Wnba 2014 season long hoops thread- picks, news, stats !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dream (13-5) at Fever (10-10)

Date: July 12, 2014 7:00 PM EDT


With Tamika Catchings back in the groove, the Indiana Fever are hoping to cut down a sizable deficit in the Eastern Conference.

The Fever can take a significant step by winning the season series finale against the first-place Atlanta Dream on Saturday night in Indianapolis.

Catchings missed the first 17 games with a sore back and scored six points on 1-of-7 shooting in her return last Saturday, a 71-70 loss to visiting San Antonio. In the Fever's ensuing back-to-back victories, she's had a combined 44 points on 16-of-29 shooting and 18 rebounds.

Catchings made the tiebreaking layup in a 78-76 win at Tulsa on Tuesday and scored 21 on Thursday as Indiana snapped a four-game home losing streak with a 72-68 victory against Connecticut.

"Having her in crunch time is huge for this team," coach Lin Dunn said after the opener to a season-high four-game homestand. "It gives the team a lot of confidence that no matter what the score is we can come back and win."

Indiana (10-10) is four games behind Atlanta (13-5) in the East, and the Fever will try to help themselves in that race by winning the season series. The road team has won each time as they've split four meetings.

Catchings' return came after Indiana's 77-70 win over Atlanta on July 1. Karima Christmas had a season high-tying 18 points but was held to nine on 2-of-8 shooting two days earlier in a 76-68 loss.

Angel McCoughtry led the Dream with 20 points in that victory and is averaging 20.8 in the four matchups.

McCoughtry had 12 of her 22 points in the third quarter Tuesday in Atlanta's second straight win and 10th in 12 games, 83-71 against the Sun. Tiffany Hayes chipped in 17 points.

"Each game is important for us because it's leading us on the path to where we want to end up, and that's a championship," coach Michael Cooper said.

The Dream acquired DeLisha Milton-Jones from New York on Wednesday for Swin Cash, an exchange of veteran forwards and former All-Stars. Milton-Jones averaged 5.7 points and 2.5 rebounds for the Liberty while Cash was averaging 1.5 points and 0.9 rebounds.

"DeLisha is very familiar with coach Cooper's system, fits our offensive and defensive philosophies, and brings a championship pedigree to our locker room," president and general manager Angela Taylor said in a statement.

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WNB HEAD TO HEAD


Jul 1, 2014 Score ATS Results
IND « 77 Cover: 14.5
ATL 70 Under: 147
Tools: Recaps


Jun 29, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL « 76 Cover: 5
IND 68 Under: 144
Tools: Recaps


May 25, 2014 Score ATS Results
IND « 82 Cover: 13
ATL 77 Over: 159
Tools: Recaps


May 17, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL « 90 Over: 178
IND 88 Cover: 1
Tools: Recaps


Sep 29, 2013 Score ATS Results
ATL « 67 Cover: 19.5
IND 53 Under: 120
Tools: Recaps


Sep 26, 2013 Score ATS Results
IND 79 Over: 163
ATL « 84 Cover: 2
Tools: Recaps


Sep 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
IND 80 Over: 169
ATL « 89 Cover: 4.5
Tools: Recaps


Aug 10, 2013 Score ATS Results
ATL 66 Over: 146
IND « 80 Cover: 11.5
Tools: Recaps


Jun 25, 2013 Score ATS Results
IND 60 Under: 136
ATL « 76 Cover: 3
Tools: Recaps


May 31, 2013 Score ATS Results
ATL « 86 Cover: 14
IND 77 Over: 163
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mystics (8-12) at Shock (7-13)

Date: July 12, 2014 8:00 PM EDT


Coming off another narrow defeat, the last-place Tulsa Shock are trying to stay upbeat.

The Washington Mystics endured a disappointing slide of their own before finding a way to get it done last time out.

Tulsa looks to avoid a fourth consecutive loss as it hosts Washington on Saturday night.

After suffering back-to-back 78-76 defeats to Connecticut and Indiana, the Shock (7-13) fell 91-85 to Minnesota on Thursday. Skylar Diggins had 21 points, a season-best 12 assists and five steals, but Tulsa allowed the Lynx to shoot 55.0 percent.

Glory Johnson added 17 points and 12 rebounds while Odyssey Sims also scored 17.

While the Shock are last in the Western Conference, they are still in contention for the fourth and final postseason spot with Los Angeles and Seattle.

