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

[StarDust Bum]

Mystics-Sun Preview

The Washington Mystics are one win away from wrapping up a second straight playoff berth, though victories haven't come easy lately.

The Mystics hope to break out of their late-season slump in time to clinch a postseason spot and will try to avoid their second road loss in six days to the last-place Connecticut Sun on Friday night.

Washington (15-17) has dropped two in a row and four of six following Wednesday's 72-69 home defeat to Chicago that dropped it into a tie for second place in the Eastern Conference.

The Mystics, however, can earn a playoff berth by winning one of their final two games. After facing the Sun -- the only East team eliminated from playoff contention -- they'll return home to face New York on Saturday.

Reserve Kara Lawson will likely miss both contests due to a sprained ankle, but leading rebounder Kia Vaughn should return Friday after being suspended one game for throwing an elbow at Connecticut's Chiney Ogwumike in Sunday's 89-81 double-overtime loss.

"It doesn't have to be pretty. It doesn't have to be great. We just need a win," said forward Monique Currie, who had 18 points in each of the last two games. "We're going to do whatever we can -- except throw elbows. We don't want to have anybody suspended again."

The Mystics had won all three meetings with the Sun (12-20) this season before last weekend's defeat at Mohegan Sun Arena. Kelsey Griffin's follow shot at the end of regulation forced overtime and her 3-pointer late in the second overtime keyed the win for Connecticut (12-20), which hasn't played since that day.

Alex Bentley added 18 points and four steals, while Kelsey Bone had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Bentley and Bone have combined for 63 points in the last two meetings with the Mystics.

"Playing hard is not an issue for our team, and we have a competitive team," coach Anne Donovan said. "Getting a win against a team we have not had success against is good."

The Sun, though, could be missing All-Stars Ogwumike and Katie Douglas after both were unable to finish Sunday.

Ogwumike, the team's leading scorer (15.6) and rebounder (8.6), exited late in regulation due to nausea. She has been on medication for an abscessed tooth that forced her to miss the previous two games.

Douglas is less likely to play after departing in the second overtime due to back pain. She had lower lumbar microdiscectomy surgery last October.

Washington's Ivory Latta, the team's leading scorer at 12.7 points per game, has averaged 16.1 in her last nine. The All-Star guard has scored a combined 43 in the last two meetings with the Sun.


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2014 Regular Season Series

Series starts 6/5

Thu 6/5 WSH 74, @ CONN 66 Recap | Box Score

Fri 6/27 @WSH 69, CONN 63 Recap | Box Score

Wed 7/23 @WSH 89, CONN 75 Recap | Box Score

Sun 8/10 @CONN 89, WSH 81 Recap | Box Score

Aug 15, 2014 WSH @ CONN 7:00 PM ET


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Last 5 Games

Washington

Aug 13 CHI Loss 72-69

Aug 10 @CONN Loss 89-81

Aug 08 @IND Win 74-61

Aug 05 NY Win 79-46

Aug 03 @CHI Loss 76-65



Connecticut

Aug 10 WSH Win 89-81

Aug 08 @NY Loss 71-66

Aug 05 CHI Loss 82-66

Aug 03 @LA Loss 70-69

Aug 01 @SA Win 89-79

[StarDust Bum]

Shock-Dream Preview

The Atlanta Dream can focus on being rested and ready for the playoffs now that they've secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time in franchise history.

A date with the lowly Tulsa Shock might help them build a winning streak along the way.

The Dream could choose to rest leading scorer Angel McCoughtry as they try to win consecutive games for the first time this month Friday night against the visiting Shock.

Even though McCoughtry (19.0 points per game) missed her second straight contest due to tendinitis in her feet, Atlanta (18-14) snapped a five-game losing streak with Wednesday's 96-82 home win over Phoenix.

Shoni Schimmel stepped up with a season-high 24 points while Tiffany Hayes scored 19 and Aneika Henry added 15 with 12 rebounds against the league-best Mercury, who rested Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor.

Atlanta put up its third-highest point total of the season after it had averaged 71.4 points during its longest losing streak since a 10-game skid in 2008.

"I knew it was just a matter of time before it came together," Hayes said. "Coach (Michael Cooper) had a talk with the team and told the bench players that we need everyone. It can't be five or six people."

The Dream have dropped nine of 12 and haven't won back-to-back contests since beating Connecticut and Tulsa on July 26 and 29. After facing the Shock (12-20) at home, they'll travel to take on the last-place Sun in Sunday's finale.

