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

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Preview: Mercury (6-3) at Lynx (8-2)

Date: June 15, 2014 1:00 PM EDT


Coming off a split of a challenging road trip, the Minnesota Lynx are looking to extend a few lengthy winning streaks as they return home to face the Phoenix Mercury.

Reigning finals MVP Maya Moore can help that cause by breaking out of her slump.

The defending champions seek their 13th straight win at Target Center and 15th consecutive overall against Phoenix on Sunday when the clubs meet for the first time since last year's Western Conference finals.

Minnesota (8-2) went 2-2 on its longest trip of the season after its rally from a 17-point deficit fell short in Friday's 85-82 loss at Atlanta.

Lindsay Whalen matched a season high with 22 points, while Janel McCarville scored a season-high 18 and Seimone Augustus added 17.

"The type of push we had (in the second half), the energy that we played with, it was really good," Moore said. "The focus of people coming out of the bench was great. We just can't have a first half like we did."

Moore, who leads the league at 22.7 points per game, continued her recent struggles in the loss, finishing with a season-low 10 points on 2-of-11 shooting.

The star forward has averaged 11.3 points while shooting 30.2 percent in her last three games after putting up 27.6 with a 51.5 field-goal percentage over her first seven.

She'll try to get back on track at home, where she's scored 29.7 per game during the team's 3-0 start there. The Lynx haven't lost at Target Center since falling to Tulsa on Aug. 16 - a 12-game run that includes four playoff victories.

They won all seven meetings with Phoenix last season by an average of 15.7 points, including their two-game sweep in the West finals. Minnesota, which also swept the Mercury in the 2011 conference finals, hasn't lost in this series since Aug. 9, 2011.

Phoenix (6-3) will try to end that streak and close within one game of the West leaders in the finale of a five-game trip. The Mercury, though, are searching for answers on the defensive end following Thursday's 96-95 loss at Connecticut.

Candice Dupree had 21 points, Diana Taurasi scored 19 and Brittney Griner 18 for the Mercury, who allowed the Sun to hit 10 of 13 from 3-point range.

"It's on the defensive end (where we struggled), and usually that is where we have been so good this year," coach Sandy Brondello said after Phoenix fell to 2-2 on the trip.

Brondello's club could have trouble with the Lynx, who are second in the league in scoring behind Phoenix (84.6) at 83.9 points per game. Moore, Augustus and Whalen are all averaging 16.5 points or more.

Moore totaled 47 points on 20-of-36 shooting in last season's playoff series, while Augustus scored a combined 40.

Griner has averaged 18.0 points and 10.3 rebounds, while Dupree has put up 21.7 points and 9.3 boards in Phoenix's last three games overall.

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Preview: Liberty (3-7) at Sun (5-6)

Date: June 15, 2014 1:00 PM EDT


With Alex Bentley enjoying a breakout stretch, the Connecticut Sun hardly resemble the same team that finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference last season.

As their second-year guard looks to stay on a roll, the Sun go for their fourth straight victory and a sweep of a home-and-home set with the New York Liberty on Sunday.

Bentley led the way for the third consecutive game Friday, scoring a career-high 24 as Connecticut (5-6) built a 20-point lead before holding on for an 83-75 win at Madison Square Garden.

Since averaging 6.9 points and shooting 35.9 percent in her first eight games, Bentley has scored 22.3 per game on 71.1 percent shooting during the Sun's longest win streak since they took the final three of the 2012 season.

"Alex is a very confident player," coach Anne Donovan said. "She's always had confidence in her shots. For us it's getting to understand what we wanted from the point guard position. She's very coachable."

The victory snapped a 12-game road skid dating to an 88-66 win over New York in Newark, N.J., on Aug. 3 of last season, which ended with a franchise-worst 10-24 record.

Rookie Chiney Ogwumike continued her solid start with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting and seven rebounds, while Katie Douglas scored 14 and went 4 of 9 from 3-point range.

Douglas, averaging 15.0 points during the win streak, has made 8 of 13 from beyond the arc in the last two games. The Sun have gone 22 for 37 overall from long range in victories over Indiana, Phoenix and New York.