"We're getting there," said coach Fred Williams, whose team has dropped six of seven. "We just have to keep tough. Everybody seems to be knocking each other off so we still have a chance at a playoff spot."

The Mystics (8-12) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 72-65 win over Chicago on Wednesday, improving to 1-1 on their five-game road trip. Bria Hartley led the way with 16 points while center Emma Meesseman added 12 and 12 rebounds.

Washington led by as many as 13 with just over five minutes to play before letting up a bit down the stretch.

"We held on for dear life," said coach Mike Thibault said. "We missed the same shots in the fourth quarter that we were making the whole game."

The Mystics are seeking a third straight win over the Shock after sweeping last year's series. Ivory Latta totaled 42 points for Washington while Diggins was held to 11 on 5-of-20 shooting.

Latta is averaging 12.5 points at home compared to 8.8 on the road, where she's shooting just 31.5 percent. She finished with nine points and went 1 of 10 from the floor against the Sky.

Diggins, averaging 21.4 points and 5.5 assists to rank among the WNBA's top five in both categories, was selected to start in next weekend's All-Star game. The second-year standout is shooting 45.0 percent from 3-point range in Tulsa's wins compared to 28.3 percent in its defeats.

While the Shock are averaging an impressive 82.4 points, they've given up a WNBA-worst 83.5 per contest. The Mystics, meanwhile, are shooting a league-low 27.8 percent from beyond the arc.

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WNB HEAD TO HEAD


Jun 30, 2013 Score ATS Results
TUL 61 Under: 145
WAS « 84 Cover: 19
Tools: Recaps


May 27, 2013 Score ATS Results
WAS « 95 Cover: 11.5
TUL 90 Over: 185
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sparks (8-11) at Sun (9-12)

Date: July 13, 2014 1:00 PM EDT


Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike's memories of the one time they played basketball against each other at Stanford don't exactly match up.

They can agree on this: it was during practice when Chiney was a freshman and Nneka a junior.

'It was a little competitive,' recalled Nneka, laughing during a phone interview with The Associated Press earlier this week. 'She claims she didn't do anything, but she was fouling me. I told her she was going to regret it. After threats were made, coach took us out.'

Chiney remembers catching an elbow and running off the court.

No matter whose story was accurate, the end result was that the two sisters never played against each other over the next two years when they were both at school.

'I think coach figured out it wasn't going to be beneficial for us to be on opposing sides,' Chiney said. 'So we just never went against each other again.'

The two No. 1 picks in the WNBA draft will square off for the first time as pros when Nneka and the Los Angeles Sparks visit Chiney and the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. The Ogwumike parents and about 30 family members are coming to the game.

'We made up shirts that say, `Sparks will fly and the Sun will shine,'' said Ify Ogwumike, the players' mother. 'It's going to be a special weekend, a little different.'

Ify said she plans to sit right in the middle so as not to favor one of her daughters.

'Whether it's assigned to me or not, I will sit in the center,' she said. 'If I can't, maybe I'll switch sides, one side for one half and then switch for the other half.'

Ify recalled times when the sisters would play in the driveway of their house growing up. Nneka would take on her three younger sisters in a 3-on-1.

'Those were some spirited games,' Ify said. 'Let's just say I do remember my bedroom window getting broken.'

Peyton and Eli Manning have played each other in the NFL. Serena and Venus Williams have faced off in Grand Slams. But sibling showdowns are a rarity in the WNBA. There have only been a handful of sister matchups, according to the league.

Tulsa Shock center Courtney Paris never had to play against her twin sister Ashley in the WNBA or when they both were at Oklahoma in college. But the pair both played in Turkey for the same team this past winter and constantly would face each other in practice.

'You love your family but you're so competitive,' Courtney Paris said. 'You can push each other in ways that really no one else can. It's a great thing because you challenge each other. Sometimes it can be a hard thing because you can take it too far. I definitely get where they're coming from.'

This weekend is about more than just a game Sunday. The pair will host a basketball clinic Saturday in partnership with UNICEF.

'We've been waiting for a time to do it together in person,' Chiney said. 'We're super excited about the clinic and a chance to work with the kids.'

Chiney is also excited to show off her apartment to her big sister.

'I spent so much time at Nneka's place over the summers when I was still in school and she was playing for L.A. I have a great weekend planned to show her all the sites in Connecticut,' Chiney said.

The two sisters talk almost every day and have both said that won't change leading up to the game.

'We were talking about it on the phone and we're going to have two different mindsets,' Nneka said. 'There's going to be some stress that I'm having to guard my sister. But she's really good. It's starting to register. I'm going to have to guard one of the best players in this league.'

