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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Lynx (13-5) at Liberty (6-11)

Date: July 06, 2014 2:00 PM EDT


The Minnesota Lynx aren't sure when Seimone Augustus will return, but Monica Wright demonstrated she might be capable of filling the void.

Wright looks to follow her best performance of the season by leading the Lynx to a fifth win in six games Sunday when they visit the New York Liberty.

Augustus, a four-time All-Star who ranks sixth in the league with 17.2 points per game, has missed back-to-back games with left knee bursitis. Minnesota (13-5), which owns the league's second-best record behind Phoenix, isn't sure if she'll be able to play Sunday.

With Augustus sidelined Thursday, Wright scored a season-high 17 points in a 91-84 home win over San Antonio, complementing the 22 by Lindsay Whalen and 21 from Maya Moore.

"She's a good player, and her coming off the bench is a luxury most of us don't have," Stars coach Dan Hughes said. "You pay a lot of attention to Whalen, you pay a lot of attention to Maya, and (Wright) is a good player. Even if Augustus is gone, they still have good players."

Wright, who missed the team's first 10 games after offseason knee surgery, had totaled 18 points in seven games. She had one 3-pointer all season before hitting 3 of 4 attempts Thursday.

"I've been impressed with how quickly she's gotten re-acclimated," coach Cheryl Reeve said. "I'm just really happy with Monnie's fortitude to get through all that and be really helpful to our team right away."

Wright didn't play in Minnesota's 87-82 home win over New York on May 24, though Moore - who leads the league with 22.7 points per game - scored 30 and was 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Whalen scored 21.

Tina Charles tallied 24 points and 14 rebounds for the Liberty (6-11), who are last in the Eastern Conference but have won three of four on a five-game homestand. Charles scored a season-high 28 and grabbed 14 rebounds in Tuesday's 90-74 victory over Tulsa, marking her seventh double-double of the year and first in seven contests.

The former league MVP scored 20 in the first half alone.

"Tina Charles set the tone early in the game and did what she was supposed to do, score buckets for us," coach Bill Laimbeer said. "She was very engaged."

Cappie Pondexter recorded 13 of her 21 points in the second half and has totaled 35 in two games after being shut out for the first time in her career in a 73-69 loss to Chicago on June 27.

Minnesota has won six straight in the series by an average of 23.5 points, winning each game by at last 16. New York hasn't defeated the Lynx since a 78-62 victory in Minneapolis on Sept. 2, 2011.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mercury (12-3) at Sparks (7-9)

Date: July 06, 2014 4:00 PM EDT


A high-powered offense has the Phoenix Mercury off to their best ever 15-game start.

They hope their potent trio is enough to neutralize the red-hot Nneka Ogwumike as they visit the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday looking to match the longest single-season win streak in franchise history.

The Mercury (12-3) own the WNBA's best record and pace the league in scoring (84.8 ppg) and field-goal shooting (49.0 percent). They're the only team with three of the league's top 10 scorers with Diana Taurasi (18.1 ppg), Brittney Griner (15.9) and Candice Dupree (15.6).

Wednesday's 87-69 home victory over Chicago marked Phoenix's first six-game regular-season winning streak since July 1-15, 2011. The only longer one the franchise has ever had in one season was a seven-game run Aug. 1-13, 2006.

Though Griner was held to four points Wednesday, Candice Dupree scored a season-high 26 and added 14 rebounds.

Griner had scored 21-plus in three of her previous four.

"Teams are going to focus a lot on BG (Griner), focus a lot on Diana, so I get quite a few open shots that I have to knock down," Dupree said. "Tonight was my night. I was able to make a lot of shots, get a lot of rebounds but next game, Sunday, it could be somebody different."

While Dupree surpassed the 4,000-point plateau for her career, Taurasi scored 15 to move past Katie Smith for second place on the WNBA's all-time scoring list. Her 6,457 points trail only Tina Thompson's 7,488.