Hayes finished with a career-high 27 points and shot 9 of 12 in an 85-75 victory at Tulsa on July 31. McCoughtry scored 21 but committed 11 turnovers, while Erika de Souza contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Though they've qualified for the playoffs for six straight seasons, the Dream will enter this postseason as the No. 1 seed for the first time in team history. They could decide to sit McCoughtry in the final two games as they prepare to make another run at their first league title after reaching the WNBA Finals in three of the past four seasons.

Tulsa, the only West team eliminated from the playoffs, fell into a tie for last place with Seattle when its two-game winning streak ended in a 74-68 road loss to the Storm on Sunday.

"For us, this has been the problem all year, we have to finish games," All-Star guard Skylar Diggins said after the Shock were outscored 21-14 in the fourth quarter.

Diggins finished with 23 points while Courtney Paris had 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Glory Johnson has two more chances to break Cheryl Ford's single-season Shock record with her 18th double-double.

Teammate Odyssey Sims had 10 points Sunday while battling a shoulder injury. The rookie of the year candidate had averaged 24.6 over her previous eight, including a 22-point effort against the Dream.


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2014 Regular Season Series

Series starts 7/31

Thu 7/31 ATL 85, @ TUL 75 Recap | Box Score

Aug 15, 2014 TUL @ ATL 7:30 PM ET


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Last 5 Games

Tulsa

Aug 10 @SEA Loss 74-68

Aug 08 SA Win 79-62

Aug 05 @LA Win 96-90

Aug 02 MIN Loss 84-75

Jul 31 ATL Loss 85-75


Atlanta

Aug 13 PHX Win 96-82

Aug 10 @CHI Loss 80-69

Aug 08 @LA Loss 80-77

Aug 07 @SEA Loss 88-68

Aug 05 @PHX Loss 75-67

[StarDust Bum]

Lynx-Stars Preview


Maya Moore is taking the Minnesota Lynx's two-game skid in stride, remaining confident that the reigning WNBA champions will having things figured out before the playoffs begin.

Minnesota looks to avoid its longest losing streak of the season Friday night by winning a ninth straight meeting with the host San Antonio Stars, who can clinch a playoff spot with a victory.

The Lynx (24-8) had won 11 straight before falling 82-80 to Western Conference-leading Phoenix on Saturday. They then lost 71-63 to Los Angeles on Tuesday as Moore was the only member of her team to score in double figures with 20 points.

Minnesota is locked into the No. 2 seed in the West, and Moore isn't fretting over the recent adversity.

"I'm not concerned about it snowballing because we're in control of that," she said. "I think we're absolutely going to respond. The good thing is that for us, it's the small things. We're not having problems with anything major. We've just got to tighten some things up, come together and feel the sense of urgency."

The Lynx have had trouble in the final minutes during their skid. Phoenix's Diana Taurasi hit a bucket with 2.9 seconds left Saturday, and Minnesota held a one-point edge with two minutes to go Tuesday before the Sparks finished on a 9-0 run.

Coach Cheryl Reeve knows her club is in for another tough test in this contest before finishing the regular season against Tulsa the following day.

"San Antonio is going to be equally as hungry," Reeve said. "We've got to figure out the way we want to end this thing."

The Stars (14-18) ended a four-game losing streak with Sunday's 82-76 win over Los Angeles, pulling within one game of the Sparks for third place and a first-round playoff matchup with the Lynx.

A win or a Seattle loss to Los Angeles later Friday would put San Antonio in the playoffs.

"I think we got a little bit of a monkey off our back after that four-game losing streak," said guard Kayla McBride, who finished with 21 points. "I don't think we were playing well consistently (during the streak). That's what we need to be all the time. That's the type of team we are. We're very team oriented. We don't have superstars like that. We have to come in and play together."

The Stars rank 11th in the 12-team league with an average rebounding differential of minus-2.97, but they outrebounded the Sparks 40-30 as Jayne Appel tied a franchise record with 20.

"Coach (Dan Hughes) told us at the beginning of the game, he challenged us to get every rebound," Appel said. "The first one, the second one, the third one. It was definitely a focus from the beginning of the game for us."

Minnesota has won the first four meetings with San Antonio this season, including an 88-78 victory in the most recent one July 25.

This contest is the final regular-season home game for veteran guard Becky Hammon before she becomes an assistant coach for the NBA's Spurs.