Chiney said she won't even need to look at the scouting report, knowing her sister so well. Although she did check out Nneka's game against the New York Liberty on Friday night, sitting in the stands as a fan.

'Whether they are matched up or not in the game plan there is no doubt they'll end up playing against each other at some point,' Los Angeles coach Carol Ross said. 'It's definitely something that I'll enjoy watching as a fan. They are both very special women.'

The two sisters will meet again in Los Angeles on Aug. 3.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Storm (9-13) at Lynx (15-6)

Date: July 13, 2014 3:00 PM EDT


While Maya Moore continues to lead the way for the Minnesota Lynx, Lindsay Whalen is posting impressive numbers of her own.

Neither has played up to par against the Seattle Storm, though.

After finishing just shy of a triple-double, Whalen tries to lead the Lynx to a 12th consecutive home win over the Storm on Sunday.

Leading the WNBA with 23.6 points per game, Moore is coming off back-to-back 30-point performances. The All-Star forward scored 15 of her 33 in the first quarter and pulled down 11 rebounds in Thursday's 91-85 win at Tulsa, Minnesota's fourth victory in five games.

Whalen also shined with 21 points and matched season bests with 10 assists and nine rebounds. Whalen, in her 11th season in the league, is averaging a career-best 15.6 points to go along with 5.6 assists per game - one of the league's top marks.

"She is the epitome of what we want our team to be," coach Cheryl Reeve said of Whalen. "She has a great understanding of the game and her play-calling is tremendous."

The Lynx (15-6) now return home, where they've won five straight since falling 80-72 to league-leading Phoenix on June 15 - their only home loss this season. They beat the Storm 74-69 on June 29 as center Janel McCarville scored 22 points.

Minnesota, though, looks to split this four-game season series after losing twice in Seattle. The Storm have held Moore and Whalen to 15.3 and 10.7 points per game, respectively, this year.

Seattle (9-13) is trying to wrap up a three-game road swing with a winning record. Shekinna Stricklen scored a season-high 19 points off the bench and Crystal Langhorne added 16 in Friday's 88-67 rout at San Antonio.

The Storm shot 55.4 percent, held a 32-22 rebounding edge and outscored the Stars 30-18 in the paint.

"Sometimes a loss like that really gets your attention," coach Brian Agler said of his team's 78-58 defeat at Phoenix on Wednesday. "If we would have lost by a couple of points, we probably would have felt better coming out of there and we might not have addressed some issues that needed to be addressed. Taking a loss like that and they expose you on certain things."

The Storm, giving up a Western Conference-low 74.4 points per game, limited the Stars to eight points and 15.0 percent shooting in the third quarter.

"Historically speaking, we've been one of the better defensive teams," point guard Sue Bird said. "Defense is something that we thrive off of and we focus on. When we play good defense we want that to lead to offense."

Seattle is 4-10 on the road and hasn't won consecutive games there since June 16-21, 2013. The Storm's last victory in Minnesota came 73-71 on July 17, 2010.

[StarDust Bum]

Stars-Mercury Preview


While their latest victory wasn't pretty, the WNBA-leading Phoenix Mercury continue to take care of business.

Looking to avenge its only home defeat, Phoenix tries to extend its franchise-best winning streak to 10 on Sunday when it hosts the San Antonio Stars.

After cruising to a 78-58 win over Seattle on Wednesday, the Mercury (15-3) got all they could handle at Chicago on Friday. Phoenix, averaging a league-best 84.2 points, shot a season-worst 37.3 percent and posted its lowest scoring total of the year in the 72-66 victory.

"Sometimes you have to win ugly," coach Sandy Brondello said. "That was probably our worst performance of the year. ... We struggled, but we just dug deep."

Diana Taurasi led the way with 19 points despite shooting 4 of 13, and fellow All-Star Brittney Griner added 11 to go with 10 rebounds and six blocks. All five starters scored in double figures for Phoenix.

"We have so many weapons," said Taurasi, who also added five assists. "There's never a bad moment to make a pass to someone on our team."

The Mercury have also had their hands full in two meetings with the Stars (11-10). Phoenix was outplayed in a 78-74 home loss May 23, then needed double overtime to win 91-79 at San Antonio on June 7.

The Stars had posted back-to-back wins before getting blown out 88-67 by Seattle on Friday. San Antonio, which was outrebounded 32-22 and outscored 30-18 in the paint, was held to eight points and 15.0 percent shooting in the third quarter.

