Da Bum's 2013 WNBA Best Bets + News,Stats Etc. !!

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

07/09/13 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*950 Detail
07/07/13 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
07/06/13 6-*0-*0 100.00% +*3000 Detail
07/04/13 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1100 Detail
07/02/13 5-*3-*0 62.50% +*850 Detail

Totals 16-*8-*0 66.67% +3600


Wednesday, July 10

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Washington - 12:30 PM ET Chicago -9 500 POD # 3


Chicago - Under 157 500 POD # 4




San Antonio - 3:30 PM ET San Antonio +12 500 POD # 1


Phoenix - Under 167.5 500 POD # 2

[StarDust Bum]

Lynx-Fever Preview

Posted Jul 10 2013 2:12PM

Following a big home win over the WNBA's current top team, the Minnesota Lynx are hoping to be at full strength as they try to knock off the defending champions.

Seimone Augustus likely will be a game-time decision for the Lynx on Thursday when they visit the Indiana Fever in the teams' first meeting since Indiana won the 2012 WNBA Finals.

Playing without its second-leading scorer, Minnesota (9-3) rolled to its second straight victory - routing Atlanta 94-72 on Tuesday in a battle between the league's two best clubs.

Monica Wright filled the void of Augustus' absence with a season-high 22 points. Wright, who recently confirmed her engagement to Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant, has totaled 39 points on 13-of-22 shooting and six steals in the last two games.

Lindsay Whalen added 20 points and Maya Moore, the team's leading scorer at 17.5 per game, chipped in 19.

"(Wright) was great and it's not a surprise to us when she steps into the starting lineup and does this for us,'' said Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve. "She was really pleased with her defense and her overall game. And this game was for Seimone.''

Reeve said Augustus, who sprained her left ankle in Sunday's win over Phoenix, will travel with the team as it begins a four-game road trip to Indiana, Tulsa, San Antonio and Phoenix, but gave no timetable for her return. If the 2011 WNBA Finals MVP is unable to play, Minnesota may need another solid effort from Wright against an Indiana team that has been tough on the defensive end.

The Fever (4-7) limited Connecticut to 23 first-half points en route to a 78-66 home win Saturday and has held opponents to 66.0 points per game during their season-best three game winning streak.

Tamika Catchings, who averaged 22.3 points against the Lynx while earning WNBA Finals MVP last year, has keyed her team's recent resurgence. She's scored 22.7 points per game on 47.6 percent shooting over the past three contests after missing the previous two because of a lower back injury.

Catchings also matched a season high with six steals in Saturday's win and is second in the league with 3.2 per game.

"It's what we've talked about a lot - just getting better as a team," Catchings said. "The progression the last three or four games, you sort of see people coming out of their shells."

Injuries, however, have prevented Indiana from getting back to a championship level. Katie Douglas (back), Erin Phillips (torn right meniscus), Jeanette Pohlen (torn left ACL) and Jessica Davenport (left tibia stress fracture) are all currently sidelined.

While the Lynx rank near the top of the WNBA with 83.8 points per game while shooting 44.9 percent, they've averaged 62.5 points on 35.1 percent shooting - including 3 for 24 from 3-point range - while losing their last two road contests by a combined 58 points.

Minnesota won at Indiana during the 2012 regular season, but lost both contests there during the WNBA Finals.

[StarDust Bum]

Sparks-Shock Preview

Posted Jul 10 2013 3:42PM

While the Los Angeles Sparks have seemed to be unbeatable at home, they haven't been able to carry that success to the road.

The Sparks will try to finally break through on an opponent's court Thursday night when they take on the WNBA-worst Tulsa Shock.

Los Angeles (8-4) continued its home dominance with Saturday's 93-66 victory over San Antonio that extended the franchise's regular-season home winning streak to 18.

Nneka Ogwumike had season highs with 24 points and 16 rebounds, while Candace Parker added 18 and nine as the Sparks won their third in a row.

Los Angeles has won its eight home games by an average of 22.4 points but has been outscored by 14.3 in dropping its four road contests. The Sparks haven't been nearly as effective offensively on the road, scoring 76.3 per game compared to 89.3 at home.

They're hoping to end that trend against a Tulsa team that is among the league leaders with an average of 83.7 points allowed.