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2014 Regular Season Series

Series starts 5/30

Fri 5/30 @MIN 88, SA 72 Recap | Box Score

Sun 6/1 MIN 87, @ SA 79 Recap | Box Score

Thu 7/3 @MIN 91, SA 84 Recap | Box Score

Fri 7/25 @MIN 88, SA 78 Recap | Box Score

Aug 15, 2014 MIN @ SA 8:00 PM ET


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Last 5 Games

Minnesota

Aug 12 LA Loss 71-63

Aug 09 @PHX Loss 82-80

Aug 07 CHI Win 74-64

Aug 05 @IND Win 66-64

Aug 02 @TUL Win 84-75

San Antonio

Aug 10 LA Win 82-76

Aug 08 @TUL Loss 79-62

Aug 07 PHX Loss 78-73

Aug 03 @SEA Loss 71-65

Aug 01 CONN Loss 89-79

[StarDust Bum]

Storm-Sparks Preview

The playoff-bound Los Angeles Sparks have had their way with Seattle this season, but none of the previous matchups have been potentially this important for the Storm.

Seattle still hopes to have a shot at reaching the postseason when it takes the court Friday night in Los Angeles.

The Storm (12-20) have won a season-high three straight following a seven-game losing streak that nearly put them out of the playoff race. Still, Seattle needs to win its final two games and have San Antonio lose its two contests to secure the Western Conference's fourth and final postseason spot.

San Antonio faces Minnesota earlier Friday, and a Stars win would eliminate the Storm before they even take the floor in Los Angeles. San Antonio closes the regular season Sunday against Chicago while Seattle plays its finale that same day against West-leading Phoenix.

The Storm stayed alive with Sunday's 74-68 win over Tulsa, rallying from a 13-point halftime deficit. Sue Bird scored 22 points and Camille Little added 16.

"We didn't really make many adjustments per se, we just had a little more pep in our step," Bird said. "The stops we did get we turned into points, and when we play like that we can play with anybody in this league."

Seattle hasn't had much success against Los Angeles, though, dropping all four meetings by an average of 10.3 points. Sparks coach Penny Toler earned her first career victory with a 77-69 win over the Storm on July 26.

Los Angeles (15-17) clinched a playoff spot with Tuesday's 71-63 win over Minnesota, which owns the league's second-best record. Kristi Toliver tied her career high with 29 points, while Candace Parker added 16.

"It goes to show that you can play with the big dogs," Toler said. "I told them I need them to play to their potential because right now, nothing else matters. When you get in the playoffs, you're back at 0-0."

Despite an overall inconsistent campaign that included the midseason firing of former coach Carol Ross, Los Angeles has put itself in position to control its own postseason fate. A victory in this contest would lock up the No. 3 seed and a matchup with the Lynx in the first round of the playoffs.

"We're a playoff team and we wanted to do our own work," Toliver said. "We didn't want to have to rely on other teams losing and different circumstances. We wanted to take care of our own business, and that's why we came out the way we did (Tuesday). We wanted to close the door."

The Sparks' dominance of the Storm this season mainly has been the result of stellar defense. Los Angeles has forced an average of 16.5 turnovers while holding Seattle to 39.3 percent shooting, including 30.0 percent by Bird as she averaged 6.5 points.

Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike has averaged 21.0 points over the last three meetings with the Storm.


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2014 Regular Season Series

Series starts 5/16

Fri 5/16 LA 80, @ SEA 69 Recap | Box Score

Tue 6/24 @LA 65, SEA 57 Recap | Box Score

Thu 7/3 LA 70, @ SEA 56 Recap | Box Score

Sat 7/26 LA 77, @ SEA 69 Recap | Box Score

Aug 15, 2014 SEA @ LA 10:30 PM ET

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Last 5 Games

Seattle

Aug 10 TUL Win 74-68

Aug 07 ATL Win 88-68

Aug 03 SA Win 71-65

Jul 31 IND Loss 76-67

Jul 29 @TUL Loss 80-74



Los Angeles

Aug 12 @MIN Win 71-63

Aug 10 @SA Loss 82-76

Aug 08 ATL Win 80-77

Aug 05 TUL Loss 96-90

Aug 03 CONN Win 70-69

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Regular Season Standings - 2014


