CNOTES 2018 WNBA PICKS,TRENDS,NOTES,NEWS !

[Cnotes53]

WNBA Capsules
July 7, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) Kristi Toliver scored 18 points to help the Washington Mystics beat the Los Angeles Sparks 83-74 on Saturday for coach Mike Thibault's 300th career regular season win.

Thibault is the first WNBA coach to reach that milestone. Sparks coach Brian Agler is second all-time with 264.

LaToya Sanders added 14 points and eight rebounds while Elena Delle Donne and Ariel Atkins scored 11 points apiece for the Mystics (12-6). Washington has won six of its last seven games.

Toliver, who hit all of her 13 free-throw attempts, made two foul shots to spark an 8-2 spurt that gave the Mystics a 74-66 with two minutes left after a jumper by Natasha Cloud. Chelsea Gray hit a 3-pointer to pull the Sparks within five with 1:18 remaining, but Washington made 9 of 10 free throws from there to seal it.

Gray led Los Angeles (12-8) with 23 points and Nneka Ogwumike had 22 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. The Sparks have lost five of their last six.

The Mystics shot just 41 percent, including 1 of 16 from 3-point range, but made 32-of-35 free throws.

SKY 77, LYNX 63

CHICAGO (AP) - Courtney Vandersloot had 12 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help the Sky beat the Lynx.

Allie Quigley added 15 points and four steals for Chicago (7-12), which snapped a three-game skid.

Quigley and Cheyenne Parker made back-to-back layups and Vandersloot hit a 3-pointer to make it 49-42 with six minutes left in the third quarter and the Sky led the rest of the way. Maya Moore's layup early in the fourth quarter trimmed Minnesota's deficit to 68-61, but scored nine of the final 11 points to pull away.

Moore led the Lynx (11-8) with 16 points and Seimone Augustus scored 11. Minnesota, which came in leading the WNBA in 3-point field goal percentage (36.8), made just 5 of 18 from behind the arc.

Chicago hit 9-of-17 3-pointers.


ACES 94 , SUNS 90

 

[Cnotes53]

League Standings

RANK TEAM W L PCT GB CONF HOME ROAD L-10 STREAK

#1 Seattle Storm 14 5 0.737 - 6-4 8-3 6-2 8-2 W 4

#2 Phoenix Mercury 14 5 0.737 - 6-3 5-3 9-2 8-2 W 4

#3 Washington Mystics 12 6 0.667 1.5 8-1 7-4 5-2 7-3 W 2

#4 Los Angeles Sparks 12 8 0.600 2.5 5-5 8-3 4-5 4-6 L 3

#5 Minnesota Lynx 11 8 0.579 3 7-3 6-3 5-5 8-2 L 1

#6 Dallas Wings 9 8 0.529 4 4-7 6-3 3-5 5-5 W 2

#7 Connecticut Sun 10 9 0.526 4 6-4 5-1 5-8 3-7 L 2

#8 Atlanta Dream 8 9 0.471 5 5-3 4-3 4-6 4-6 L 1

#9 Las Vegas Aces 8 12 0.400 6.5 2-8 5-5 3-7 5-5 W 2

#10 Chicago Sky 7 12 0.368 7 4-5 5-5 2-7 4-6 W 1

#11 New York Liberty 5 13 0.278 8.5 4-5 3-7 2-6 2-8 L 2

#12 Indiana Fever 2 17 0.105 12 1-10 1-9 1-8 2-8 L 1


************************************


WNBA MAY RECORD: OVERALL PICKS

Totals............30 - 22 - 2...57.69%......+29.00

MAY'S BEST BETS:

TOTALS........................11 - 12.................-11.00.......................... ...18 - 8 - 1................+46.00

******************

WNBA JUNE RECORD: OVERALL PICKS

TOTALS................66 - 53....................55.46%.....................+ 49.50

JUNE'S BEST BETS:

TOTALS................40 - 23....................55.03%...................... +49.50

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WNBA JULY RECORD: OVERALL PICKS.

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

07/07/2018 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
07/06/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/05/2018 3-4-1 42.86% -7.00
07/03/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
07/01/2018 3-7-0 30.00% -23.50

TOTALS...........14-19.........42,42%.....-34.50


JULY'S BEST BETS:

07/07/2018.................1 - 2................-6.00........................1 - 2......,.........-6.00..............-12.00
07/06/2018.................0 - 1................-5.50........................1 - 0...............+5.00..............-0.50
07/05/2018.................2 - 1...............+4.50........................1 - 3...............-11.50.............-7.00
07/03/2018.................2 - 2................-1.00........................3 - 1...............+9.50..............+8.50
07/01/2018.................1 - 4................-17.00......................2 - 3................-6.50...............-23.50

TOTALS.......................6 - 10................-25.00....................8 - 8................-9.50..............-34.50


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SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY JULY 8, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Dallas Wings New York Liberty Westchester County Center
3:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
7:00 PM Washington Mystics Seattle Storm KeyArena


**************************

Sunday?s 6-pack

? Baltimore is 24-64; if you bet $100 on all their games, you would be down $3,548.

? A?s 6, Indians 3 (11)? Stephen Piscotty hit a 2-run homer in the 11th.

? Rays 3, Mets 0? Nate Snell is 12-4, 2.09 this season.