"That's the one thing we discussed after the game is that we need to be road warriors," said Ogwumike, who has totaled 39 points in her last two games. "So we want to come out and practice hard. Coach (Carol Ross) said we're going to work on the fundamentals when we come back from our day off and bring it to the road because Tulsa's going to be hard to win at their place."

Los Angeles had a difficult time putting the Shock (3-11) away June 8 before finally outscoring them 10-3 in overtime for a 76-69 home victory.

Kristi Toliver led the way for the Sparks with 21 points, Lindsey Harding had 20 and Parker added 17 and 13 rebounds.

Glory Johnson, who leads Tulsa with 16.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, finished with a team-best 17 points and eight boards.

Johnson, though, will attempt to end her recent slump as she's averaging 9.7 points on 9-of-34 shooting in her last three games.

The Shock return home after capping an 0-4 road trip with an 88-69 loss to Connecticut on July 2.

Rookie guard Skylar Diggins struggled again with four points on 1-of-8 shooting. Diggins, the third overall pick in the 2013 draft, has totaled eight points on 3-of-19 shooting in her last three contests.

Although the Shock have averaged 66.3 points in their last three road games, they've scored 92.7 per game in their last three at home.

They'll try to avoid their longest losing streak of the season by winning their third straight on their own floor.

Los Angeles and Tulsa split four meetings last season with the home team earning the victory in each. Toliver averaged 20.0 points for the Sparks in the season series.

Guard Riquna Williams, who paced the Shock with 23 points against the Sun, scored 16.8 per game versus Los Angeles last season.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Los Angeles at Tulsa
The Shock look to take advantage of a Los Angeles team that is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 road games. Tulsa is the pick (+7 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the game Even. Dunkel Pick: Tulsa (+7 1/2). Here are all of today's picks

THURSDAY, JULY 11

Game 651-652: Minnesota at Indiana (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 118.861; Indiana 110.102
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 9; 144
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 4 1/2; 149 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-4 1/2); Under

Game 653-654: Los Angeles at Tulsa (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 113.229; Tulsa 113.665
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 170
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles by 7 1/2; 163 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tulsa (+7 1/2); Over




WNBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, July 11

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MINNESOTA (9 - 3) at INDIANA (4 - 7) - 7/11/2013, 12:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 62-88 ATS (-34.8 Units) in July games since 1997.
INDIANA is 86-124 ATS (-50.4 Units) as an underdog since 1997.

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

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LOS ANGELES (8 - 4) at TULSA (3 - 11) - 7/11/2013, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 10-24 ATS (-16.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 21-38 ATS (-20.8 Units) in road games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 27-47 ATS (-24.7 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) vs. division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TULSA is 8-0 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 7-3 straight up against TULSA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Thursday, July 11

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Trend Report
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12:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. INDIANA
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Minnesota's last 16 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games at home

9:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. TULSA
Los Angeles is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Tulsa
Los Angeles is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tulsa
Tulsa is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Tulsa's last 12 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

07/10/13 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1150 Detail
07/09/13 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*950 Detail
07/07/13 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
07/06/13 6-*0-*0 100.00% +*3000 Detail
07/04/13 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1100 Detail
07/02/13 5-*3-*0 62.50% +*850 Detail

Totals 17-*11-*0 60.71% +2450


Thursday, July 11

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Minnesota - 12:00 PM ET Minnesota -4.5 500 POD # 4


Indiana - Under 148 500 POD # 3


Los Angeles - 9:00 PM ET Tulsa +7.5 500 POD # 1


Tulsa - Over 163 500 POD # 2

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Chicago at Connecticut
The Sky look to build on their 4-1 ATS record in their last 5 games versus the Sun. Chicago is the pick (-5) according to Dunkel, which has the Sky favored by 7. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-5). Here are all of today's picks

FRIDAY, JULY 12

Game 601-602: Chicago at Connecticut (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 114.146; Connecticut 107.298
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 7; 162
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 5; 157 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-5); Over

Game 603-604: Washington at San Antonio (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 109.055; San Antonio 108.484
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1; 153
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 3; 157
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+3); Under




WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, July 12

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CHICAGO (9 - 4) at CONNECTICUT (3 - 8) - 7/12/2013, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 87-57 ATS (+24.3 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-4 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 6-4 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (6 - 7) at SAN ANTONIO (4 - 8) - 7/12/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 233-286 ATS (-81.6 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 146-188 ATS (-60.8 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 140-176 ATS (-53.6 Units) after a division game since 1997.
SAN ANTONIO is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 11-24 ATS (-15.4 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1997.
SAN ANTONIO is 31-49 ATS (-22.9 Units) in home games after scoring 75 points or more since 1997.