Eastern Conference

Eastern W L PCT GB HOME ROAD PF PA STREAK L 10

z-Atlanta 18 14 .563 - 12-4 6-10 81.0 78.4 Won 1 3-7

x-Chicago 15 17 .469 3 9-7 6-10 76.6 78.3 Won 2 7-3

x-Indiana 15 17 .469 3 6-10 9-7 74.7 75.4 Won 2 5-5

Washington 15 17 .469 3 8-8 7-9 74.8 74.1 Lost 2 6-4

New York 13 19 .406 5 9-7 4-12 72.1 76.1 Lost 3 4-6

e-Connecticut 12 20 .375 6 8-7 4-13 75.7 78.4 Won 1 3-7



Western Conference

Western W L PCT GB HOME ROAD PF PA STREAK L 10

z-Phoenix 27 5 .844 - 15-1 12-4 83.9 74.6 Lost 1 8-2

x-Minnesota 24 8 .750 3 14-2 10-6 81.9 77.2 Lost 2 8-2

x-Los Angeles 15 17 .469 12 6-10 9-7 77.7 78.1 Won 1 5-5

San Antonio 14 18 .438 13 7-9 7-9 77.2 79.9 Won 1 3-7

e-Tulsa 12 20 .375 15 8-9 4-11 81.9 83.1 Lost 1 5-5

Seattle 12 20 .375 15 8-8 4-12 71.3 75.2 Won 3 3-7

Glossary

W: Wins
L: Losses
PCT: Win %
GB: Games Behind

HOME: Home Record
ROAD: Road Record
PF: Points For

PA: Points Against
STREAK: Win/Loss Streak
L 10: Last 10 Games

z - Clinched Conference
y - Clinched Division
x - Clinched Playoff Berth
e - Eliminated From Playoffs

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Friday, August 15

Game Score Status Pick Amount


Washington - 7:00 PM ET Washington -5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Connecticut - Under 145.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY


Tulsa - 7:30 PM ET Tulsa +5.5 500 *****

Atlanta - Over 163.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY


Minnesota - 8:00 PM ET Minnesota -2 500 DOUBLE PLAY

San Antonio - Under 155 500 DOUBLE PLAY


Seattle - 10:30 PM ET Los Angeles -6.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Los Angeles - Over 146.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Sky-Fever Preview

Even though both the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky have earned postseason spots, the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference is far from clear with two games remaining.

With each team playing its part in a tight battle for second place in the conference, the Fever close their regular-season home schedule against the Sky on Saturday night.

With Washington's win over Connecticut on Friday, the second-place Mystics moved one-half game ahead of Indiana and Chicago, who have identical 15-17 records.

A victory over the Fever would put the Sky in the driver's seat for home-court advantage in the first round with a 3-2 edge in the season series, which is the first tiebreaker. Chicago split four games against Washington but owns the second tiebreaker on the strength of a better conference record.

Things are a lot murkier for Indiana, which also went 2-2 against the Mystics but has just one more victory than them against Eastern opponents.

After Washington closes its regular season at home Saturday against New York it could all come down to Sunday's season finales for Indiana and Chicago. The Fever visit the Liberty, while the Sky host San Antonio.

Chicago comes into this crucial contest having won five of six after going 6-15 from June 1-July 29 while stars Elena Delle Donne and Sylvia Fowles dealt with health issues.

Delle Donne (Lyme disease) and Fowles (hip surgery) have missed a combined 30 games, the key factor in turning a 5-1 start into a race to finish at .500. With both playing quality minutes of late, Chicago has finally reverted to its early season winning ways.

"It has been interesting in the East and thankfully so," coach Pokey Chatman said. "We've been through a lot, but we're still right there."

Fowles had 21 points and 16 rebounds and Delle Donne scored 18 in a reserve role to lead the Sky to a key 72-69 victory at Washington on Wednesday.

The two combined to shoot 14 of 20, and with the 6-foot-6 Fowles prowling the lane, Chicago owned a 41-29 edge on the glass and outscored the Mystics 42-30 in the paint.

Indiana has won two in a row after a 76-63 home victory over New York on Thursday. Briann January scored 16 points and Tamika Catchings added 15 to help the Fever clinch a 10th straight postseason berth, tying the league record set by Seattle from 2004-13.

"The pieces are starting to click for us," Catchings told the WNBA's official website. "We just have to continue building off what we have."

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2014 Regular Season Series
Series starts 5/16

Fri 5/16 @CHI 74, IND 71 Recap | Box Score

Fri 6/20 IND 83, @ CHI 75 Recap | Box Score

Thu 7/17 @IND 82, CHI 64 Recap | Box Score

Tue 7/22 @CHI 60, IND 57 Recap | Box Score

Aug 16, 2014 CHI @ IND 7:00 PM ET


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Last 5 Games

Chicago Indiana

Aug 13 @WSH Win 72-69

Aug 10 ATL Win 80-69

Aug 07 @MIN Loss 74-64

Aug 05 @CONN Win 82-66

Aug 03 WSH Win 76-65

Indiana

Aug 14 NY Win 76-63

Aug 10 @NY Win 90-76

Aug 08 WSH Loss 74-61

Aug 05 MIN Loss 66-64

Aug 02 @PHX Loss 79-69

[StarDust Bum]

Sparks-Mercury Preview


Though the Phoenix Mercury still have a chance to set the WNBA record for single-season victories, it remains to be seen how many of their top players will be on the court to help get there.

The league-leading Mercury can record a 15th straight home victory and first-ever season sweep of the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday night in this potential first-round playoff preview.