? In his last four starts, Jason Hammel has allowed 37 hits, 24 earned runs in 17.2 IP.

? Hornets? G Malik Monk is out 6-8 weeks after breaking his thumb in summer league.

? Angels are only MLB team with winning record (13-11) when they don?t homer in that game.

Tweet of the Day
?If you sneak in and go to somebody?s practice, it?s unethical. If somebody?s steals my signals, that?s on me. It?s up to you to keep things changed up.?
Unnamed longtime college coach, on football espionage

Sunday?s quiz
Who is the only active MLB manager who played in the Little League World Series?

Saturday?s quiz
Carmelo Anthony broke into the NBA with the Denver Nuggets.

Friday?s quiz
Justin Verlander has given up the most career home runs to the White Sox (41).

***************************

Sunday?s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind??..

13) It is possible that I watch too much TV; wore out my damn remote control. Seriously.

The 0 and the 4 buttons don?t work anymore; DirecTV sent me a new one, which better get here pretty soon.

12) Colts? QB Andrew Luck lost his wallet recently; a guy found it, and returned it to Colts? HQ, without taking anything out of it. Honorable guy.

For his honesty, Luck gave the guy a signed football; throwing in some game tickets or a signed jersey/helmet might?ve been good, too. Everyone is happy, which is the main thing.

11) NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is very popular; the first game of the day is usually in the girls? gym, Cox Pavilion, and it always almost full for the first game.

Once the day gets started, they?ll have two games going at once; the best move, if you don?t care which game you?re watching, is to walk down the hall to the Thomas & Mack Center and stretch out in the big arena? lot more room, and closer to the concession stands, which are pretty good.

10) Did I mention it was supposed to be 110 degrees in Las Vegas Friday? So for $38 or so, you get solid entertainment all day while staying cool. Cheaper than playing video poker all day.

9) I?ve told this story here before, but few years ago, I?m sitting in Cox Pavilion by myself watching the summer league, listening to conversations around me. For a solid hour, not one of the conversations were in English.

GM?s from basketball leagues all over the world are in Las Vegas, looking for players to help their teams next season. Once spent an hour talking to an agent whose clients were all players who played overseas. Guys still make six figures playing ball internationally.

8) Indiana Pacers lost their summer league opener 92-89 to Houston Friday; they were 19-33 on the foul line; you wonder why Doug McDermott makes $7M a year? Shooters are always welcome.

7) This is going to look strange; Tony Parker signed a 2-year, $10M deal to go to the Charlotte Hornets. Parker played for San Antonio the last 17 seasons.

Dwight Howard was bought out by the Nets, signs a 2-year, $11M deal with the Wizards.

Zach LaVine signed a 4-year, $78M offer sheet with Sacramento- Bulls matched it.

6) Guy that owns the NHL?s Florida Panthers is selling his NYC mansion for a mere $88M, thats million, with an M. Place looks more like a museum than a house.

5) There is a grocery store on East Flamingo Rd in Las Vegas, Smith?s Food King, with a bar inside it. This is an excellent idea. Wife shops, husband drinks, marriages are happier.

4) Orlando Magic?s summer league team had five practices in three days before the summer league began; they?ll practice once a day on their off-days until summer league is over.

3) University of Houston hired Robert Boudwin as assistant AD for marketing and event presentation; he spent two decades as the Houston Rockets? mascot ?Clutch the Bear?

2) This makes no sense; major league base coaches have to wear batting helmets on the field, but watch when a team has a runner on 2nd base- the third base coach will stand halfway between home and third, to get a better angle on a ball hit to the outfield.

This is totally unsafe; the third base coach shouldn?t be allowed to be closer to home plate than the coaches? box. I mean, if you care about safety and all.

1) Bartolo Colon and Jamie Moyer are only pitchers in MLB history to allow a home run to 300 different players; this week James McCann became the 300th player to homer off Colon.

 

[Cnotes53]

WNBA
Dunkel

Sunday, July 8


Phoenix @ Atlanta

Game 307-308
July 8, 2018 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
113.709
Atlanta
104.324
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Phoenix
by 9 1/2
165
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix
by 4
161 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Phoenix
(-4); Over

Dallas @ New York

Game 309-310
July 8, 2018 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
115.071
New York
102.416
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 12 1/2
169
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
by 2 1/2
164 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(-2 1/2); Over

Washington @ Seattle

Game 311-312
July 8, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
112.511
Seattle
116.531
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 4
161
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
by 6 1/2
167 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+6 1/2); Under




WNBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, July 8

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PHOENIX (14 - 5) at ATLANTA (8 - 9) - 7/8/2018, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in road games this season.
PHOENIX is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 this season.
PHOENIX is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) in May, June, or July games this season.
PHOENIX is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) against Eastern conference opponents this season.
PHOENIX is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
PHOENIX is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
PHOENIX is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.
PHOENIX is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 4-3 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 5-2 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DALLAS (9 - 8) at NEW YORK (5 - 13) - 7/8/2018, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) in road games in July games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 105-74 ATS (+23.6 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.
NEW YORK is 17-29 ATS (-14.9 Units) against Western conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 17-29 ATS (-14.9 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 4-3 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 6-1 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (12 - 6) at SEATTLE (14 - 5) - 7/8/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 322-379 ATS (-94.9 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 22-41 ATS (-23.1 Units) in road games on Sunday games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 24-45 ATS (-25.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1997.
SEATTLE is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) after a non-conference game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 4-3 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 4-3 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Sunday, July 8