"We're definitely maturing as a team and it's great to have a winning streak," said Ogwumike, averaging team highs of 16.5 points and 8.5 boards. "We need to keep working hard though to get wins."

Those have been difficult to come by for the last-place Liberty (3-7), who have dropped five of six.

After trailing by 20 at halftime Friday, New York clawed back to cut the deficit to two in the fourth quarter a few times but couldn't get over the hump.

Former Sun center Tina Charles finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds and Cappie Pondexter scored 20, but no other New York player reached double figures. Charles is averaging a team-high 16.8 points, while Pondexter has put up 14.1.

"We need to figure out how to get out to a better start," Pondexter said. "We showed what we can do in the second half, but we can't keep spotting teams huge leads."

The Liberty have won their last two visits to Mohegan Sun Arena, including a 75-54 victory in the season opener May 16.

Pondexter scored 17 and Charles added nine points and nine rebounds, while Ogwumike led the Sun with 13 points in her WNBA debut.

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Preview: Dream (6-3) at Mystics (5-5)

Date: June 15, 2014 4:00 PM EDT


If the young Washington Mystics want to have a successful season, they'll likely need consistent contributions from second-year center Emma Meesseman.

The Belgium native looks to continue her solid play when the Mystics host the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Dream on Sunday in the opener of a home-and-home set.

Meesseman went two games without a field goal before shooting a combined 14 for 21 with 30 points and 18 rebounds over her last two games. She had career highs of 16 points and 11 boards to help Washington (5-5) end a three-game skid Friday with a 79-68 win over Chicago.

"(I) had some games that were tough for me so I had some talks with (coach Mike Thibault), the players to bring back my confidence," Meesseman said. "Knowing players are behind me - I can play basketball, too. That's what I'm trying to do."

Bria Hartley had 13 points and Tianna Hawkins added 10 for the Mystics.

Seven of Washington's 12 players are either rookies or in their second season, and the 6-foot-4 Meesseman is being called on to provide quality minutes in the middle. After starting once in 2013, she has been on the court at tipoff for every game this season.

Meesseman, though, did have an easier time against Chicago with its leading scorer Elena Delle Donne sidelined and veteran forward Sylvia Fowles also out.

"We're going to have to play a lot better when we play them down the road," Thibault said. "... As young as we are, the things we're trying to learn, it was progress tonight."

Atlanta (6-3), which beat Washington in last season's East semifinals, will certainly provide Meesseman with a tough test. The Dream's frontcourt features center Erika de Souza and forward Sancho Lyttle, who are averaging a combined 29.4 points and 23.0 rebounds.

The imposing pair totaled 26 points and 23 boards to help the Dream win their third straight with an 85-82 victory over Minnesota on Friday in a rematch of last year's finals.

Angel McCoughtry scored a team-high 23 points for Atlanta, which limited WNBA leading scorer Maya Moore to 10 points on 2-for-11 shooting.

"Our pick-and-roll coverage worked to perfection," coach Michael Cooper said.

Tiffany Hayes added 15 points and Jasmine Thomas had 13 as all five of the Dream's starters scored in double figures. The offensive burst by the starters was needed after they wasted a 17-point halftime lead.

De Souza averaged 12.0 points and 13.7 rebounds in last year's three-game playoff series victory over Washington. McCoughtry averaged a combined 19.4 points in that series and four regular-season meetings, which the teams split.

This home-and-home set concludes Wednesday in Atlanta.

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Preview: Storm (5-7) at Shock (3-5)

Date: June 15, 2014 4:30 PM EDT


The Tulsa Shock have gone from winless to the hottest team in the Western Conference, while the Seattle Storm have also turned it around after a slow start.

The Shock seek their longest winning streak in nearly four years and will try to snap a three-game slide against the Storm on Sunday.

Since falling to 0-5 with a 62-60 loss at Seattle on June 1, Tulsa (3-5) has opened a four-game homestand with three consecutive victories.

Second-year guard Skylar Diggins has posted three straight 20-point efforts after finishing with a season-low six against the Storm (5-7).

"We're really starting to jell," said Diggins, averaging a team-high 18.4 points after putting up just 8.5 as a rookie. "We're on the other end of the streak now."