With home-court advantage throughout the playoffs secured and Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor resting, Phoenix (27-5) had its five-game winning streak end with a 96-82 loss at Atlanta on Wednesday.

"We've had a real busy schedule," coach Sandy Brondello told the Mercury's official website. "We wouldn't have rested them if we didn't have the No. 1 overall seed. Nothing is wrong with either of them, just getting rest when we can."

Taurasi averages a team-leading 17.1 points and 5.7 assists while Taylor is scoring 10.7 per game.

Though it's uncertain if Brondello plans to rest any other starters, that veteran duo likely will be in the lineup Saturday as the Mercury try to match the Los Angeles teams of 2000 and 2001 and the 2010 Seattle Storm with a league-record 28th victory.

They'll face Seattle on Sunday to close out the regular season.

Phoenix also has the chance to extend a club-record 14-game home winning streak that is the third-longest in WNBA history.

The Mercury are 4-0 versus Los Angeles (16-17) this year, and won the last two meetings by a combined 41 points. Taurasi's 17 points led five players in double figures in Phoenix's 90-69 home rout on July 29.

Taurasi, who scored a season-high 32 in a 94-89 win at Los Angeles on July 6, has averaged 22.5 points against the Sparks in 2014.

Teammate Brittney Griner, who announced her engagement to Tulsa All-Star Glory Johnson this week, has recorded 14 of her WNBA single-season record 125 blocks against the Sparks. She had nine points, five rebounds and three blocks before sitting out the final 14 minutes Wednesday.

The Sparks will clinch the third seed in the Western Conference with a win Saturday, allowing them to avoid a first-round matchup with Phoenix. A loss and a San Antonio victory over Chicago on Sunday would drop Los Angeles to the fourth spot since the Stars hold the tiebreaker.

Candace Parker scored 24 points as the Sparks won their second straight, 77-65 over Seattle at home on Friday.

"I think we're kind of starting to find our identity a little bit, and it's about feeling good," said Parker, who missed the most recent meeting with Phoenix because of a knee strain.

After totaling 50 points in the first two meetings with the Mercury, Parker was held to 14 but had nine rebounds in a 93-73 loss July 24.


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2014 Regular Season Series
Series starts 5/18

Sun 5/18 PHX 74, @ LA 69 Recap | Box Score

Sun 7/6 PHX 94, @ LA 89 Recap | Box Score

Thu 7/24 PHX 93, @ LA 73 Recap | Box Score

Tue 7/29 @PHX 90, LA 69 Recap | Box Score

Aug 16, 2014 LA @ PHX 10:00 PM ET


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Last 5 Games

Los Angeles

Aug 12 @MIN Win 71-63

Aug 10 @SA Loss 82-76

Aug 08 ATL Win 80-77

Aug 05 TUL Loss 96-90

Aug 03 CONN Win 70-69


Phoenix

Aug 13 @ATL Loss 96-82

Aug 12 @NY Win 76-64

Aug 09 MIN Win 82-80

Aug 07 @SA Win 78-73

Aug 05 ATL Win 75-67

[StarDust Bum]

Liberty-Mystics Preview


The Washington Mystics have secured playoff berths in back-to-back years for the second time in franchise history but will likely still have plenty of motivation for their regular-season finale.

The Mystics are seeking home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason and would boost their chances with a win over the eliminated New York Liberty on Saturday night.

Washington (16-17) guaranteed its return to the postseason with a 71-67 victory in Connecticut on Friday and ended New York's hopes. The Liberty (13-19) will miss the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time while the Mystics will make back-to-back appearances after missing out in 2011 and 2012.

"Man, this locker room is happy," Mystics guard Ivory Latta said.

While its next opponent is playing for pride, Washington still has an opportunity to finish second in the East. The Mystics currently lead Chicago and Indiana by a half-game for that spot.

The Sky and Fever play each other Saturday night. If Washington wins, the loser of that game will finish fourth.

Even with a victory over New York, the Mystics will need some help on Sunday to finish ahead of the winning team in Saturday's game in Indiana. They split the season series with the Sky and Fever, and their 11-10 record in conference play is worse than Chicago's 14-7 and Indiana's 11-9.

The Sky host San Antonio on the final day of the regular season Sunday while Indiana visits New York.

Washington will try to boost its chances of avoiding that second tiebreaker with a fourth consecutive home win over New York, which has lost three straight. After dropping their two road games in this season's series, the Mystics blew out the Liberty 79-46 in the nation's capital Aug. 5 and outshot them 51.7 to 28.8 percent.

Latta had a team-best 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in that game and scored another 16 in Friday's win, matching Emma Meesseman for the team lead. Latta is averaging 16.1 points in her last 10 games after averaging 11.3 in her first 23.