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Phoenix's last 10 games
Phoenix is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Phoenix is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Phoenix is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Phoenix's last 12 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
Atlanta is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Atlanta is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Atlanta is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Atlanta's last 12 games when playing at home against Phoenix


Dallas Wings
Dallas is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Dallas's last 8 games
Dallas is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Dallas is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games on the road
Dallas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing New York
Dallas is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing on the road against New York
Dallas is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
New York Liberty
New York is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
New York is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 7 games
New York is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 6 games when playing Dallas
New York is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against Dallas
New York is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas


Washington Mystics
Washington is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games
Washington is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games on the road
Washington is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Seattle
Washington is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Washington's last 18 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Seattle Storm
Seattle is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Seattle is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Seattle is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing Washington
Seattle is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Seattle's last 18 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing at home against Washington

 

[Cnotes53]

Rising Mercury visit Atlanta for Dream matchup

Phoenix steamrolled to the best record in the NBA behind the clutch play of Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, and the Mercury will rely heavily on both as they roll into Atlanta for a matchup with the Dream on Sunday afternoon at McCamish Pavilion on the campus of Georgia Tech University.

The Mercury (14-5) head south after an 84-77 home win over the Connecticut Sun on Thursday. Taurasi scored 25 points, Griner added 23 and DeWanna Bonner pitched in 12 points and a season-high 13 rebounds.

Bonner started in place of Sancho Lyttle, who is out for the season with a knee injury, shifting into the post from small forward.

Taurasi passed Tina Thompson as the league career field goals leader with a basket early in the third quarter. Last season, Taurasi also passed Thompson to become the WNBA career scoring leader, and she also leads in 3-pointers.

"When you lose two key players (Lyttle and Camille Little, out with an ankle injury), you try to stay consistent in what you want to do," Taurasi said. "We slide DB (Bonner) to the four, she has a great game. She's a great player; you put her anywhere on the court.

"Our mindset the whole year is what we can we do being a veteran team, stepping up to the plate in moments like this. Tonight's game showed that."

Little could return Sunday at Atlanta, Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said, and so will 6-foot-5 post Marie Gulich, who has missed three games after a death in her family.

The Dream return to the court after a 95-86 loss on Friday to the Seattle Storm, who with the win moved into a tie with the Mercury for the league's best record. Angel McCoughtry (29 points) and Tiffany Hayes (23) combined for 49 points for Atlanta in the loss, and Brittney Sykes added 12 and Renee Montgomery scored 10 for the Dream (8-9).

The loss to Seattle was the first of seven home games this month for the Dream, who play six of their next nine games at home.

Atlanta's Renee Montgomery scored her 3,000th career point at Minnesota last Friday.

McCoughtry , who sat out the 2017 season to rest her body, now ranks 15th overall among WNBA career scoring leaders at 5,284 career points. She reached 5,000 points the second fastest in league history behind Taurasi.

McCoughtry continues to break records, including setting a high of 39 points in a game against New York on June 19.

Phoenix won the first game between the two teams 78-71 on June 3 in Atlanta as Bonner and Griner each had 20 points and seven rebounds.

The Mercury have won 10 of the last 13 games against the Dream but are 1-2 in the last three meetings on the road against Atlanta.

In 12 all-time meetings between the Mercury and the Dream in Atlanta, they each have won six games.

 

[Cnotes53]

Wings visit struggling Liberty

The Dallas Wings and New York Liberty reside in the second-to-last spot in their respective conferences but there are stark differences.

While the Wings are over .500, the Liberty own one of the league's worst records and are well short of being in playoff contention.

The Wings go for their 10th win while the Liberty try to avoid their 14th loss Sunday afternoon when the teams get together at the Westchester Civic Center in White Plains, N.Y.

Like the NBA, the Western Conference has more teams with a winning record and, since the league's playoff format is putting the top eight in regardless of conference, there is more jockeying out west. The only losing team of the six teams are the Las Vegas Aces, which is why Dallas (9-8) is fifth.

As for New York (5-13), it owns the league's second-worst record, and several of its recent losses are double-digit contests.

Dallas is among the league's most productive offenses at 85.7 points per game. It has topped 85 points in eight games and is 7-1 when doing so. The Wings followed up a 108-85 home win against the Chicago Sky on Tuesday with a 90-63 home victory over the Indiana Fever on Thursday.

Azura Stevens scored a career-high 26 points in a game in which Dallas dominated the paint by getting 38 points, outrebounded Indiana by a 47-22 margin and allowed 35 percent shooting.

Stevens is averaging 7.7 points but has reached double figures in four of her last seven outings.

"I thought her footwork was really good," Dallas coach Fred Williams said. "She was just really energetic getting to the rim. She's really blossoming for us."

It was also the first game Dallas was not led in scoring by Skylar Diggins-Smith or Liz Cambage. Diggins-Smith is averaging 18.5 points while Cambage is at 20.6 points per game.

The Wings could use another productive night since the schedule is about to become tougher. After completing a week of playing the three worst teams in the East, next week features a home game with the Phoenix Mercury followed by visits to the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm.