"It's pretty cool to pass Katie, who obviously is one of the greatest to touch a basketball in our generation," Taurasi said. "That's pretty special to share that list with her and obviously Tina is going to be pretty much impossible to catch."

Griner, who leads the league with 4.1 blocks per game, blocked five shots and has 28 over her last four games. She had four in a 74-69 win at Los Angeles on May 18 and combined with Taurasi and Dupree for 54 points, with Taurasi's 23 leading the way.

The Sparks (7-9) have lost four of six on the road, though they come off a 70-56 win at Seattle on Thursday. Los Angeles shot 50.8 percent from the field with Ogwumike scoring 21 points, two days after scoring a season-high 26 in a loss to Chicago.

Ogwumike, who has worn a mask recently to protect a bruised nose, is averaging 22.6 points in five games since suffering the injury June 19. She was previously averaging 11.7 on the season.

"Nneka put that mask on, and she has been a beast," coach Carol Ross said. "She has just been playing at a very, very high level. I'm glad her effort finally turned into a win. You hate wasting a great effort (Tuesday)."

Ogwumike missed the first matchup with Phoenix due to a strained lower back, though Candace Parker finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday, July 6

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Minnesota - 2:00 PM ET New York +4 500 DOUBLE PLAY

New York - Over 155.5 500 *****

Phoenix - 4:00 PM ET Phoenix -2 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Los Angeles - Over 159.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

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 17-*13-*0 56.67% +1350



Rated Games As Of 07/06

*****................................6 - 3

DOUBLE PLAYS......................8 - 3

TRIPLE PLAYS........................3 - 2

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sun (9-10) at Dream (12-5)

Date: July 08, 2014 7:00 PM EDT


The only Eastern Conference team the first-place Atlanta Dream have yet to defeat this season is the Connecticut Sun.

Having Angel McCoughtry at full strength this time figures to boost their chances of changing that.

The Dream look to avenge a loss to the Sun from last month when they host Tuesday night's meeting at Georgia Tech.

Connecticut (9-10) won 85-76 at home over Atlanta on June 1. McCoughtry scored a season-low seven points on 2-of-14 shooting, and coach Michael Cooper said afterward that his star was hampered by a back problem.

McCoughtry's condition must be improving since she was named conference player of the month in June by averaging 19.6 points - also her average for the season as she leads the East in scoring.

McCoughtry had 16 points along with plenty of help in Saturday's 86-73 home win over Washington. Sancho Lyttle scored 18 and Tiffany Hayes also had 16 as the Dream placed five players in double digits in points.

Atlanta (12-5) had 14 of its 18 fast-break points in a second half in which it outscored the Mystics 46-33.

Lyttle said the strong second half was a result of how Cooper makes the players, "run so much (in practice) that other teams cannot keep up with us. We run, run, run and when we're tired, we run some more."

The Sun ended a season-high four-game slide with Saturday's 78-76 victory at Tulsa. Renee Montgomery scored the winning basket on a drive with 5.8 seconds left.

Katie Douglas scored 18 points as Connecticut avenged a 96-83 home loss to the Shock two days earlier. Douglas called out her teammates after that defeat.

"It's no fun losing," said Douglas, averaging 21.3 points in three games this month. "I felt like we were definitely on a skid. I just implored them to have as much energy as we possibly could. We knew we could get the job done. We went on a six-game winning streak earlier so we knew we could play at a much higher form. We took this like it was our last game."

Montgomery came off the bench for 15 points - her second-highest total this year after she scored 18 in the first meeting with the Dream.

Sun forward Chiney Ogwumike had 18 points and 10 rebounds in that win for one of her seven double-doubles, fourth-most in the league.

Connecticut has dropped its last three visits to Atlanta. This one is at Georgia Tech, where the Dream will play their next three home games since their regular home court at Philips Arena is unavailable.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Fever (8-10) at Shock (7-11)

Date: July 08, 2014 8:00 PM EDT


Indiana Fever star Tamika Catchings is working her way back into shape while second-year Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins is quickly developing into one of the league's top players.