"We just seemed a step behind everything," coach Dan Hughes said after watching the Storm shoot 55.4 percent. "Makeable shots we turned into unmakeable shots. It was a tough night for the Stars."

Kayla McBride had 13 points while making all 10 of her free throws and Danielle Robinson and Shenise Johnson scored 10 apiece.

"We just have to get back on track," Robinson said. "Obviously, we know how it feels when we do it right. We just have to remember that feeling and get back to it in Phoenix (on Sunday)."

Getting back on the road could help the Stars, who have won six of their last seven as the visiting team.

While the Mercury couldn't keep up with San Antonio at US Airways Center back in May, they've outscored opponents by an average of 16.6 points in winning their other seven games there.

Griner continues to be a standout on the defensive end, averaging 5.7 blocks her last seven games, and has a league-leading 74 overall. She has slumped a little offensively at home, averaging 10.8 points on 48.6 percent shooting her last four games there, well off her season marks of 15.4 and 57.5.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sky (8-12) at Dream (14-5)

Date: July 13, 2014 6:00 PM EDT


The Chicago Sky are having plenty of trouble offensively without Elena Delle Donne and Courtney Vandersloot, but it's defense that is their main concern.

That could prove very problematic against the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Dream, who registered the largest margin of victory in franchise history the last time they faced the Sky.

Chicago looks to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat Sunday night as it visits the Dream, who are shooting for a fourth straight win.

The Sky (8-12) have gone 2-4 since Delle Donne last played June 25, and coach Pokey Chatman said she isn't sure if the second-year star will play before the July 19 All-Star game due to a flare up of Lyme disease.

Vandersloot has missed five straight games with a sprained knee and could be out up to 10 weeks. Chicago is averaging 68.3 points during its skid and fell 72-66 to Phoenix on Friday.

Epiphanny Prince scored five and shot 1 of 14 from the field.

"We can't separate when we're having tough times," said point guard Jamierra Faulkner, averaging 14.6 points since entering the starting lineup in place of Vandersloot. "That's when we're supposed to come together even stronger. If one person hangs their head, it's up to everyone else to pick them up."

Sylvia Fowles has done her best to provide a lift for Chicago, which has dropped 12 of 15. She scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds Friday for her third straight double-double, and she's averaging 20.3 points, 13.0 boards and 3.0 blocks during that stretch.

The Sky's biggest priority is improving defensively, though, as they rank 11th in the 12-team league in scoring defense at 81.1 points allowed per game.

"That's been our problem," Faulkner said. "Our defense has gotten better, it's just not where it needs to be. That's our main focus in practice, that's our main focus in film, and we just have to make it our main focus in the games."

Chicago didn't have much going at either end of the floor the last time it faced the Dream (14-5), falling 97-59 on June 7. Angel McCoughtry and Erika de Souza scored 20 points apiece for Atlanta, which has averaged 83.5 points while winning 11 of 13.

Tiffany Hayes scored 21 and de Souza added 13 and 12 rebounds in Saturday's 93-74 win over Indiana. DeLisha Milton-Jones scored seven points in her Dream debut after being acquired from New York for Swin Cash on Wednesday.

McCoughtry, who entered Saturday third in the league in scoring at 19.8 points per game, was held to 11.

'That is the good thing about this team,' assistant coach Karleen Thompson said. 'You have to pick your poison."

Atlanta's win June 7 ended a four-game losing streak against Chicago.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

San Antonio at Phoenix
The Stars head to Phoenix tonight to face a Mercury team that is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 home games. Phoenix is the pick (-8 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Mercury favored by 14. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-8 1/2). Here are all of today's WNBA picks.

SUNDAY, JULY 13

Game 601-602: Los Angeles at Connecticut (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 110.595; Connecticut 111.632
Dunkel Line & Total: Connecticut by 1; 158
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles by 3 1/2; 153 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (+3 1/2); Over

Game 603-604: Seattle at Minnesota (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 110.747; Minnesota 116.765
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 6; 144
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 9; 148 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+9); Under

Game 605-606: San Antonio at Phoenix (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 107.362; Phoenix 121.506
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 14; 155
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 8 1/2; 159 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-8 1/2); Under

Game 607-608: Chicago at Atlanta (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 105.955; Atlanta 118.656
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 12 1/2; 162
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 7 1/2; 159 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-7 1/2); Over




WNBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, July 13

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LOS ANGELES (8 - 11) at CONNECTICUT (9 - 12) - 7/13/2014, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 22-34 ATS (-15.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game this season.