"They come to work every day, practice. You saw how they enjoy playing with each other," Williams said. "Everybody is starting to get in rhythm with each other. They just really, really like playing with each other."

Off to their worst start since 2006 and their second-worst start overall, the Liberty would like to find some rhythm and secondary scoring.

New York is 1-7 in its last eight games and is averaging 75.3 points. During this skid, six of the losses are by double digits and the Liberty have been held under 80 points six times.

Those include the last two defeats, double-digit setbacks to Seattle and the Washington Mystics. The Liberty scored just eight points in the fourth quarter on Thursday and were handed an 86-67 loss at Washington.

Tina Charles scored 26 points but had little help. The other player in double figures was Epiphanny Prince, who shot 3 of 11 and scored 11 points.

"Right now, we're beating ourselves in a lot of games in a variety of ways," New York coach Katie Smith said after Tuesday's loss to Seattle. "We're not very consistent. If we decide as a unit that we're done with this and we're tired of it, there could be some good things."

New York recorded a 94-89 victory over Dallas on May 29 in its third game of the season when Charles scored a season-best 34 points.

 

[Cnotes53]

Mystics-Storm Preview

When Elena Delle Donne is on the court, the Washington Mystics are a different team.

Makes sense, since the forward is a four-time WNBA All-Star and the league's 2015 MVP.

And she's the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Month and Player of the Week.

Which means despite sharing the league's top record, the Seattle Storm (14-5) will have their hands full Sunday afternoon when they host the Mystics (12-6) at KeyArena.

The Storm beat the Mystics 81-77 on May 29 in Seattle as Jewell Loyd scored 27 points, but Washington was without Delle Donne, who was sidelined with flu-like symptoms, and guard Natasha Cloud.

The Mystics are 11-3 with Delle Donne in the lineup this season and 1-3 without.

"We haven't done anything," veteran Storm point guard Sue Bird, who is tied for the league lead with 7.5 assists per game, told The Seattle Times after the previous meeting against the Mystics. "What have we done? We beat Washington without Elena Delle Donne and Natasha Cloud. So what? They had eight people.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not Negative Nancy who can't look at our team and understand that we're playing at a high level and that we've done a lot of good things."

Led by forward Breanna Stewart, who is tops in the WNBA in scoring (22.2 points per game) and fifth in rebounding (7.7), the Storm has won four straight games to tie Phoenix for the league's best mark. Delle Donne is among the league leaders with 19.9 points per game.

The Mystics, who have won six of their past seven games, are coming off an 83-74 victory Saturday afternoon at Los Angeles, as Kristi Toliver scored a team-high 20 points in helping coach Mike Thibault record his WNBA record 300th career regular-season victory. LaToya Sanders added 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds and Delle Donne and Ariel Atkins each scored 11.

"My life has been really rewarding doing this," Thibault told his hometown St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer-Press last month. "And I feel like, in some small way, maybe I've made a difference somewhere."

Stewart had 29 points and nine rebounds and Bird added a season-high 18 points and 10 assists, her 26th career double-double, as the Storm won 95-86 on Friday at Atlanta to sweep a two-game trip that also took them to New York. Natasha Howard had 10 points and 11 rebounds against the Dream and Seattle tied a season high with 21 fast-break points.

The Storm, which leads the league in scoring with 87.0 points per game, has a 21-15 advantage in the all-time series against the Mystics.

 

[Cnotes53]

SUNDAY, JULY 8
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

PHO at ATL 03:00 PM
PHO -5.0
O 160.5

DAL at NY 03:00 PM
NY +3.5
O 164.0

WAS at SEA 07:00 PM
SEA -6.0
U 168.0

 

[Cnotes53]

WNBA Capsules
July 8, 2018

SEATTLE (AP) Sue Bird scored 21 while setting the franchise scoring mark to help the Seattle Storm beat the Washington Mystics 97-91 on Sunday.

Bird became the Storm's all-time leading scorer with her 13th point of the game, passing Lauren Jackson (6,007) on a pull-up jumper with 7:33 left in the third quarter. Bird also moved ahead of Jackson to seventh on the all-time WNBA scoring list, behind Lisa Leslie (6,263).

The Storm outscored the Mystics 27-10 over the final seven minutes of the third quarter to lead 75-66 at the end of the period. Seattle extended its lead to 88-74 on Breanna Stewart's 3-pointer with 4:18 to go. Elena Delle Donne's step back 3-pointer closed the deficit to 95-89 with 25.1 seconds left but the Mystics got no closer.

The Mystics led 56-48 on Kristi Toliver's 3-pointer after a 10-4 run to open the third quarter.

Stewart had 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead Seattle. Natasha Howard added nine points, including the 1,000th of her career.

Elena Delle Donne scored 29, Toliver added 18 and Ariel Atkins 17 for Washington.

WINGS 97, LIBERTY 87

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) - Skylar Diggins-Smith had 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists to help the Wings beat the Liberty.

The Wings (10-8) had their largest lead at 88-65 on Allisha Gray's 3-pointer with 6:27 left in the game. Dallas still led by 20 with three minutes to go before the Liberty (5-14) closed the game on a 15-5 run.

Liz Cambage added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Wings, who won their third straight. Gray scored 15 and Azura Stevens had 13.