Diggins finished with 22 points - including a go-ahead jumper with 1.9 seconds left - to key Friday's 69-67 win over Los Angeles. She reached double figures for the seventh time in eight games after accomplishing the feat 10 times in 2013.

The Shock, who have also beaten Phoenix and New York, have won the three games despite shooting 12 for 49 (24.5 percent) from 3-point range. They missed 18 of 22 from beyond the arc in the first meeting with the Storm.

Tulsa, however, has totaled just 15 turnovers in the last two games after committing 16.5 per game over its previous four.

The Shock haven't won four in a row since Aug. 22-27, 2009.

Glory Johnson scored a season-high 21 in the first meeting with Seattle, which also took the final two regular-season meetings in 2013 by a total of 21 points. Johnson, though, has scored just 19 on 5-of-26 shooting in her last two contests overall.

The Storm, who opened 1-5, have won two of three so far on their four-game trip.

Camille Little, Tanisha Wright and Temeka Johnson scored 13 apiece as Seattle nearly blew a big lead for the second straight contest in Friday's 79-72 win at San Antonio. The Storm led by as many as 22 and shot 56.9 percent - far better than their 40.9 average coming in.

"We've got new people this year and we're starting to figure out how to play them," coach Brian Agler said.

Seattle leading scorer Crystal Langhorne had 23 points versus Tulsa, but she's averaged 8.7 over her last three.

The Storm, who have the league's third-worst rebounding margin at minus-3.25, will have to figure out a way to contain Tulsa's Courtney Paris. The center has pulled down 31 rebounds in the last two games and is averaging a league-best 11.1.

Shock guard Riquna Williams might be able to return after missing Friday's game due to a bruised knee.

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Standings

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak

Atlanta Dream 6 3 .667 0 5-1 1-2 2-3 6-3 W-3

Indiana Fever 5 4 .556 1 3-2 2-2 4-4 5-4 W-1

Chicago Sky 5 5 .500 1.5 4-3 1-2 5-2 5-5 L-4

Washington Mystics 5 5 .500 1.5 3-4 2-1 4-2 5-5 W-1

Connecticut Sun 5 6 .455 2 4-2 1-4 3-5 5-5 W-3

New York Liberty 3 7 .300 3.5 2-3 1-4 2-4 3-7 L-2



WESTERN CONFERENCE

Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak

Minnesota Lynx 8 2 .800 0 3-0 5-2 4-1 8-2 L-1

Phoenix Mercury 6 3 .667 1.5 3-1 3-2 5-2 6-3 L-1

San Antonio Stars 5 6 .455 3.5 3-3 2-3 4-5 5-5 W-1

Seattle Storm 5 7 .417 4 2-1 3-6 3-3 5-5 W-1

Tulsa Shock 3 5 .375 4 3-1 0-4 2-5 3-5 W-3

Los Angeles Sparks 3 6 .333 4.5 1-2 2-4 2-4 3-6 L-3

Updated Sun Jun 15 11:38 AM EDT

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Sunday, June 15

Game Score Status Pick Amount

New York - 1:00 PM ET Connecticut -2.5 500 *****
Connecticut - Under 150 500 *****

Phoenix - 1:00 PM ET Phoenix +5 500 *****
Minnesota - Over 163.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Atlanta - 4:00 PM ET Atlanta -3.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Washington - Over 152.5 500 *****

Seattle - 4:30 PM ET Tulsa -6.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Tulsa - Over 143 500 DOUBLE PLAY

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Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

06/13/14 5-*5-*0 50.00% -*250 Detail
06/12/14 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1100 Detail
06/11/14 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*50 Detail
06/10/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
06/08/14 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1150 Detail
06/07/14 0-*6-*0 0.00% -*3300 Detail
06/06/14 6-*2-*0 75.00% +*1900 Detail
06/05/14 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*950 Detail
06/03/14 4-*0-*0 100.00% +*2000 Detail
06/01/14 6-*2-*0 75.00% +*1900 Detail

Totals 28-*24-*0 53.85% +800

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WNBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, June 17