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

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WNBA

Friday, July 12

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. CONNECTICUT
Chicago is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Connecticut
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Connecticut
Connecticut is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Connecticut's last 9 games

8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. SAN ANTONIO
Washington is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games
Washington is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Antonio's last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games

[StarDust Bum]

Sky-Sun Preview

Posted Jul 11 2013 2:15PM

Following one of her best performances of the season, Sylvia Fowles is poised to follow that up against a team she dominated last time out.

Reigning league MVP Tina Charles, however, might have something to say about that.

Fowles and the Sky look for their sixth win in seven games as they visit Charles and the East Conference-worst Connecticut Sun on Friday night.

After missing a 69-60 loss to Seattle on July 2 with a right ankle sprain and being limited to 10 points in 21 minutes in Sunday's 93-64 win at New York, Fowles appeared fully healthy with a season-high 26 points and 18 rebounds - including a season-best 10 on the offensive end - in an 89-85 victory over Washington on Wednesday.

"She was in beast mode,'' said Chicago coach Pokey Chatman, whose club has averaged 86.8 points while winning five straight with Fowles in the lineup.

Fowles had one of the best games of her career May 31 against the Sun, totaling 24 points and a season-high 22 rebounds in an 86-75 home win. She is one of 10 WNBA players to post a 20-20, which has been done only 13 times in league history.

Rookie Elena Delle Donne, averaging a team-best 18.8 points, had 20 and Epiphanny Prince added 17 for the Sky in that victory as Chicago outrebounded Connecticut 46-32. The two combined to add 33 points in Wednesday's victory over the Mystics as Chicago (9-4), which has never made the playoffs in franchise history, opened up a three-game lead for second place in the East.

Fowles, who leads the WNBA in rebounding at 12.2 per game, and the Sky may be able to continue their strong interior play versus the short-handed Sun (3-8), who have been outscored in the paint by an average of 10.7 points in their last six contests.

Charles had 16 points despite shooting 8 of 24 and pulled down a season-high 15 rebounds in the loss to Chicago. The only player in the top five in the league in both points (18.6) and rebounds (10.4), Charles also has a WNBA-best three career 20-20 games.

The Sun, however, have struggled after reaching the East finals last season, dropping five of six as they continue to play without Kara Lawson (knee), Tan White (broken ring finger) and Renee Montgomery (left ankle sprain).

Allison Hightower and forward Kelsey Griffin each had 17 points in a 78-66 loss at Indiana on Saturday. Charles finished with 14 and six rebounds before getting ejected with two technical fouls early in the fourth quarter.

Hightower, who had a season-high 20 points in this year's loss to the Sky, has made 6 of 9 from beyond the arc in the last two games. The Sun, who have made 12 of 24 from 3-point range their last two games, rank near the top of the WNBA with a 35.5 3-point percentage.

That could be an area of concern for Chicago, which has the second-worst 3-point defensive shooting percentage (36.3).

Without Fowles in two trips to Connecticut last year, Swin Cash totaled 35 points and 21 rebounds to help the Sky earn a split. Charles had 39 and 14, respectively, for the Sun.

[StarDust Bum]

Mystics-Silver Stars Preview

Posted Jul 11 2013 1:43PM

Not much has gone well for the San Antonio Silver Stars this season, but they proved in their most recent contest how well they can play when on top of their game.

The Washington Mystics certainly wish they could play at that level more consistently.

San Antonio seeks a fifth straight victory over Washington when the teams meet Friday night in Texas.

Battling a plethora of injuries - including season-ending ACL tears to Becky Hammon and Sophia Young - the Silver Stars (4-8) have languished near the bottom of the Western Conference while trying to get on track.

But after dropping three straight and seven of its previous eight, San Antonio set a season best for points and beat Phoenix 88-80 on Wednesday. Danielle Adams came off the bench to score a team-high 19 points while helping the Silver Stars score 44 points in the paint.

"We've been getting the ball to our post and hoping we can get some cut action and score off of that," Adams said.

Coach Dan Hughes was more than pleased with the effort as his club shot 53.0 percent from the field. DeLisha Milton-Jones added 16 points while Jayne Appel hit all five of her field-goal attempts.