These stars will be in the spotlight Tuesday night as the Fever look to hand the Shock a fourth straight home defeat.

Catchings made her season debut in Saturday's 71-70 home loss to San Antonio. She scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds in 20 minutes after missing the first 17 games due to a sore back.

"For me, coming out tonight, shaking off the rust as far as getting out there, having fun, being out there, despite the loss I'm excited about being out there and definitely excited about the potential of this team," said Catchings, whose career scoring average is 16.7 points.

The Indiana star has never averaged as many points as Diggins currently is for Tulsa. Diggins is second in the league with 21.3 points per game after she averaged 8.5 as a rookie a year ago.

The former Notre Dame star has improved her shooting considerably to 44.0 percent overall and 34.4 percent on 3-pointers after those figures were at 32.8 and 24.4, respectively, a year ago.

Diggins turned in another spectacular performance Saturday with 30 points as Tulsa (7-11) rallied from a 12-point deficit before falling 78-76 at home to Connecticut. Her driving layup with 24.3 seconds left tied the game and she was fouled on the play but the 83.3-percent foul shooter missed the ensuing free throw.

'A lot of our opportunities came up empty early and kind of set the tone for us,' coach Fred Williams said. 'We hung in there and fought through some things that didn't go our way. We were able to tie the game there at the end. This was probably one of the most physical games we've had all year.'

Williams is in his first season with Tulsa, and his tutelage may have a role as to why Diggins has shown such dramatic improvement. The coach guided Atlanta's Angel McCoughtry to the scoring title last season.

Diggins is averaging 26.1 points over her last seven games.

Indiana (8-10) may be happy to go on the road after losing its fourth straight at home Saturday. The Fever have led in the second half of all those defeats.

'Bad decisions,' coach Lin Dunn said. 'We're not doing a good enough job in crunch time of taking care of the basketball. We're still learning the hard way.'

That four-game home slide began with a 107-102 overtime loss to Tulsa on June 25. The Shock rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit and ended a seven-game losing streak in the series behind Diggins' 32 points.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sparks (7-10) at Lynx (13-6)

Date: July 08, 2014 9:00 PM EDT


The Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks are both coming off poor defensive showings.

Minnesota is hoping to draw on its recent home performances against Los Angeles to help it bounce back in Tuesday night's matchup.

The Lynx (13-6) suffered an 87-80 loss at New York on Sunday, giving up a career-high 32 points to Tina Charles, including 24 in the first half. New York scored 11 of the final 15 points and shot 52.1 percent with Charles going 14 for 20. Minnesota surrendered its second-highest point total in six weeks and was outrebounded 36-31.

"When you are trying to win on the road in this league you need to play well on defense and rebound, we didn't do either well down the stretch," said Maya Moore, who scored 25.

The Sparks (7-10) have dropped two of three, allowing 90-plus points in those defeats. They fell 94-89 at home to Phoenix on Sunday, letting the Mercury shoot 55.6 percent, including 10 of 15 from 3-point range. Diana Taurasi made seven 3-pointers and scored 32 points.

Kristi Toliver scored 26 but committed a turnover leading to Taurasi's final 3 with 8.7 seconds left. Nneka Ogwumike missed two layups in the final 1:31 for Los Angeles, which led by five with 5:37 remaining.

"We shouldn't have had to battle back," said Candace Parker, who scored 10 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter. "I'm tired of all of us being right there. We better get it together soon."

The Lynx won two meetings in Los Angeles earlier this season, 85-72 on June 8 and 94-77 on June 17, with Moore scoring 31 on 12-of-16 shooting in the second matchup.

Minnesota, 7-1 at home with four straight victories, has won the last seven meetings in Minneapolis while limiting the Sparks to 72.6 points per game. The Lynx haven't lost at home to Los Angeles since falling 78-77 on a buzzer-beater Aug. 12, 2010.