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INDIANA (5 - 4) at CONNECTICUT (6 - 6) - 6/17/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 96-133 ATS (-50.3 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) as a home favorite of 3 points or less since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 17-32 ATS (-18.2 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 9-5 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 8-6 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (8 - 3) at LOS ANGELES (3 - 6) - 6/17/2014, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 17-29 ATS (-14.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 40-61 ATS (-27.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in June games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 8-21 ATS (-15.1 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 25-43 ATS (-22.3 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 7-5 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 7-5 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Tuesday, June 17

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
INDIANA vs. CONNECTICUT
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Connecticut
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Indiana's last 13 games on the road
Connecticut is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Connecticut's last 8 games

10:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. LOS ANGELES
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games
Los Angeles is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games at home

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WNBA
Dunkel

Minnesota at Los Angeles
The Lynx (8-3) head to LA tonight to face a Sparks team that is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games versus a team with a winning SU record. Minnesota is the pick (+1 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Lynx favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+1 1/2). Here are all of today's WNBA picks.

TUESDAY, JUNE 17

Game 651-652: Indiana at Connecticut (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 110.577; Connecticut 108.755
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 2; 152
Vegas Line & Total: Connecticut by 2 1/2; 146
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+2 1/2); Over

Game 653-654: Minnesota at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 114.641; Los Angeles 112.919
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 154
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1 1/2; 160
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+1 1/2); Under

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Preview: Fever (5-4) at Sun (6-6)

Date: June 17, 2014 7:00 PM EDT


With a 1-5 start all but forgotten, the Connecticut Sun have a chance to move into second place in the Eastern Conference by extending their longest winning streak in two years.

The surprising Sun will have top pick Chiney Ogwumike back as they go for a fifth straight victory overall and seventh consecutive regular-season home win against the Indiana Fever on Tuesday night.

Former Fever guard Katie Douglas helped extend the run Sunday, leading all five starters in double figures with 14 points as Connecticut (6-6) finished a home-and-home series against New York with a 76-72 victory on its own court.

Douglas, who was limited to four contests with Indiana in 2013 because of a back injury, has averaged 14.8 points during the win streak. It's the team's longest since a five-game run in 2012, when the Sun lost to the Fever in the conference finals.

Coming off a franchise-worst 10-24 finish last season, Connecticut can now move past Indiana (5-4) and Chicago into second in the East while drawing even with first-place Atlanta in the win column.

"I really think we are trusting one another, and that is the biggest thing," reserve Danielle McCray said. "We know everyone is all in and we know everyone is going to give their best.'

Ogwumike should be able to provide a lift after missing Sunday's win to attend graduation at Stanford. Ogwumike, who averages team highs of 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, scored 18 with a career-high 15 boards in a 79-65 loss at Indiana on May 29.

Connecticut, which hasn't lost a regular-season home game to the Fever since July 2011, evened the season series and snapped Indiana's four-game winning streak with an 88-71 victory June 7 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Alex Bentley had 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting and Douglas added 15 points while hitting all seven free-throw attempts.

Natasha Howard finished with 14 points for the Fever, who shot 53.1 percent but committed 25 turnovers.

On Wednesday, Erlana Larkins matched her season high with 17 points and added 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double to help Indiana overcome a nine-point deficit in a 76-68 victory over visiting Seattle.

'She is a warrior,' said coach Lin Dunn, who was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday. 'She is the leader of this team. She puts our team on her shoulders and takes us to a victory.'

Larkins finished with 14 points and 10 boards while Briann January scored a team-high 20 in the first meeting with the Sun. January, however, has scored 12 on 3-of-14 shooting over her last two games.

It's uncertain if Indiana forward Tamika Catchings will be able to make her season debut due to a back injury.

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Preview: Lynx (8-3) at Sparks (3-6)

Date: June 17, 2014 10:30 PM EDT


The Minnesota Lynx survived a few close calls while winning their first seven games, but lately the defending WNBA champions have been on the wrong side of those decisions.

Minnesota looks to avoid a fourth defeat in five contests Tuesday night when it visits the Los Angeles Sparks, who are looking to snap out of their own slump.

The Lynx won four games by five points or fewer during their hot start, and Maya Moore set a league record with at least 30 points in four straight games to begin the season.

Moore has since relinquished the league's scoring lead and is down to 21.9 points per game while averaging 12.0 and shooting 31.1 percent over her last four. She scored 14 points as Minnesota's late rally fell short in Sunday's 80-72 loss to Phoenix.