Dallas pulled away with an 8-1 run to end the first quarter with a 30-22 lead and had a 12-0 run in the third quarter to build the lead to 63-42.

Tina Charles had 26 points and nine rebounds to lead the Liberty. Amanda Zahui B added 12 points and Epiphanny Prince scored 11.

DREAM 76, MERCURY 70

ATLANTA (AP) - Tiffany Hayes had 18 points and the Dream held off a late rally to beat the Mercury.

The Dream (9-9) opened the game on an 8-0 run and reached their largest lead at 62-39 on Hayes' jumper with 4:28 left in the third quarter.

Leilani Mitchell's 3-pointer with 47.3 seconds left closed the deficit to 73-68 for the Mercury (14-6). Elizabeth Williams made two free throws with 25.6 seconds left and Hayes split a pair with 19.4 seconds left to help the Dream hold on.

Renee Montgomery and Brittney Sykes added 13 points each, and Elizabeth Williams and Angel McCoughtry each scored 10 for Atlanta.

Diana Taurasi scored 19, Brittney Griner added 18 and Mitchell 10 for the Mercury. Sancho Lyttle missed the game with a knee injury.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY JULY 10, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Los Angeles Sparks Seattle Storm KeyArena
8:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Dallas Wings College Park Center
8:30 PM Las Vegas Aces Chicago Sky Wintrust Arena

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
11:30 AM Atlanta Dream Washington Mystics Capital One Arena
11:30 AM New York Liberty Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena
12:00 PM Minnesota Lynx Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY JULY 12, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:30 PM Dallas Wings Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY JULY 13, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Chicago Sky Washington Mystics Capital One Arena
7:00 PM Indiana Fever Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
7:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena
8:00 PM Las Vegas Aces Minnesota Lynx Target Center

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY JULY 14, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:00 PM Dallas Wings Seattle Storm KeyArena


********************************


WNBA MAY RECORD: OVERALL PICKS

Totals............30 - 22 - 2...57.69%......+29.00

MAY'S BEST BETS:

TOTALS........................11 - 12.................-11.00.......................... ...18 - 8 - 1................+46.00

******************

WNBA JUNE RECORD: OVERALL PICKS

TOTALS................66 - 53....................55.46%.....................+ 49.50

JUNE'S BEST BETS:

TOTALS................40 - 23....................55.03%...................... +49.50

************************


WNBA JULY RECORD: OVERALL PICKS.

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

07/08/2018 1-4-1 20.00% -17.00
07/07/2018 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
07/06/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/05/2018 3-4-1 42.86% -7.00
07/03/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
07/01/2018 3-7-0 30.00% -23.50

TOTALS...........15-23.........39.47%.....-51.50


JULY'S BEST BETS:

07/08/2018.................0 - 2...............-11.00.......................1 - 2................-6.00..............-17.00
07/07/2018.................1 - 2................-6.00........................1 - 2......,.........-6.00..............-12.00
07/06/2018.................0 - 1................-5.50........................1 - 0...............+5.00..............-0.50
07/05/2018.................2 - 1...............+4.50........................1 - 3...............-11.50.............-7.00
07/03/2018.................2 - 2................-1.00........................3 - 1...............+9.50..............+8.50
07/01/2018.................1 - 4................-17.00......................2 - 3................-6.50...............-23.50

TOTALS.......................6 - 12..............-36.00......................9 - 10..............-15.50..............-51.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Odds to win the Pac-12 college football title this season:

5-9: Washington Huskies

9-2: Stanford Cardinal

4-1: USC Trojans

8-1: Oregon Ducks

15-1: Arizona, Utah

40-1: UCLA Bruins


**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's Den: Random comments, thoughts, questions

13) Is the famous cook Wolfgang Puck a hockey fan?

12) What is the point of batting the pitcher 8th? Still don?t get it, and no one has done it in a playoff game, so that tells me it is just a gimmick.

11) Wouldn?t geographic re-alignment help baseball by creating more games between rivals and reducing travel costs?

If the All-Star Game was US against the World, it would be a lot more spirited.

10) An actor named John Hurt passed away last year, at age 77; he appeared in 207 movies, and died in 43 of them, which is the record for the actor whose character died in the most movies.

9) I don?t think set-up men should make the All-Star Game; if you?re not a starter or not the team?s closer, then you?re not one of the six best pitchers on your team, so no All-Star Game for you.

An exception is Milwaukee?s Josh Hader; their front office is misusing Hader so badly? he?s thrown only 44.2 innings all season, when he should be starting games, not pitching in the 6th and 7th inning only.

If Milwaukee gets nosed out of a playoff berth, that?ll be a big reason why.

8) Mets sent TV analyst Keith Hernandez out to a wiffle ball field in centerfield for an inning or two during the first game of last night?s twinbill, to tutor little kids on hitting balls off a tee.

You know your team is bad when watching a 5-year old whack wiffle balls is a diversion from the actual game you?re broadcasting.

7) A former Goldman Sachs banker is in talks with U.S. prosecutors to potentially plead guilty to criminal charges stemming from an alleged scheme to steal billions of dollars from a Malaysian state investment fund.

Is there no end to the corruption in this world? It is sad.

6) There was once an NHL player named Miroslav Satan who played 15 years in the NHL, playing for five different teams, scoring 224 goals. How could someone named Satan never play for the Devils?