The status of Minnesota guard Seimone Augustus is unclear after she missed her third straight game Sunday due to left knee bursitis. Augustus, who participated in warmups, is averaging 17.2 points and scored a season-high 26 in the first matchup with Los Angeles.

Monica Wright scored 11 while starting in her place, three days after recording a season-high 17 points in a 91-84 win over San Antonio.

Forward Rebekkah Brunson, who averaged 10.6 points and 8.9 rebounds last year, has yet to play this season after right knee surgery.

[StarDust Bum]

HEAD TO HEAD MATCH UPS :


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 17, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN « 94 Cover: 15.5
LOS 77 Over: 171
Tools: Recaps

Jun 8, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN « 85 Cover: 16.5
LOS 72 Under: 157
Tools: Recaps

Sep 12, 2013 Score ATS Results
MIN 84 Cover: 2
LOS « 85 Over: 169
Tools: Recaps

Sep 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
LOS 74 Under: 157
MIN « 83 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 2, 2013 Score ATS Results
MIN 66 Under: 162
LOS « 96 Cover: 27
Tools: Recaps

Jun 28, 2013 Score ATS Results
LOS 64 Under: 152
MIN « 88 Cover: 17.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 21, 2013 Score ATS Results
MIN 54 Under: 134
LOS « 80 Cover: 22.5
Tools: Recaps

Oct 7, 2012 Score ATS Results
MIN « 80 Cover: 4
LOS 79 Under: 159
Tools: Recaps

Oct 4, 2012 Score ATS Results
LOS 77 Over: 171
MIN « 94 Cover: 11.5
Tools: Recaps

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WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 25, 2014 Score ATS Results
TUL « 107 Cover: 9.5
IND 102 Over: 209
Tools: Recaps

Jul 25, 2013 Score ATS Results
IND « 71 Cover: 14.5
TUL 60 Under: 131
Tools: Recaps

Jun 28, 2013 Score ATS Results
TUL 69 Over: 149
IND « 80 Cover: 8.5
Tools: Recaps


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WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 1, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL 76 Over: 161
CONN « 85 Cover: 13
Tools: Recaps

Sep 11, 2013 Score ATS Results
ATL 77 Over: 155
CONN « 78 Cover: 7.5
Tools: Recaps

Aug 16, 2013 Score ATS Results
CONN 57 Under: 145
ATL « 88 Cover: 22
Tools: Recaps

Aug 14, 2013 Score ATS Results
ATL 86 Over: 174
CONN « 88 Cover: 5.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 24, 2013 Score ATS Results
CONN 65 Cover: 0.5
ATL « 74 Under: 139
Tools: Recaps

Jun 23, 2013 Score ATS Results
ATL « 78 Over: 155
CONN 77 Cover: 3.5
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Indiana at Tulsa
The Fever head to Tulsa tonight and come into the contest with a 4-0 ATS record in their last 4 road games. Indiana is the pick (+3) according to Dunkel, which has the Fever favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+3). Here are all of today's WNBA picks.

TUESDAY, JULY 8

Game 651-652: Connecticut at Atlanta (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 110.295; Atlanta 116.883
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 6 1/2; 161
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 9; 156 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (+9); Over

Game 653-654: Indiana at Tulsa (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 112.913; Tulsa 111.818
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 1; 149
Vegas Line & Total: Tulsa by 3; 154 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+3); Under

Game 655-656: Los Angeles at Minnesota (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 111.469; Minnesota 119.525
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 8; 153
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 4; 161
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-4); Under




WNBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, July 8

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CONNECTICUT (9 - 10) at ATLANTA (12 - 5) - 7/8/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 20-33 ATS (-16.3 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in home games in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 14-1 ATS (+12.9 Units) in home games after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 37-20 ATS (+15.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 8-2 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 6-4 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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INDIANA (8 - 10) at TULSA (7 - 11) - 7/8/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 101-135 ATS (-47.5 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
TULSA is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 3-2 against the spread versus TULSA over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 4-1 straight up against TULSA 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 (7 - 10) at MINNESOTA (13 - 6) - 7/8/2014, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 21-33 ATS (-15.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 11-25 ATS (-16.5 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 141-178 ATS (-54.8 Units) after scoring 75 points or more since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 32-21 ATS (+8.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 65-92 ATS (-36.2 Units) in July games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 8-5 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 8-5 straight up against LOS ANGELES 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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WNBA

Tuesday, July 8

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
CONNECTICUT vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Connecticut's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Connecticut's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Connecticut
Atlanta is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games

8:00 PM
INDIANA vs. TULSA
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana's last 8 games when playing on the road against Tulsa
Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Tulsa
Tulsa is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Tulsa's last 10 games

9:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. MINNESOTA
Los Angeles is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Los Angeles is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games

[StarDust Bum]

Rated Games As Of 07/06

*****................................6 - 3

DOUBLE PLAYS......................8 - 3

TRIPLE PLAYS........................3 - 2




Tuesday, July 8

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Connecticut - 7:00 PM ET Atlanta -9 500 *****

Atlanta - Over 159 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Indiana - 8:00 PM ET Tulsa -3 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Tulsa - Under 155.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Los Angeles - 9:00 PM ET Los Angeles +4.5 500 *****

Minnesota - Over 163 500 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mystics (7-12) at Sky (8-10)

Date: July 09, 2014 12:30 PM EDT


The Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics are two struggling Eastern Conference clubs hoping to turn their fortunes around.

Playing short-handed certainly isn't making things any easier for the Sky.

Banged-up Chicago tries to avoid a third straight loss Wednesday when it hosts a Washington team which has dropped its last three.

The Sky (8-10) have lost nine of 12, including the last two on a five-game trip. Chicago - which ranks near the bottom of the league allowing 82.1 points per game - let Seattle shoot 50.9 percent in Saturday's 80-73 loss, two days after the Storm scored a season-low 56 in a loss to Los Angeles.

"Until we can marry our head with our heart, then get that to our legs, we're going to keep coming up short," coach Pokey Chatman said. "We've got to get stops, and that's something we've not been able to do all year, and that's about guts."

Jessica Breland scored 20 and Sylvia Fowles added a season-high 19 along with 11 rebounds in her fifth game. She missed the first 13 contests following arthroscopic hip surgery.

However, Elena Delle Donne has only played in one of the team's last 10 games as she continues to be troubled by flare-ups of her Lyme disease. The reigning rookie of the year hasn't appeared since scoring 13 in a season-low 17 minutes in a 79-69 loss at Connecticut on June 25.

Chicago is also without Courtney Vandersloot, who leads the league with 6.4 assists per game. She has missed three games with a sprained left knee and is expected to be sidelined at least another month.

The Mystics (7-12), losers of seven of nine, dropped the opener of a five-game trip, an 86-73 setback to Atlanta on Saturday, to fall to 1-5 in their last six road games.

Washington, which was tied at 40 at halftime, was outscored 26-12 in the paint in the second half and was 11 for 29 from the field over the final 20 minutes, missing eight of its last nine shots.

"Right now, it's no one thing," coach Mike Thibault said. "It's missing a layup, fouling at the other end, missing a block-out on a rebound. All of a sudden it snowballs."

Emma Meesseman continues to be a bright spot, scoring 18. The second-year center out of Belgium is averaging 15.8 points on 62.2 percent shooting over her last four games.

She tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds for her first career double-double in a 79-68 home win over Chicago on June 13. Delle Donne, Fowles and Breland didn't play for the Sky, who shot 38.2 percent and were outscored 25-15 in the final quarter.