"To be honest, if you've got six players in double figures you're probably going to have a good day,'' said Hughes, whose team also forced 20 turnovers. "We shot the ball well so it was just one of those games that fell our way.''

That's been the case in each of the last four meetings with Washington, which last beat San Antonio on Aug. 17, 2010 - its only win in the last seven matchups.

The Mystics (6-7) had won two straight to surpass last season's win total, but they fell 89-85 to Chicago on Wednesday despite battling back from a 14-point second-half deficit to even the score with 44 seconds left.

Crystal Langhorne scored 18 points and Ivory Latta added 17 for Washington, which fell to 2-5 on the road.

"It is frustrating,'' said Latta, who averaged just 11.0 points over her previous five games. "You fight back so hard and fall short.''

Inconsistency has been an issue for the Mystics. They won three straight from June 7-16 before allowing an average of 90.4 points during a five-game skid.

They then held Tulsa and Seattle to 61 and 59 points, respectively, before Wednesday's defeat.

Washington's 75-72 loss to San Antonio on Aug. 21 began a 13-game losing streak to end the 2012 season. Langhorne finished with 17 points in that contest while Danielle Robinson had 16 for the Silver Stars.

The teams will meet again Tuesday in the nation's capital in the Mystics' next game. San Antonio will first visit Connecticut on Sunday.

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

07/11/13 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*950 Detail
07/10/13 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1150 Detail
07/09/13 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*950 Detail
07/07/13 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
07/06/13 6-*0-*0 100.00% +*3000 Detail
07/04/13 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1100 Detail
07/02/13 5-*3-*0 62.50% +*850 Detail

Totals 20-*12-*0 62.50% +3400


Friday, July 12

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Chicago - 7:00 PM ET Connecticut +4 500 POD # 2


Connecticut - Over 159.5 500 POD # 3


Washington - 8:00 PM ET Washington +3 500 POD # 1


San Antonio - Under 155 500 POD # 4

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Indiana at New York
The Liberty look to take advantage of an Indiana team that is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games in New York. New York is the pick (-2) according to Dunkel, which has the Liberty favored by 7 1/2. Dunkel Pick: New York (-2). Here are all of today's picks

SATURDAY, JULY 13

Game 651-652: Indiana at New York (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 106.102; New York 113.488
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 7 1/2; 145
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 2; 139
Dunkel Pick: New York (-2); Over

Game 653-654: Minnesota at Tulsa (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 118.861; Tulsa 106.140
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 12 1/2; 155
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 10; 160
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-10); Under




WNBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, July 13

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INDIANA (4 - 8) at NEW YORK (6 - 7) - 7/13/2013, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 86-125 ATS (-51.5 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
NEW YORK is 71-48 ATS (+18.2 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 7-5 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 7-5 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (10 - 3) at TULSA (3 - 12) - 7/13/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 63-88 ATS (-33.8 Units) in July games since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 66-92 ATS (-35.2 Units) in road games vs. division opponents since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 27-14 ATS (+11.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TULSA is 6-5 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 11-0 straight up against TULSA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Saturday, July 13

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Trend Report
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6:00 PM
INDIANA vs. NEW YORK
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New York's last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New York's last 13 games when playing Indiana

8:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TULSA
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Tulsa
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Minnesota's last 13 games when playing on the road against Tulsa
Tulsa is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Tulsa is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota

[StarDust Bum]

Fever-Liberty Preview

Posted Jul 12 2013 4:04PM

After numerous injuries led to a disastrous start, the defending champion Indiana Fever are hoping a successful homestand helped them begin to turn the corner.

They just hope it's not too late to make their ninth consecutive trip to the postseason.

The Fever look for their fourth win in five games Saturday night when they visit a New York Liberty team that has lost five of seven.

Following a 1-7 start, Indiana (4-8) opened its four-game homestand with three wins before Thursday's 69-62 loss to Western Conference-best Minnesota.

Despite falling to the Lynx, the Fever had a reason to be optimistic when their starting five from the 2012 finals - Erin Phillips, Briann January, Shavonte Zellous, Tamika Catchings and Erlana Larkins - played together for the first time this season.

Phillips had eight points off the bench in her season debut after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus on May 22.

The Fever, though, continue to play without star guard Katie Douglas, who missed her 10th consecutive game with a bulging disk in her back. Eight different Indiana players have missed time due to injuries.