Tina Charles was the only Liberty player to score in double figures in the loss at Washington earlier this month with 10. She recorded her 17th double-double of the season (15 points, 10 rebounds) in a 76-63 loss at Indiana on Thursday, tying Tulsa's Glory Johnson for the league lead.


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2014 Regular Season Series
Series starts 5/30

Fri 5/30 @WSH 68, NY 60 Recap | Box Score

Sun 6/8 @NY 81, WSH 64 Recap | Box Score

Tue 7/29 @NY 80, WSH 76 Recap | Box Score

Tue 8/5 @WSH 79, NY 46 Recap | Box Score

Aug 16, 2014 NY @ WSH 7:00 PM ET


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Last 5 Games

New York

Aug 14 @IND Loss 76-63

Aug 12 PHX Loss 76-64

Aug 10 IND Loss 90-76

Aug 08 CONN Win 71-66

Aug 05 @WSH Loss 79-46

Washington

Aug 13 CHI Loss 72-69

Aug 10 @CONN Loss 89-81

Aug 08 @IND Win 74-61

Aug 05 NY Win 79-46

Aug 03 @CHI Loss 76-65

[StarDust Bum]

Shock-Lynx Preview


Before the Minnesota Lynx's last contest, Maya Moore said she wasn't concerned about the club's recent struggles snowballing into the postseason.

Given Moore's success against the Tulsa Shock this season, they may not have trouble getting on track before the playoffs.

In the midst of their longest losing streak of the season, the Lynx host the Shock on Saturday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Minnesota (24-9) won 11 straight from July 8-Aug. 7 before losing late leads in defeats to Western Conference-leading Phoenix last Saturday and Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Moore expressed her confidence that the Lynx would bounce back before the playoffs started, but they suffered their worst defeat of the season in Friday's 92-76 loss to San Antonio.

Minnesota, which will be the West's No. 2 seed in the postseason, got 20 points from Moore and 15 from Tan White.

The Lynx have won all four meetings this season with Tulsa (12-21), which has lost two straight and will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight year.

The Shock haven't won this many games since relocating from Detroit prior to the 2010 season, but that hardly means this has been a successful campaign.

Tulsa has a solid core for the future in second-year star Skylar Diggins, rookie Odyssey Sims, center Courtney Paris and forward Glory Johnson, though the supporting cast may need some revamping during the offseason.

Diggins scored all of her game-high 24 points in the second half of Friday's 92-76 loss to Atlanta, and Sims was the only other in double figures with 23. Johnson, who Thursday accepted an engagement proposal from Phoenix star Brittney Griner, scored six points and went 1 for 6 from the field.

Tulsa was outscored 24-6 in the second quarter.

"(Atlanta) is a team that if you don't come out ready to play, they will run right over you," said Diggins, who shot 0 for 6 in the first half but went 7 for 11 in the second. "And that's exactly what they did to us in the first half."

If the Shock hope to end the season on a high note, they'll have to do a better job of containing Moore. The WNBA's leading scorer has averaged 35.8 points in the season series, recording four of her single-season league-record 12 games with at least 30 points.

Moore, who hit two free throws with 11.8 seconds left and scored 38 points in a 94-93 win in the first matchup May 23, netted 40 against Tulsa on Aug. 2. Minnesota won 84-75 despite Sims' 25 points.


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2014 Regular Season Series

Series starts 5/23

Fri 5/23 MIN 94, @ TUL 93 Recap | Box Score

Thu 7/10 MIN 91, @ TUL 85 Recap | Box Score

Wed 7/16 @MIN 93, TUL 82 Recap | Box Score

Sat 8/2 MIN 84, @ TUL 75 Recap | Box Score

Aug 16, 2014 TUL @ MIN 8:00 PM ET


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Last 5 Games

Tulsa

Aug 15 @ATL Loss 92-76

Aug 10 @SEA Loss 74-68

Aug 08 SA Win 79-62

Aug 05 @LA Win 96-90

Aug 02 MIN Loss 84-75




Minnesota

Aug 15 @SA Loss 92-76

Aug 12 LA Loss 71-63

Aug 09 @PHX Loss 82-80

Aug 07 CHI Win 74-64

Aug 05 @IND Win 66-64

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Chicago at Indiana
The Sky head to Indiana tonight and come into the contest with a 7-0 ATS record in their last 7 games versus an Eastern Conference opponent. Chicago is the pick (+3) according to Dunkel, which has the Sky favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+3). Here are all of today's WNBA picks

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16

Game 651-652: Chicago at Indiana (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 115.411; Indiana 114.197
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1; 151
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 3; 146 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+3); Over