"They're a great team, with Delle Donne, without Delle Donne," said Ivory Latta, whose 10.9 points per game marks her lowest average since she averaged 6.1 in 2009. "They've got some pretty good pieces But we're a good team as well, we've just got to finish games."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Storm (8-12) at Mercury (13-3)

Date: July 09, 2014 3:30 PM EDT


Brittney Griner threw down a dunk in her last game for the Phoenix Mercury.

She's never dunked against the Seattle Storm, but that doesn't mean she hasn't been an intimidating presence inside.

Griner has turned in two of her better efforts of the year against the Storm and will look to help the Mercury establish a new team record for a single-season win streak Wednesday at home.

Phoenix (13-3) has won seven straight to match the longest win streak within one season in franchise history from Aug. 1-13, 2006.

The Mercury went 0-4 against the Storm a year ago, but Griner's efficient play has been the key to two 2014 victories by an average of 16.0 points. The second-year center has scored 19 points in each win, making 16 of 20 shots overall and adding 12 rebounds and seven blocks.

She leads the WNBA in blocks with 4.1 per game - more than double anyone else.

Griner dunked in Sunday's thrilling 94-89 win at Los Angeles that featured late heroics by Penny Taylor and Diana Taurasi.

Taylor hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:18 to play that gave Phoenix the lead for good. That set the stage for Taurasi to drill a step-back 3-pointer with 8 seconds left on the Mercury's next possession for a four-point lead.

"In those moments, you can't really panic," Taurasi said. "You actually have to feel the most relaxed because you've done all the work. You've played 38 minutes. Now, let's get a good shot and if it goes in, you feel good about it. If you don't, go on to the next game."

Taurasi finished with season highs of seven 3-pointers and 32 points.

She is averaging 20.1 points during the win streak, which has coincided with Taylor replacing Erin Phillips in the starting lineup June 15.

Taylor is averaging 13.7 points in this run, including 17.4 over her last five games. She averaged 6.6 points in her first nine games as a reserve.

The Storm (8-12) seek to end a three-game road slide in the opener of a three-game trip.

Seattle got some clutch play from Sue Bird in Saturday's 80-73 victory over Chicago. Bird scored eight straight points late in the fourth quarter as the Storm outscored the Sky 20-13 over the final 10 minutes. Bird and Crystal Langhorne each scored 19.

"When it came time to make plays, we made them, and that's what won the game," Bird said. "And we definitely took care of the ball - just six turnovers, that was very impressive for 40 minutes."

Langhorne, who figures to match up inside with Griner, is averaging 18.0 points against Phoenix.

[StarDust Bum]

Liberty-Stars Preview


After stumbling through what was starting to look like a lost season, the New York Liberty have found some traction.

However, they'll still likely need to improve their play on the road for a chance at the postseason.

New York seeks its first road victory since its season opener when it visits the San Antonio Stars on Wednesday night.

The Liberty (7-11) have won three in a row and four of five to move within one game of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They knocked off defending champion Minnesota with an 87-80 home victory on Sunday.

However, they own the league's worst road record at 1-7, only beating Connecticut on May 16. New York has two more home games prior to the All-Star break, then plays eight of its final 13 on the road.

"It's time for us to stand up on the road," coach Bill Laimbeer said. "We've been competitive. Now it's time for us to win on the road. If we are going to get to the playoffs we have to get some road wins."

Tina Charles has helped key the Liberty's recent surge, scoring 60 points over her last two games, including a career-high 32 along with 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double Sunday. She's 27 for 40 in her last two contests after averaging 12.0 points on 35.3 percent shooting in her previous four.

New York sent Kelsey Bone and its 2014 and 2015 first-round picks to Connecticut on draft day in exchange for Charles, the 2012 league MVP.

"She's very comfortable right now with who this team is and what her responsibilities are both on and off the court," Laimbeer said. "It is showing in her quality of play."