Catchings, who leads the Fever with 17.8 points per game, looks to bounce back after finishing with a season-low nine points on 2-of-10 shooting against the Lynx.

She had 21 points and eight boards in Indiana's 75-68 overtime loss at New York (6-7) on June 5. The Fever led by 11 late in the third quarter of that contest before missing 13 of 16 field-goal attempts in the fourth.

New York's Essence Carson had a team-high 21 points in that meeting, but she's out for the season with a knee injury.

Indiana still will have to contend with Cappie Pondexter, the Liberty's leader with 18.5 points per game, in her new position. Pondexter started at point guard for the first time in 2013 Tuesday at Seattle, and though she only finished with 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting in the 66-57 win, coach Bill Laimbeer was encouraged.

"I think in the long term, whether the long term is this year or for sure next year, I think that is her position," Laimbeer said. "I think she learned in the last few games, in games that were out of control. She did very well in her first time."

Laimbeer hopes the move can help the team reduce its league-worst 18.5 turnovers per game. Pondexter had a team-high four Tuesday and now faces the Fever, among the WNBA leaders in forcing miscues at 17.0 per game.

The Liberty committed 18 turnovers against the Storm, but forced 19 and held Seattle to 33.9 percent shooting as they ended a season-worst three-game losing streak.

They'll try to put together a similar defensive effort against the Fever, who rank near the bottom of the WNBA with 68.7 points per game.

[StarDust Bum]

Lynx-Shock Preview

Posted Jul 12 2013 2:54PM

Monica Wright made news last week when she confirmed she was engaged to Oklahoma City Thunder start Kevin Durant.

That hasn't caused any distractions on the court for the Minnesota Lynx guard.

Wright and the Western Conference-leading Lynx go for a season-best fourth straight victory and 14th in a row over the conference-worst Tulsa Shock on Saturday night.

With the Lynx (10-3) trading top reserve Candice Wiggins to Tulsa in a three-team offseason deal, Wright has upped her game, averaging career highs of 11.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals. She's been even better in the starting lineup the last two games with second-leading scorer Seimone Augustus out with a sprained left ankle. Wright has scored 22 points each time, while totaling 12 rebounds, nine assists and six steals.

"We never have to tell Moni to be aggressive. That's just her everyday life, that just what she does,'' coach Cheryl Reeve said Thursday after Minnesota opened its four-game road stretch with a 69-62 victory over Indiana. "She's not doing anything different than if she was coming off the bench. That's nice for us. We basically have six starters.''

If Augustus can't go, Wright will likely be in the first unit again as the two-time defending conference champs make their final appearance in Tulsa this season. Minnesota defeated the host Shock 83-74 on June 14, then won 88-79 nine days later with Augustus and Maya Moore both scoring 22 points, Lindsay Whalen adding 19 and nine assists and Rebekkah Brunson chipping in 11 points and 11 rebounds.

"Just pick your poison with that team,'' rookie point guard Skylar Diggins said after the Lynx denied the Shock a season-best third straight victory.

Minnesota's win streak against Tulsa is tied for third-longest all-time in WNBA history and the longest current active streak for one team over another.

Tulsa's skid has reached a season-high five after losing 94-78 to Los Angeles on Thursday. The Shock (3-12) trailed by 12 after 10 minutes.

"We're just a team that can't have any lapses against these high-level teams," said coach Gary Kloppenburg, whose team was going for a third consecutive home win.

Tulsa also can't afford to keep giving up so many points. The team is among the worst in the league in scoring defense (84.4 ppg) and field goal defense at 47.7 percent.

The Shock are also shooting a league-worst 38.7 percent, but they're making 40.0 percent against the Lynx.

Minnesota, though, has held opponents to 36.2 percent during its winning streak after giving up a season-low 21 field goals Thursday.

"(Our defensive effort has) carried us," Reeve said.

However, slowing down Shock leading scorer and rebounder Glory Johnson has been a problem, as she's totaled 46 points and 17 boards against the Lynx this season.

The second-year forward, though, has missed 27 of 40 field-goal tries and is scoring 10.0 points per game - 6.1 less than her season average - since the June 23 defeat.

The Shock haven't dropped six straight since an 0-9 start last year. Their last win over Minnesota was 92-79 at home June 4, 2010.