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

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SEATTLE (9 - 13) at MINNESOTA (15 - 6) - 7/13/2014, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 12-29 ATS (-19.9 Units) in road games off an upset win as an underdog since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 33-52 ATS (-24.2 Units) in home games in July games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 8-8 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 12-4 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
10 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (11 - 10) at PHOENIX (15 - 3) - 7/13/2014, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games in May, June, or July games this season.
PHOENIX is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 6-5 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 6-5 straight up against PHOENIX 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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CHICAGO (8 - 12) at ATLANTA (13 - 5) - 7/13/2014, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in home games in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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WNBA

Sunday, July 13

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Trend Report
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1:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. CONNECTICUT
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games on the road
Connecticut is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Connecticut is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

3:00 PM
SEATTLE vs. MINNESOTA
Seattle is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
Minnesota is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing Seattle

6:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
San Antonio is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

6:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. ATLANTA
Chicago is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Chicago is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday, July 13

Game Score Status Pick Amount


Los Angeles - 1:00 PM ET Connecticut +4 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Connecticut - Over 153.5 500 *****


Seattle - 3:00 PM ET Seattle +8.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Minnesota - Under 148 500 TRIPLE PLAY


San Antonio - 6:00 PM ET San Antonio +8.5 500 *****

Phoenix - Over 159.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY


Chicago - 6:00 PM ET Atlanta -7.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Atlanta - Under 159.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Rated Plays as of 07/14/2014

8 - 5..........................................*****

8 - 12........................................DOUBLE PLAY

8 - 8 .........................................TRIPLE PLAY


Date WLT Pct Net Units Record ( ALL PLAYS )

07/13/14 2-*6-*0 25.00% -*2300 Detail
07/12/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
07/11/14 1-*5-*0 16.67% -*2250 Detail
07/10/14 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1150 Detail
07/09/14 2-*4-*0 33.33% -*1200 Detail
07/08/14 2-*4-*0 33.33% -*1200 Detail
07/06/14 4-*0-*0 100.00% +*2000 Detail
07/05/14 2-*6-*0 25.00% -*2300 Detail
07/03/14 5-*1-*0 83.33% +*1950 Detail
07/02/14 4-*0-*0 100.00% +*2000 Detail
07/01/14 2-*6-*0 25.00% -*2300 Detail

Totals 27-*37-*0 42.19% -*6850

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Betting Recap - 7/7-7/13

July 14, 2014

League Betting Notes (from Monday, July 7 through Sunday, July 13)

-- Favorites went 13-4 straight up
-- Favorites went 11-6 against the spread (ATS)
-- Home teams posted a 9-8 SU record
-- Road teams posted a 10-7 ATS record
-- The 'under' went 12-5

Team Betting Notes

-- It was a week of the 'under', with just five overs in 17 tries. That is a stark contrast to what we've seen for most of the season. Even Minnesota (16-6) saw the under go 2-1. Entering the week, the over had been 13-6 through the first 19 games.

-- Tulsa (7-14) started the season 7-1 ATS through the first eight games. Since, they are just 4-8-1, including 0-4 ATS over the past four outings.

-- Washington (9-12) has kicked off its west coast swing going 2-1 SU/ATS. While the Mystics have been subpar for most of the season, they're a solid bet on the road. Washington is 5-5 SU and 6-4 ATS away from the nation's capital.

-- The freefall continues for Chicago (8-13), as they lost their fifth straight game Sunday at Atlanta (15-5). The Sky was able to cover, snapping an 0-4 ATS streak.

-- Phoenix (16-3) has rattled off nine consecutive victories, and they are 6-2-1 ATS during the impressive span, including 4-0 ATS over the past four outings.

-- San Antonio (11-11) has pulled even overall, although they were manhandled by Phoenix Sunday (90-61). Still, the Stars have posted covers in six of the past eight, and nine of the past 12.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sun (9-13) at Storm (9-14)

Date: July 15, 2014 3:00 PM EDT


Chiney Ogwumike didn't lose much in college so the rookie has had to adjust to plenty of defeats after joining the WNBA's worst team from a season ago.

One of her rare recent college defeats came in the city where she and the Connecticut Sun are opening a critical road trip.

Ogwumike and the Sun are trying to hold on to an Eastern Conference playoff spot heading into Tuesday's game against a Seattle Storm team that has a favorable schedule down the stretch.