The Lynx (8-3) are beginning a stretch of three games in four days. After facing Los Angeles, they'll visit the Mercury on Wednesday before Friday's home date with Washington.

"This is definitely something we have to get ourselves out of," Moore said. "We've got to change the momentum that our team's in right now, and we have a long week. We have several opportunities to get that done, so that's where our focus is going to be."

Coach Cheryl Reeve mainly has been concerned with her squad's defense, especially in the last two games. Minnesota also fell 85-82 to Atlanta on Friday.

"For the second game in a row, a team dropped 50 points on us in a half," Reeve said. "When we're not putting the ball in the hole at the same rate, trying to win a shootout (and keeping) up with 50 points in a half, it's going to be hard for us. So until we figure that out, games will be really hard."

Minnesota's only victory over its last four games came against the Sparks on June 8. Seimone Augustus scored 26 points and Moore added 12 and 13 rebounds in an 85-72 win.

Candace Parker finished with 24 points and 11 boards for Los Angeles (3-6), which has dropped three straight after a 101-74 loss to San Antonio on Saturday.

The Sparks trailed by only five at halftime and shot 48.4 percent for the game, but they allowed the Stars to shoot 9 of 15 from 3-point range. The 27-point defeat is their worst during a season that could begin to slip away if they can't get on track soon.

"We played a terrible third and fourth quarter and they shot the lights out," coach Carol Ross said. "It's an embarrassing loss."

Los Angeles has lost five of six, falling by at least eight points four times.

Augustus has averaged 24.0 points in the last three meetings with the Sparks, while Parker has averaged 22.5 over her last four against Minnesota.

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Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

06/15/14 5-*3-*0 62.50% +*850 Detail
06/13/14 5-*5-*0 50.00% -*250 Detail
06/12/14 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1100 Detail
06/11/14 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*50 Detail
06/10/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
06/08/14 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1150 Detail
06/07/14 0-*6-*0 0.00% -*3300 Detail
06/06/14 6-*2-*0 75.00% +*1900 Detail
06/05/14 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*950 Detail
06/03/14 4-*0-*0 100.00% +*2000 Detail
06/01/14 6-*2-*0 75.00% +*1900 Detail

Totals 33-*27-*0 55.00% +1650

Tuesday, June 17

Game Score Status Pick Amount


Indiana - 7:00 PM ET Connecticut -3.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Connecticut - Over 147 500 DOUBLE PLAY


Minnesota - 10:30 PM ET Los Angeles +1 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Los Angeles - Under 158.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

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Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

06/17/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
06/15/14 5-*3-*0 62.50% +*850 Detail
06/13/14 5-*5-*0 50.00% -*250 Detail
06/12/14 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1100 Detail
06/11/14 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*50 Detail
06/10/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
06/08/14 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1150 Detail
06/07/14 0-*6-*0 0.00% -*3300 Detail
06/06/14 6-*2-*0 75.00% +*1900 Detail
06/05/14 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*950 Detail
06/03/14 4-*0-*0 100.00% +*2000 Detail
06/01/14 6-*2-*0 75.00% +*1900 Detail

Totals 35-*29-*0 54.69% +1550


Wednesday, June 18

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Washington - 12:00 PM ET Washington +8.5 500

Atlanta - Over 150 500

New York - 12:30 PM ET Chicago -2.5 500

Chicago - Under 148 500

Minnesota - 10:00 PM ET Minnesota +3 500

Phoenix - Over 161.5 500

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Preview: Mystics (5-6) at Dream (7-3)

Date: June 18, 2014 12:00 PM EDT


Washington coach Mike Thibault sat his team down prior to its home-and-home series with Atlanta and detailed explicitly how the Dream beat the Mystics in last season's playoffs by dominating the boards.

What he saw in the first game must've seemed like deja vu.

The Eastern Conference-leading Dream look to sweep visiting Washington and win their fifth straight overall Wednesday.

The Mystics shocked Atlanta in Game 1 of the best-of-three East semifinals, but were outrebounded by 38 while dropping the final two games of the set.