The Stars (7-10) have conversely struggled at home, going 3-6 and not winning there since a 101-74 victory over Los Angeles on June 14.

However, they come off a four-game trip in which they were 3-1 while limiting opponents to 68.7 points in those victories. Kayla McBride hit a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left in a 71-70 win Saturday at Indiana after San Antonio had trailed by 13 with 5:36 left.

"Our defense was what did it for us," said McBride, who scored 14. "We were down with four minutes to go and just got stop after stop."

San Antonio won its fifth straight regular-season meeting, 87-75 at New York on June 5. The Stars were 8 of 17 from 3-point range with reserve Jia Perkins hitting 3 of 6 to finish with 17 points. Sophia Young-Malcolm scored 18 on 8-of-9 shooting.

Cappie Pondexter was just 2 of 10 with five points for New York while Charles scored 11.

The Liberty haven't defeated the Stars since a 76-73 win in San Antonio on July 8, 2011.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Seattle at Phoenix
The Storm head to Phoenix tonight to face a Mercury team that is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 home games. Phoenix is the pick (-10) according to Dunkel, which has the Mercury favored by 16. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-10). Here are all of today's WNBA picks.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9

Game 601-602: Washington at Chicago (12:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 107.260; Chicago 114.231
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 7; 157
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 2; 153
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-2); Over

Game 603-604: Seattle at Phoenix (3:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 103.974; Phoenix 119.766
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 16; 148
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 10; 151
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-10); Under

Game 605-606: New York at San Antonio (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 112.220; San Antonio 113.245
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 1; 155
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 4 1/2; 151 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New York (+4 1/2); Over




WNBA

Wednesday, July 9

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Trend Report
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2:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Washington's last 25 games
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chicago's last 9 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing Washington

3:30 PM
SEATTLE vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Seattle's last 22 games when playing Phoenix
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing at home against Seattle
Phoenix is 5-15-1 ATS in its last 21 games when playing Seattle

8:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. SAN ANTONIO
New York is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
San Antonio is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against New York
San Antonio is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against New York

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, July 9

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WASHINGTON (7 - 12) at CHICAGO (8 - 10) - 7/9/2014, 12:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 253-309 ATS (-86.9 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 158-203 ATS (-65.3 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 22-39 ATS (-20.9 Units) on Wednesday since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 47-69 ATS (-28.9 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 159-201 ATS (-62.1 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) after a division game this season.
WASHINGTON is 70-96 ATS (-35.6 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.
CHICAGO is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 5-5 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 7-3 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SEATTLE (8 - 12) at PHOENIX (13 - 3) - 7/9/2014, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 51-32 ATS (+15.8 Units) on Wednesday since 1997.
SEATTLE is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 36-52 ATS (-21.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 15-27 ATS (-14.7 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 23-37 ATS (-17.7 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 8-22 ATS (-16.2 Units) in home games after allowing 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 11-30 ATS (-22.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 4-17 ATS (-14.7 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
SEATTLE is 8-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 8-3 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW YORK (7 - 11) at SAN ANTONIO (10 - 9) - 7/9/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) in May, June, or July games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) against Eastern conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 68-46 ATS (+17.4 Units) in road games against Western conference opponents since 1997.
NEW YORK is 68-46 ATS (+17.4 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1997.
NEW YORK is 52-33 ATS (+15.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games since 1997.
SAN ANTONIO is 20-35 ATS (-18.5 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.
SAN ANTONIO is 11-29 ATS (-20.9 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 5-0 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 5-0 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Wednesday, July 9


Under has big night on hardwood for bettors

The Under went a perfect 3-0 for bettors in Tuesday's WNBA slate. This followed a solid run of Overs that had gone 6-3 in the previous nine games heading into Tuesday's games.The Over has the edge on the season to date, posting a record of 58-53 heading into Wednesday's schedule.There are three games on the board with Washington at Chicago (153), Seattle at Phoenix (151) and New York at San Antonio (151.5).