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

07/12/13 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1150 Detail
07/11/13 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*950 Detail
07/10/13 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1150 Detail
07/09/13 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*950 Detail
07/07/13 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
07/06/13 6-*0-*0 100.00% +*3000 Detail
07/04/13 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1100 Detail
07/02/13 5-*3-*0 62.50% +*850 Detail

Totals 21-*15-*0 58.33% +2250


Saturday, July 13

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Indiana - 6:00 PM ET New York -2 500 POD # 1


New York - Under 139.5 500 POD # 2



Minnesota - 8:00 PM ET Minnesota -10 500 POD # 4


Tulsa - Over 159.5 500 POD # 3

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Dunkel

Atlanta at Seattle
The Dream look to build on their 5-0 ATS record in their last 5 games versus the Storm. Atlanta is the pick (-6 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Dream favored by 8 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-6 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JULY 14

Game 601-602: San Antonio at Connecticut (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 104.484; Connecticut 111.784
Dunkel Line & Total: Connecticut by 7 1/2; 147
Vegas Line & Total: Connecticut by 5 1/2; 153 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (-5 1/2); Under

Game 603-604: Los Angeles at Phoenix (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 118.237; Phoenix 110.501
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 7 1/2; 179
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles by 3 1/2; 175 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-3 1/2); Over

Game 605-606: Atlanta at Seattle (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 117.375; Seattle 108.733
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 8 1/2; 142
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 6 1/2; 145 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-6 1/2); Under


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WNBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, July 14

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SAN ANTONIO (4 - 9) at CONNECTICUT (3 - 9) - 7/14/2013, 5:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) in May, June, or July games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games against Eastern conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 15-3 ATS (+11.7 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games against Western conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 3-1 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 2-2 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LOS ANGELES (9 - 4) at PHOENIX (8 - 6) - 7/14/2013, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 6-4 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 7-3 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (10 - 2) at SEATTLE (5 - 8) - 7/14/2013, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) on Sunday games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 4-0 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 5-0 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Sunday, July 14

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Trend Report
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5:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. CONNECTICUT
San Antonio is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 7 games
Connecticut is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Connecticut is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio

6:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. PHOENIX
Los Angeles is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Los Angeles's last 14 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games when playing at home against Los Angeles

9:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. SEATTLE
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Seattle is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

[StarDust Bum]

Silver Stars-Sun Preview


Posted Jul 13 2013 6:34PM

The Connecticut Sun and San Antonio Silver Stars finished with two of the WNBA's top five records last season, but both are off to woeful starts this year.

Connecticut might be better equipped to turn things around, however, as San Antonio's top two players remain sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Both will try to bounce back from losses as Connecticut hosts the first of two meetings in less than a week on Sunday.

The Sun earned the East's No. 1 seed last season with a 25-9 record, while the Silver Stars finished third in the West at 21-13. Neither have looked like playoff teams in 2013, however, going a combined 7-18.

The road ahead could be more difficult for the Silver Stars (4-9), though, as they're without Sophia Young and Becky Hammon - their two leading scorers from last season. Young is rehabbing an ACL tear suffered in a January game in China, while Hammon tore her left ACL in a 99-63 loss at Los Angeles on July 6.

Friday's 83-73 home loss to Washington was the club's eighth defeat in 10 games.

"We are what we are," coach Dan Hughes said. "You know, we have not taken care of what we need to take care of, so it really has nothing to do with the errors, but with the consistency of this group. That is what this is really about."

The Sun (3-9) have lost six of seven overall and five of six at home, including an 83-70 defeat to Chicago on Friday. Connecticut fell behind 12-0, missing its first 10 shots on the way to continuing the worst start in franchise history.

"Chicago (came out aggressive)," said Tina Charles, who scored a game-high 29 points. "They threw that first punch, and we were just trying to get back into the game."

Connecticut's own short-handed backcourt got a little healthier with the return of second-leading scorer Kara Lawson (14.9 points per game), who chipped in nine points and five assists after missing four games with a bruised knee.

Reigning Sixth Woman of the Year Renee Montgomery hasn't played since May 31 because of a high ankle sprain, while fellow guard Tan White has missed nine straight contests due to a broken finger.

The Sun won both meetings last year, with Charles averaging 19.0 points and 9.0 rebounds. Danielle Adams averaged 21.5 points for the Silver Stars.

The teams will meet again in San Antonio on Saturday.