Thibault tried to remind his club of that prior to Sunday's contest, but Atlanta (7-3) won the board battle 41-30, held a 17-4 edge in offensive rebounds and an 18-0 advantage in second-chance points en route to a 75-67 win.

'That's our strength. We're No. 1 in offensive rebounding in this league,' said Dream coach Michael Cooper, whose team also leads the WNBA with a plus-3.70 average rebounding margin. 'Championships are won with good defense and good rebounding. I thought we did that right when we really needed it.'

Not only did the Mystics fail to heed their coach's advice, their 21 turnovers led to 21 Atlanta points.

'They beat us last year in the playoffs. Coach came in here and said how did they beat us? Rebounding,' said guard Ivory Latta, who scored 12 points but went 4 of 13 from the field. 'So we should take this hard.'

Monique Currie had a solid performance, shooting 5 for 10 and scoring 11 points. Thibault, though, saw many of the same issues that have been bothering him.

"Well, I'm really excited about playing them again Wednesday," Thibault said sarcastically. "It comes down to things that have cost us games in the past - turnovers and offensive rebounding. It's hard when the other team has so many more possessions because of the turnovers. And the boards killed us."

The Mystics (5-6) have lost four of five and are beginning a four-game road trip. After facing the defending East champion Dream, they'll take on WNBA champion Minnesota on Friday before stops in Seattle and San Antonio.

"Hopefully we can fix it on our road trip," Thibault said. "These are hard games. I'm hoping (Sunday) was a one-off with the rebounding problem, and it better be because Wednesday is going to get here quickly."

Atlanta will be looking to extend its winning streak after another solid effort. Erika de Souza and Angel McCoughtry scored 16 points apiece, Sancho Lyttle added 15 and Tiffany Hayes finished with 14.

Three victories during the Dream's winning streak have come by at least eight points, and they enter this contest on a four-game home winning streak.

The Mystics are tied for the fewest road games played in the league, going 2-1.

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Preview: Liberty (3-8) at Sky (5-5)

Date: June 18, 2014 12:30 PM EDT


The Chicago Sky's promising start has vanished, and things may not get any better until some of their key players return from injury.

New York Liberty coach Bill Laimbeer doesn't have any excuses for his slumping club.

The statuses of Elena Delle Donne and Jessica Breland remain up in the air as Chicago hosts New York looking to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat Wednesday.

The Sky (5-5) sat atop the Eastern Conference after winning five of their first six, with Delle Donne averaging 23.0 points in that stretch. The league's second-leading scorer has missed the last two contests, though, as she receives treatment for a flare up of Lyme disease - a condition she began suffering from in college.

'It's just hard to tell right now (when Delle Donne will play again),' coach Pokey Chatman said. 'We'll re-evaluate (before Wednesday's game).'

Breland has also sat out the past two contests while she deals with a right shin issue, and center Sylvia Fowles has yet to play this season because of a hip problem.

Chatman said both would be evaluated along with Delle Donne, but she couldn't say when either player would be in the lineup. Allie Quigley scored a career-high 18 points and Epiphanny Prince added 17 in Friday's 79-68 loss to Washington.

Chicago, which shot only 38.2 percent, will look to bounce back by winning an eighth straight meeting with New York.

Delle Donne scored 23 points while Breland added 13 and 11 boards in a 79-65 victory at Madison Square Garden on May 17. Tina Charles had 15 points and 12 boards but went 5 of 13 from the field for the Liberty (3-8), losers of six of seven overall.

They have dropped three straight after being swept in a home-and-home series with Connecticut, falling 83-75 on Friday and 76-72 on Sunday. Cappie Pondexter scored 21 points in the latest contest.

New York hasn't lived up to expectations after acquiring Charles from the Sun on draft day, and Laimbeer has an idea why that's the case.

'We are very frustrated, but it's earned frustration,' Laimbeer said. 'We don't do the little things. We know we are not the most talented basketball team, and we also know that we if don't have all our players playing well we are going to struggle."

The Liberty will need to step up their play with a tough stretch ahead. They'll play a home-and-home set with East-leading Atlanta on Friday and Sunday before hosting Chicago on June 27.

"We know that if we get everyone playing well we are going to be very competitive," Laimbeer said. "It's a fine line, and right now we are on the bottom half of the line.'