Connecticut (9-13) is seeking to rebuild around Ogwumike and fellow rookie Alyssa Thomas - both taken within the first four picks of the draft.

Ogwumike has lived up to her billing as the top overall selection, leading all rookies by averaging 15.4 points - good for seventh overall. Her eight double-doubles tie her for third in the WNBA.

Ogwumike's teams went 134-12 over four seasons at Stanford, winning 70 of 72 Pac-12 games. One of those defeats was an 87-82 loss Feb. 9 in Seattle to an unranked Washington team that ended the Cardinal's 21-game winning streak.

Last season marked the second in a row at Stanford for Ogwumike in which she played without sister Nneka, drafted first overall by Los Angeles in 2012. The two met for the first time as opponents Sunday, as Connecticut dropped its third straight with a 90-64 loss.

Chiney Ogwumike had a team-high 18 points after she was held to 11 in her previous game.

"I came out really focused. Maybe it's because of the occasion," she said. "Maybe I need to envision everybody I'm going against is my sister from here on out and keep that focus."

The Sun have fallen to fourth place in the East, one-half game ahead of Chicago and one game in front of New York. They're 2-8 on the road heading into this trip, which includes a game at Phoenix on Thursday before a five-day break preceding a visit to Washington.

Seattle plays nine of its final 11 games at home, where it is 5-3. The Storm (9-14) are fifth in the West, trailing the fourth-place Sparks by 1 1/2 games.

Guard Shekinna Stricklen is day to day after she left Sunday's 77-60 loss at Minnesota when she hit her head on the court after a collision. Stricklen, who did not lose consciousness or feeling in her extremities, has a strained neck.

Camille Little had 17 points, raising her team-leading average to 12.9, but second-leading scorer Crystal Langhorne was held to seven. Seattle has lost seven straight when she fails to score in double figures.

The Storm have taken four of the last five home meetings. Ogwumike scored 18 in the Sun's 71-59 home win May 23.

Seattle averages a league-worst 70.6 points while Connecticut is the WNBA's worst shooting team at 41.2 percent.

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WNB HEAD TO HEAD

May 23, 2014 Score ATS Results

SEA 59 Under: 130
CONN « 71 Cover: 9.5
Tools: Recaps


Aug 29, 2013 Score ATS Results
CONN 65 Over: 143
SEA « 78 Cover: 5.5
Tools: Recaps


Jun 16, 2013 Score ATS Results
SEA « 78 Cover: 20.5
CONN 66 Under: 144
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sparks (9-11) at Fever (10-11)

Date: July 15, 2014 8:00 PM EDT


After dropping the opener on their longest trip of the season, the Los Angeles Sparks appear to have found some rhythm.

The Sparks look to conclude the four-game trek with a season-high third consecutive victory and extend their winning streak over the Indiana Fever to six Tuesday night.

Los Angeles (9-11) began the trip last Tuesday by allowing Minnesota to shoot 54.1 percent in an 83-72 defeat. The Sparks regrouped nicely, though, holding New York to 38.3 percent in a 68-54 victory on Friday and Connecticut to 34.2 percent in Sunday's 90-64 rout.

Nneka Ogwumike scored 24 points and had seven rebounds to best rookie sister Chiney as the Sparks outscored the Sun 30-10 in the third quarter to win for the fourth time in five road contests.

"All along I felt like if we played harder, we wouldn't have been in so many of those close games," coach Carol Ross said. "We need to be able to finish out no matter what the score is."

Los Angeles' Ogwumike hasn't lacked for effort while averaging 18.3 points - 2.9 better than her season average - over her last six contests. She totaled 30 points on 13-of-15 shooting and 12 rebounds in two games against Indiana (10-11) last season.

Amid their five-game winning streak against the Fever, the Sparks have won the last three meetings by an average margin of 14.0 points.

After closing June on a four-game skid, Indiana won four of its first five this month before falling 93-74 at home to Atlanta on Saturday in matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. Following a solid defensive effort in Thursday's 72-68 win over Connecticut that snapped their four-game home slide, the Fever allowed 55 first-half points to the Dream - matching the most an opponent has scored against them since Minnesota had 60 on June 7, 2009.

'We didn't defend at a high level," guard Shavonte Zellous said.

Bouncing back from that defeat and ending their recent struggles against Los Angeles could be even tougher if point guard Briann January is unable to play. Third on the team with 11.1 points per game while averaging 4.3 assists, January left in the third quarter Saturday with right knee pain after a collision with Atlanta's Shoni Schimmel.