5) I?m curious how many actors have played the President of the US in movies/TV.

4) Do NASCAR drivers get a lot of speeding tickets when they?re driving in normal traffic?

3) I was curious about guys who are in the Las Vegas Summer League, are they responsible for their own sneakers, if they?re guys without shoe contracts?

Was told by someone who knows that established NBA players send sneakers to guys on their team who might need them, and that player agents might also provide some to clients.

2) Baseball doings:
? Mets put Todd Frazier (ribs) on the DL.
? Marlins? C JT Realmuto is on the paternity list.
? Dodgers put OF Yasiel Puig (oblique) on the DL.

1) Former NBA star Yao Ming got his degree this weekend from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China; he first enrolled in 2011. The 38-year old Ming majored in Economics.

 

[Cnotes53]

WNBA Betting Recap - 7/2-7/8
Joe Williams

League Betting Notes (Monday, July 2 through Sunday, July 8)

-- Favorites went 10-6 straight up (SU)
-- Favorites went 8-7-1 against the spread (ATS)
-- Home teams went 10-6 SU
-- Home teams went 8-7-1 ATS
-- The 'under' went 10-6

Team Betting Notes

-- Atlanta (9-9) picked up an impressive 76-70 victory against Phoenix (14-6) to get back to .500. After a 1-4-1 ATS run from June 12-27, the Dream is a solid 3-1 ATS over the past four outings. The 'over' is 4-1 across the past five contests, while going 6-2 over the past eight, too.

-- It has been very difficult trying to figure out Chicago (7-12) this season. They rattled off three straight victories from June 24-29, including wins against the Dream and Mercury. However, they nosedived in a three-game span from July 1-5 before surprising Minnesota (11-8) as an 8 1/2-point underdog with a straight-up win on July 7. The Sky are 5-2 ATS across the past seven after the win, but they're just 2-5 ATS in their past seven on the road.

-- It was another ugly week for Connecticut (10-9), as they dropped a pair of road games after surprising Los Angeles (12-8) on July 3. The Sun are 3-8 ATS over the past 11 outings, and they still haven't covered in back-to-back games since June 1-3.

-- Dallas (10-8) is on a season-high three-game winning streak after a perfect 3-0 SU/ATS week. The Wings have covered four in a row on the road, too, and they're 6-2 ATS in their past eight away games.

-- Indiana (2-17) won a stunner in Minnesota as a 14-point underdog, the largest upset of the season, winning for the few moneyline (+800) bettors who bravely banked on the Fever. It was their only cover across the past six, too.

-- The Sparks have been stumbling a lot lately, dropping a season-high three in a row. They're also 1-6 ATS over the past seven outings, too. While they have been a bit undependable lately against the spread, total bettors known L.A. is solid. The 'under' is 13-7 in their 20 games this season.

-- New York (5-14) enters the new week on a three-game swoon after an awful week. They posted a season-low 62 points in their home outing July 3 against Seattle (15-5), and they're also 0-3 ATS in the past three outings, too, while going 3-10 ATS over the past 13. The Liberty haven't had consecutive covers since a three-game streak May 25-June 2.

-- As mentioned above, the Mercury had their four-game win streak snapped July 8 in the ATL. They're still 4-1 SU/ATS over the past five outings. Under bettors have found Phoenix to be favorable, too, as the under is 4-1 in the past five, and 10-4 over the past 14.

-- The Storm have tied a season-high win streak, going 5-0 SU/4-0-1 ATS across the past five. They're also averaging 96.0 PPG over the past two, and it's no surprise that the over has hit in back-to-back games for Seattle as a result.

-- Washington (12-7) has lost consecutive games just once this season, a three-game losing skid from June 1-7. They're a solid 6-2 SU and 5-2-1 ATS across the past eight outings, too.

 

[Cnotes53]

WNBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, July 10


Los Angeles @ Seattle

Game 313-314
July 10, 2018 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
109.462
Seattle
116.729
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 7 1/2
158
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
by 1
161
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(-1); Under

Phoenix @ Dallas

Game 315-316
July 10, 2018 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
111.658
Dallas
114.806
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 3
165
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
by 1 1/2
168
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(-1 1/2); Under

Las Vegas @ Chicago

Game 317-318
July 10, 2018 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Las Vegas
109.430
Chicago
105.974
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Las Vegas
by 3 1/2
179
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 4
174 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Las Vegas
(+4); Over




WNBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, July 10

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LOS ANGELES (12 - 8) at SEATTLE (15 - 5) - 7/10/2018, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 123-85 ATS (+29.5 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1997.
SEATTLE is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
LOS ANGELES is 36-25 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 6-2 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 5-3 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
7 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX (14 - 6) at DALLAS (10 - 8) - 7/10/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
PHOENIX is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
PHOENIX is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 5-4 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 5-4 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LAS VEGAS (8 - 12) at CHICAGO (7 - 12) - 7/10/2018, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LAS VEGAS is 81-55 ATS (+20.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 since 1997.
LAS VEGAS is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) against Eastern conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 8-17 ATS (-10.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 8-17 ATS (-10.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 9-22 ATS (-15.2 Units) in home games in May, June, or July games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 12-27 ATS (-17.7 Units) in home games on Tuesday since 1997.
CHICAGO is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 37-57 ATS (-25.7 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 4-3 against the spread versus LAS VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 5-3 straight up against LAS VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