Game 653-654: New York at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 108.231; Washington 112.156
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 4; 149
Vegas Line & Total: Washington by 6; 143
Dunkel Pick: New York (+6); Over

Game 655-656: Tulsa at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulsa 105.325; Minnesota 113.847
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 8 1/2;
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 6 1/2; 164 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-6 1/2); Under

Game 657-658: Los Angeles at Phoenix (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 110.281; Phoenix 120.834
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 10 1/2; 152
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 8 1/2; 157 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-8 1/2); Under






WNBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, August 16

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CHICAGO (15 - 17) at INDIANA (15 - 17) - 8/16/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 20-12 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all games this season.
INDIANA is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) after a division game this season.
INDIANA is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
CHICAGO is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 11-4 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 12-3 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW YORK (13 - 19) at WASHINGTON (16 - 17) - 8/16/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 42-59 ATS (-22.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in road games vs. division opponents this season.
NEW YORK is 6-13 ATS (-8.3 Units) after a division game this season.
NEW YORK is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
NEW YORK is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NEW YORK is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 260-314 ATS (-85.4 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 164-205 ATS (-61.5 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) after a division game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-6 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 8-5 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TULSA (12 - 21) at MINNESOTA (24 - 9) - 8/16/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 45-29 ATS (+13.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 41-25 ATS (+13.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in August or September games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 29-18 ATS (+9.2 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 26-16 ATS (+8.4 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 7-6 against the spread versus TULSA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 12-1 straight up against TULSA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LOS ANGELES (16 - 17) at PHOENIX (27 - 5) - 8/16/2014, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 27-43 ATS (-20.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 15-29 ATS (-16.9 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
LOS ANGELES is 76-105 ATS (-39.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.
LOS ANGELES is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games this season.
LOS ANGELES is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 20-12 ATS (+6.8 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 74-49 ATS (+20.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
PHOENIX is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games this season.
PHOENIX is 13-28 ATS (-17.8 Units) in August or September games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) in home games after allowing 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

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

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WNBA

Saturday, August 16

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. WASHINGTON
New York is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 6 games when playing Washington
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games

7:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. INDIANA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games on the road
Chicago is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games at home
Indiana is 16-1 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Chicago

8:00 PM
TULSA vs. MINNESOTA
Tulsa is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Tulsa is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Tulsa
Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tulsa

10:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 7 games
Los Angeles is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Phoenix's last 9 games
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Los Angeles

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday, August 16

Game Score Status Pick Amount


New York - 7:00 PM ET New York +6 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Washington - Over 143 500 *****


Chicago - 7:00 PM ET Chicago +3.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Indiana - Over 145.5 500 *****


Tulsa - 8:00 PM ET Tulsa +7 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Minnesota - Over 162.5 500 *****


Los Angeles - 10:00 PM ET Los Angeles +8.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Phoenix - Over 156.5 500 *****

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Saturday, August 16


Under trending when these two teams meet

The Under has cashed in five-straight meetings between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever when the two square off on Indiana's home floor.

The teams have met four times this season and are 2-2 Over/Under thus far. They've met once on Indiana's floor back on July 17. Indy was victorious 82-64 with the game staying under the closing total of 151.

Books opened the game with a total of 146.5, but that has since dropped one point down to 145.5, where it currently stands.

[StarDust Bum]

Dream-Sun Preview


Despite plenty of adversity, the Atlanta Dream are on the verge of tying a franchise record for victories as they prepare to defend their Eastern Conference championship in the postseason.

Atlanta looks to snap a four-game road losing streak Sunday against the Connecticut Sun, who simply are looking to end their season on a high note.

The Dream (19-14) got off to a 15-5 start under first-year coach Michael Cooper, but then dropped nine of 11. Included in that slump was the news that Cooper had been diagnosed with early stage tongue cancer, forcing him to take a leave from the team July 21.

Cooper returned Aug. 7 during what turned into a winless four-game road trip, but Atlanta has rebounded to win its last two games. The team clinched the East's No. 1 seed with a 96-82 win over Phoenix on Wednesday and routed Tulsa 92-76 on Friday.

The Dream now look to tie the franchise record of 20 victories, set in 2011.

"We were just going through our bad spell. Every team has them every year," Cooper said. "This team is notorious for having them towards the end, but we are playing good basketball."

Erika de Souza finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds Friday, while leading scorer Angel McCoughtry returned from a two-game absence and scored 12 points in 15 minutes.

McCoughtry has been bothered by foot problems, but she said she's ready to go for the playoffs as the Dream seek to reach the WNBA Finals for the fourth time in five years.

