
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 9
161
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
by 7
158
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-7); Over

Minnesota @ Chicago

Game 303-304
July 7, 2018 @ 8:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
113.572
Chicago
102.652
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 11
179
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 8
166
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-8); Over

Connecticut @ Las Vegas

Game 305-306
July 7, 2018 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Connecticut
109.309
Las Vegas
108.833
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Connecticut
by 1
166
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Connecticut
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Connecticut
N/A




WNBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, July 7

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

WASHINGTON (11 - 6) at LOS ANGELES (12 - 7) - 7/7/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 321-379 ATS (-95.9 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) against Western conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 183-235 ATS (-75.5 Units) after a division game since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 23-45 ATS (-26.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 31-19 ATS (+10.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) against Eastern conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 7-0 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 7-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MINNESOTA (11 - 7) at CHICAGO (6 - 12) - 7/7/2018, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in home games in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in home games after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 35-54 ATS (-24.4 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game since 1997.
CHICAGO is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

CONNECTICUT (10 - 8) at LAS VEGAS (7 - 12) - 7/7/2018, 10:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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




WNBA

Saturday, July 7

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

Washington Mystics
Washington is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games
Washington is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games on the road
Washington is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Los Angeles
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games when playing Los Angeles
Washington is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
Washington is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Washington's last 16 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Los Angeles is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Los Angeles's last 16 games
Los Angeles is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Los Angeles is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Los Angeles's last 9 games when playing Washington
Los Angeles is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing at home against Washington
Los Angeles is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Los Angeles's last 16 games when playing at home against Washington


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


Connecticut Sun
Connecticut is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
Connecticut is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
Connecticut is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Connecticut is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Connecticut's last 7 games on the road
Connecticut is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Las Vegas
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Las Vegas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Connecticut's last 6 games when playing Las Vegas
Connecticut is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Las Vegas
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Connecticut's last 10 games when playing on the road against Las Vegas
Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Las Vegas is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games
Las Vegas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 7 games at home
Las Vegas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Connecticut
Las Vegas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Connecticut
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Las Vegas's last 6 games when playing Connecticut
Las Vegas is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Connecticut
Las Vegas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Connecticut
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Las Vegas's last 10 games when playing at home against Connecticut

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, JULY 7
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAS at LA 07:00 PM
LA -7.0
O 159.5

MIN at CHI 08:30 PM
MIN -8.0
O 167.0

CONN at LV 10:30 PM
LV +3.5
O 167.0