WNBA

Tuesday, July 10

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Los Angeles is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Los Angeles's last 17 games
Los Angeles is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Los Angeles is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Los Angeles's last 8 games on the road
Los Angeles is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Seattle
Los Angeles is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing Seattle
Los Angeles is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Los Angeles is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Seattle Storm
Seattle is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Seattle is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Seattle is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games at home
Seattle is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Los Angeles
Seattle is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing Los Angeles
Seattle is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing at home against Los Angeles


Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games
Phoenix is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Phoenix is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 9 games on the road
Phoenix is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Dallas
Phoenix is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Dallas
Phoenix is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Phoenix is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas Wings
Dallas is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas's last 9 games
Dallas is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Dallas is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games at home
Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Dallas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Dallas is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Dallas is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing at home against Phoenix


Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Las Vegas is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Las Vegas is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 6 games on the road
Las Vegas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
Las Vegas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 6 games when playing Chicago
Las Vegas is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Las Vegas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago Sky
Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Chicago is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chicago's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games at home
Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Las Vegas
Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Las Vegas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing Las Vegas
Chicago is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Las Vegas
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Las Vegas
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing at home against Las Vegas

 

[Cnotes53]

Sun trade Bentley to Dream for Clarendon
July 9, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) The Connecticut Sun have traded guard Alex Bentley to the Atlanta Dream for Layshia Clarendon and a second-round pick in 2019 on Monday.

Bentley is averaging 10 points for the Sun this season as the team's sixth player. The former All-Star was drafted by the Atlanta Dream in 2013 with the No. 13 pick before being traded to Connecticut as part of a three-team deal with Washington in 2014.

Clarendon came to Atlanta in 2016 and is averaging just 4.3 points this season. She was drafted ninth by Indiana in 2013. Clarendon set the franchise record for assists last season when she had 226 - tied for third most in league history - and made the All-Star team.

''We are excited about obtaining Layshia,'' Connecticut Sun coach and general manager Curt Miller said. ''She's a talented and savvy guard with a great reputation as a leader on and off the court. She was thrilled when we spoke, and can't wait to arrive in Connecticut.''

The Sun started off the season 7-1 before struggling the past month to fall to 10-9. The team completed a recent west coast swing 1-3.

Atlanta coach Nicki Collen was excited to have Bentley after coaching her for two years as an assistant in Connecticut.

''I know she can be a dynamic scorer, but more importantly, she can create opportunities for her teammates because of her speed and skill with the basketball,'' Collen said.

''I also consider Alex one of the premier on-ball defenders in the WNBA which will only strengthen our team defense. I am very excited to welcome Alex back to Atlanta where her WNBA career started.''

---

 

[Cnotes53]

Sparks go into eye of Storm

In basketball, it's often about finding the right combination.

It would seem veteran coach Dan Hughes has discovered just that in his first season with the Seattle Storm.

The Storm (15-5) have won five straight games to move to the top of the WNBA standings heading into Tuesday's home game against the Los Angeles Sparks (12-8).

Seattle improved to 13-1 with the starting lineup of guards Sue Bird and Jewell Loyd, forwards Breanna Stewart and Alysha Clark and center Natasha Howard with Sunday's 97-91 victory over Washington.

"I think that we have just continued to gain chemistry," said Stewart, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds Sunday and leads the WNBA in scoring at 22.4 points per game. "We have gotten into the swing of things as the season has gone on. ... We are doing what we need to do."

That chemistry starts with Bird, who is second in the league in assists with 7.3 per game. Bird scored 21 points Sunday in passing former league MVP Lauren Jackson as the franchise's career scoring leader.

"In some ways it's obviously nice, for me personally I think, that a lot of these lists that I am climbing, it speaks more to my longevity as a player," said Bird, 37, in her 16th season with the Storm.

"I've been able to be consistent and stay on top of my game, year in and year out, more than anything, especially with something like points because it took me a long time to get on some of these lists. I am definitely not a better scorer than Lauren (Jackson) was."

The Sparks, who have played in the WNBA Finals each of the past two seasons, winning the title in 2016, have lost three straight games.

That includes a 83-74 home loss Saturday to Washington despite Nneka Ogwumike's 22 points and season-high 13 rebounds.

"We are at a point in our season where it goes beyond X's and O's," veteran Sparks guard Alana Beard said. "It comes down to the intangibles that we are not showcasing right now on the court. And with those intangibles, it comes from heart and passion and determination and wanting to get certain things done, and collectively it's not there."

The Sparks, who are allowing a league-best 76.8 points per game, uncharacteristically gave up 53 to the Mystics in the second half.

That doesn't bode well against the Storm, who are averaging a league-high 87.5 points.

"I think we just have to do something that feels good," Sparks forward Candace Parker said. "I think that's the key to making our offenses flow and making our defenses, you know, I think we're best when we're aggressive defensively."

 

[Cnotes53]

Mercury go on road to face Wings

The Phoenix Mercury started their run of four road games in seven days with an upset loss to the Atlanta Dream on Sunday, ending a four-game winning streak that included three victories away from home.