"We need momentum heading into the playoffs," McCoughtry said. "That was championship-type basketball with championship-type energy, so it was great."

Connecticut's play hasn't been anywhere near championship-caliber this season as it sits in last place in the East and will miss the playoffs for the second straight year.

The Sun (12-21) have lost four of five after falling 71-67 to Washington on Friday. They've gone through a grind since the end of last season, when former MVP Tina Charles demanded a trade and general manager Chris Sienko obliged by dealing her to New York on draft night, when they selected Chiney Ogwumike with the No. 1 overall pick.

About the only positive that came out of Friday's loss was that the Mystics clinched a playoff spot and eliminated the Liberty, giving Connecticut two lottery picks in next year's draft to complete the Charles trade.

"I was hoping that would happen on another night," coach Anne Donovan said. "That it would happen to New York on another night, and Washington (would) get to the playoffs on another night.

"At the end of the season, yeah, it gives us more flexibility, it gives us more options, but..."

The Sun beat the Dream 85-76 on June 1 as Ogwumike finished with 18 points, but Atlanta won the next two meetings. McCoughtry scored 25 points in an 89-80 victory in the most recent matchup July 29.

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2014 Regular Season Series

Series starts 6/1

Sun 6/1 @CONN 85, ATL 76 Recap | Box Score

Tue 7/8 @ATL 83, CONN 71 Recap | Box Score

Tue 7/29 @ATL 89, CONN 80 Recap | Box Score

Aug 17, 2014 ATL @ CONN 1:00 PM ET

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Last 5 Games

Atlanta

Aug 15 TUL Win 92-76

Aug 13 PHX Win 96-82

Aug 10 @CHI Loss 80-69

Aug 08 @LA Loss 80-77

Aug 07 @SEA Loss 88-68



Connecticut

Aug 15 WSH Loss 71-67

Aug 10 WSH Win 89-81

Aug 08 @NY Loss 71-66

Aug 05 CHI Loss 82-66

Aug 03 @LA Loss 70-69

[StarDust Bum]

Fever-Liberty Preview

The Indiana Fever figure to be scoreboard-watching during their regular-season finale.

The Fever plan to reduce the minutes for their starters Sunday night since they have secured the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs heading into this meaningless road matchup with the New York Liberty.

Indiana (16-17) clinched the No. 2 seed Saturday with a 71-67 home win over Chicago. The Fever jumped all over the Sky with a 32-point first quarter -- their highest in an opening period -- to build a 16-point cushion after 10 minutes.

Tamika Catchings finished with 25 points and Briann January added 14 for the Fever, who have won three straight.

"I am really proud of our team with the way we came out tonight," Catchings said. "I thought we came out focused and ready to play."

The Fever saw their huge advantage sliced to two points in the fourth quarter. Catchings scored 10 points in the final period and made two free throws with 14 seconds remaining to clinch the win.

Now it remains to be seen who Indiana will face in round one. Chicago will be the Fever's opponent if it beats San Antonio in a game that starts at the same time Sunday. If the Sky lose, Washington will gain the No. 3 seed.

Coach Lin Dunn said that her team is fatigued as it heads to New York. Indiana has won five straight over the Liberty (14-19), including the first three meetings this year.

"Whatever happens up there we'll have the second seed so that's nice to know coming into that game and I can also give our starters some more rest and I can also give our backups more minutes," Dunn said.

This will mark the third meeting between these teams in eight days. Catchings scored a season-high 29 points in a 90-76 win last Sunday and the Fever clinched a playoff spot with Thursday's 76-63 home victory as Catchings and January combined for 31.

The Liberty will miss the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. They ended a three-game slide with Saturday's 73-61 road win over the Mystics.

Plenette Pierson scored 20 points as New York shot 50.9 percent.

"We executed our offense," coach Bill Laimbeer said. "This was about as good as we've executed in a while."

New York star Tina Charles is averaging 18.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in the season series.

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2014 Regular Season Series

Series starts 5/31

Sat 5/31 @IND 70, NY 66 Recap | Box Score

Sun 8/10 IND 90, @ NY 76 Recap | Box Score

Thu 8/14 @IND 76, NY 63 Recap | Box Score

Aug 17, 2014 IND @ NY 6:00 PM ET


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Last 5 Games

Indiana

Aug 14 NY Win 76-63

Aug 10 @NY Win 90-76

Aug 08 WSH Loss 74-61

Aug 05 MIN Loss 66-64

Aug 02 @PHX Loss 79-69



New York

Aug 14 @IND Loss 76-63

Aug 12 PHX Loss 76-64

Aug 10 IND Loss 90-76

Aug 08 CONN Win 71-66

Aug 05 @WSH Loss 79-46