January totaled 23 points against the Sparks last season.

After scoring 44 points and shooting 55.2 percent in her previous two games, Indiana star Tamika Catchings had 14 on 4-of-12 shooting against the Dream. She totaled 33 points but went 1 of 8 from 3-point range versus Los Angeles in 2013.

Ex-Spark Marissa Coleman is averaging a career-high 9.1 points in her first season with Indiana, but hasn't scored more than eight in her last four contests.

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WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 16, 2013 Score ATS Results

IND 70 Over: 156
LOS « 86 Cover: 9
Tools: Recaps


Aug 8, 2013 Score ATS Results
LOS « 74 Cover: 12.5
IND 64 Under: 138
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mystics (9-12) at Mercury (16-3)

Date: July 15, 2014 10:00 PM EDT


Coming off their most lopsided victory in three years, the surging Phoenix Mercury aren't showing any signs of slowing down.

Phoenix tries to extend its franchise-best winning streak to 11 on Tuesday night when it hosts the Washington Mystics, losers of three straight in the series.

The WNBA-leading Mercury (16-3) blew out San Antonio 90-61 on Sunday to push their win streak into double digits. Phoenix's 29-point margin of victory was its largest since beating Tulsa 102-63 on July 10, 2011.

"It's one game at a time," forward Candice Dupree told the team's official website. "Each game is a goal to get to the ultimate goal, which is a championship."

Dupree scored 15 of her 19 points in the first half and Anete Jekabsone-Zogota added 13 off the bench. Seven-time All-Star Diana Taurasi, averaging 18.0 points to rank fifth in the league, finished with a season low-tying nine while shooting 4 of 8 but had eight rebounds and eight assists.

"That's what we're trying to do this year," Taurasi said of getting everyone involved. "We're not trying to be one-dimensional. We're not trying to be obvious in what we're doing. We're trying to let it come to us in a fashion where everyone gets a touch, where everyone gets a good shot and we've been doing a pretty good job of that."

Phoenix is seeking a fourth consecutive win over the Mystics (9-12) after taking this season's first meeting 81-66 in Washington on June 10. All-Star center Brittney Griner and Dupree combined for 38 points and 16 rebounds while Taurasi had 10 assists.

While the Mystics have had their hands full in the series of late, they're on the verge of a season best-tying third consecutive win. After pulling out a 72-65 victory at Chicago on Wednesday, Washington cruised to a 91-74 win at Tulsa on Saturday.

Ivory Latta and Emma Meesseman scored 15 points apiece while Monique Currie and Kia Vaughn combined for 23 and 22 boards.

"Balanced scoring is important for us," said coach Mike Thibault, whose team won three in a row May 30-June 5. "We need a collective effort there."

Washington last won three straight on the road in 2008.

The Mystics are holding teams to 74.4 points per game and 41.1 percent shooting to rank first in the league in both categories. Phoenix, which shot 50.8 percent against Washington last month, leads the WNBA in field-goal percentage at 48.8 and scoring at 84.5 points.

Griner has averaged just 10.6 points in her last five games, down from her season mark of 15.1.

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WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 10, 2014 Score ATS Results


PHO « 81 Cover: 10.5
WAS 66 Under: 147
Tools: Recaps


Jun 27, 2013 Score ATS Results
PHO « 101 Cover: 0.5
WAS 97 Over: 198
Tools: Recaps


Jun 21, 2013 Score ATS Results
WAS 82 Cover: 1
PHO « 90 Over: 172
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- OK, Marv Albert doing summer league games on TV is weird, like it would be if Lebron James were playing in these games.

-- Nobody on the Dodgers hooked up Yasiel Puig with a batting practice pitcher? Robinson Cano's dad pitched to him.

-- SMU's big recruit, PG Emmanuel Mudiay, will skip college and pay pro ball in either Asia or Europe; rumor is he was going to have eligibility issues.

-- Not sure if this is related, but SMU picked up Ben Emelogu, a Virginia Tech transfer who averaged 10.5 ppg LY and will be eligible in 2015-16.

-- Troy Tulowitski's dog is named Ripken.

-- Cleveland Browns' owner Jimmy Haslem's truck-stop company agreed to pay a $92M penalty for cheating customers out of rebates and discounts. Yikes.

**********

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

13) If you see a young pitcher miss a start here or there, could be the pitcher isn’t hurt, teams are trying to find ways to limit their innings for the season, so as to not exceed 20% of their previous year’s (or career high) total.

Going over 20% of the previous season has been pegged as a cause of arm injuries. Rather than end a pitcher’s season in August, they’re going to try and give extra days here and there in between starts. It’s a tougher decision on how to deal with young pitchers on contending teams.

12) Los Angeles Lakers don’t have a coach yet; not sure how you go through summer league without a head coach/philosophy in place for the season, but that’s what they’re doing.

11) I speculated yesterday that Lebron James’ two-year contract had something to do with the Cavaliers’ new coach; apparently it actually has to do with the fact that the NBA’s labor agreement with the players ends in two years, so Lebron’s people want to be open to taking advantages of any new changes in the CBA that would benefit him.

10) Speaking of NBA coaches, Memphis coach Dave Joerger was on NBAtv during their game Sunday night and he was a chatterbox; they practically had to drag him off the air when they went to a commercial. Interesting guy to listen to.

9) Sonny Gray has been a classic stopper for the A’s this year; in nine starts after a loss, Gray is 7-1, 1.75. Sunday’s win in Seattle was especially important, keeping the Mariners eight games behind at the break.

8) AHL is going to a 7:00 OT, with teams going to 3-on-3 on the first whistle after the 3:00-to-play mark. 3-on-3 should create lot of scoring chances.

7) Creighton rookie Doug McDermott had 31 points for the Bulls in a summer league game; they also have Canisius rookie Billy Baron- both skilled shooters played for their dads in college.

6) You think about Nolan Ryan getting shoved out of the front office by the Texas Rangers, and then about how the Rangers have floundered this year and you wonder what Ryan is thinking about their plight. Doubt there’s a lot of sympathy there.

5) Wonder how much having the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas helps UNLV’s recruiting, or if it does at all? Kids watch these games, they see the arena and the city, you’d think it has to help a little bit.

4) We talked a few days ago about how Bronx Bomber starting pitchers have gotten only 33 outs all season, after the 7th inning. In his 20 starts this season, Johnny Cueto has gotten 35 outs after the 7th inning.

3) If you care about such things, AL holds a 103-87 edge over the NL in interleague play; that’s how I would decide who gets home field for the World Series, which league won interleague play.

2) You listen to NBA rookies at summer league and “speed of the game” is the one phrase that is repeated a lot. NBA games are just faster, with bigger, more skilled players than the college game.

1) The biggest question I have about Home Run Derby is this: Is it more popular than the actual All-Star Game? I don’t think one additional person watches the All-Star Game because it determines home field for the World Series- ratings are down for it. If they went USA against the World every other year, that could jazz the All-Star Game up a little bit.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Washington at Phoenix
The Mystics head to Phoenix tonight to face a Mercury team that is 6-0-1 ATS in its last 7 home games. Phoenix is the pick (-10) according to Dunkel, which has the Mercury favored by 12 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-10). Here are all of today's WNBA picks.

TUESDAY, JULY 15

Game 651-652: Connecticut at Seattle (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 103.586; Seattle 112.749
Dunkel Line & Total: Seattle by 9; 140
Vegas Line & Total: Seattle by 3 1/2; 144 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-3 1/2); Under

Game 653-654: Los Angeles at Indiana (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 115.937; Indiana 111.332
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 4 1/2; 154
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles by 2; 151 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-2); Over

Game 655-656: Washington at Phoenix (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 111.019; Phoenix 123.391
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 12 1/2; 150
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 10; 154 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-10); Under




WNBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, July 15

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CONNECTICUT (9 - 13) at SEATTLE (9 - 14) - 7/15/2014, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 92-61 ATS (+24.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game since 1997.

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

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LOS ANGELES (9 - 11) at INDIANA (10 - 11) - 7/15/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 23-34 ATS (-14.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 14-24 ATS (-12.4 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 102-136 ATS (-47.6 Units) as an underdog since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 4-0 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 4-0 straight up against INDIANA 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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WASHINGTON (9 - 12) at PHOENIX (16 - 3) - 7/15/2014, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 255-309 ATS (-84.9 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 160-203 ATS (-63.3 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 48-70 ATS (-29.0 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1997.
PHOENIX is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) in May, June, or July games this season.
WASHINGTON is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
PHOENIX is 13-30 ATS (-20.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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WNBA

Tuesday, July 15

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
CONNECTICUT vs. SEATTLE
Connecticut is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Connecticut is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games
Seattle is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Connecticut

8:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. INDIANA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Los Angeles
Indiana is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Los Angeles

10:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PHOENIX
Washington is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Washington's last 11 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing Washington