The Mercury (14-6) are in the midst of playing seven of eight games on the road and Mercury coach Sandy Brondello is concerned the odd schedule could be taking a toll. They next play Tuesday at the Dallas Wings, who are 10-8 after three consecutive wins.

The good news is Phoenix has played well away from home, despite Sunday's 76-70 loss at Atlanta, with the most road wins in the WNBA with a 9-3 record. The Mercury are 5-3 at home.

"We are very busy," Brondello said of the arduous schedule. "We love what we do and the assistants do a great job putting the clips together for the players to watch. We spend a lot time watching film.

"Our job is to prepare the team, and we just get into a routine. We have been good on the road, we don't mind the road ... it is just one game at a time. We have to be ready to play every single one and get the rest where we can."

Diana Taurasi scored 19 to lead the Mercury against Atlanta. Brittney Griner added 18 points and Leilani Mitchell contributed 10, including three on a 3-pointer with 47.3 seconds left that cut the Dream's lead to 73-68. Atlanta made free throws in the waning seconds to hold off the Mercury, who trailed 62-39 at one point in the game.

Phoenix is 2-0 against Dallas, including a 75-72 win on the Wings' home court June 12.

Griner outplayed Dallas post player Liz Cambage in their second matchup of the season. Griner had 18 points and five rebounds while Cambage mustered 10 points and only three rebounds. Both players fouled out.

"I was not really happy with some of the situational outcomes on our end that didn't go for us," Dallas coach Fred Williams said of the game. "I thought it got physical. We just have to play through it."

Cambage recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds in Dallas' 97-87 win at New York on Sunday.

Skylar Diggins-Smith led all scorers for the day with 32. It increased her total to 54 games with at least 20 points, a franchise record. It also gave her eight 30-point games, which is also a new franchise record.

 

[Cnotes53]

Sky ready for visit from Aces

The Las Vegas Aces will go for their third win in a row when they visit the Chicago Sky on Tuesday night at Wintrust Arena.

Las Vegas (8-12) must make up ground in order to reassert itself into the WNBA's playoff picture. The Aces are coming off back-to-back, hard-earned victories that included an 84-80 win over the Sky and a 94-90 win over the Connecticut Sun.

Now comes the Aces' second meeting in less than a week against Chicago (7-12).

The Sky have withstood a streaky season that included a three-game winning streak, followed by a three-game losing streak, followed by an uplifting 77-63 win over the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday night. Much like Las Vegas, Chicago is on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture and needs to close the season on a high note to have a shot at the postseason.

The win over the defending champion Lynx gave Sky players a boost of confidence as the season's second half continues.

"It just shows that when we put our minds to it and when we're focused and high energy that we can beat anyone in the league," Sky guard Allie Quigley told the Chicago Daily Herald. "We just have to use this as motivation to keep moving forward."

A tough test awaits as the Sky prepare to face top rookie A'ja Wilson and the Aces.

Wilson, 21, was this year's No. 1 overall pick out of South Carolina. She has averaged 21.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game this season while also shutting down the paint with 1.7 blocks per contest. On Monday, the young center was named as the WNBA's Western Conference player of the week after averaging 29 points and nine rebounds in her last two contests.

Kayla McBride also has shined for the Aces this season. She scored 27 points in her team's most recent win over the Sun.

"Our two horses went off again," Aces coach Bill Laimbeer to the Las Vegas Review Journal after his team's most recent win. "There's no question where our bread is buttered."

Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot said she and her teammates must maintain their focus on passing to open teammates.

"I think the ball movement was better (in our last game), and we emphasized that going into the game," Vandersloot said to the Daily Herald. "If we continue to move it, drive it, kick it, we can get wide-open shots and we can knock down those shots."

Chicago is 5-5 at home. Las Vegas is 3-7 on the road.

 

[Cnotes53]

TUESDAY, JULY 10
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

LA at SEA 03:00 PM
SEA -3.0
U 161.0

PHO at DAL 08:00 PM
DAL -2.5
O 171.0

LV at CHI 08:30 PM
LV +3.5
O 175.5

 

[Cnotes53]

WNBA Capsules
July 10, 2018

SEATTLE (AP) Alana Beard scored five of her 11 points in overtime including a 3-pointer that put Los Angeles ahead for good in a 77-75 victory to end Seattle's five-game win streak Tuesday.

Candace Parker led the Sparks (13-8) with 21 points. She added 10 assists and was a rebound shy of a triple-double with nine boards.

Beard's shot from behind the arc came with 3:23 left in overtime and put Los Angeles ahead 71-70. After Breanna Stewart missed a pair of shots, Beard came back with a jumper to extend the Sparks' lead.

The Storm (15-6), who lead the WNBA's Western Conference, could not respond.

Parker's turnaround hook gave the Sparks a 77-72 lead with 1:05 to play. Natasha Howard cut into the margin with a three-point play, but Seattle came no closer

Sue Bird, Howard and Stewart all missed chances to tie the game in the final seven seconds. Howard finished with 18 points for Seattle while Stewart had 14 points and 13 rebounds.

WINGS 101, MERCURY 72

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 20 points and the Wings won their fourth straight with a victory over the Mercury.

Aerial Powers added a season high 18 points, Azura Stevens scored 15 and Liz Cambage chipped in 13 for the Wings (11-8).

Dallas never trailed after the opening minutes and had its largest lead at 95-66 which they matched at the final score. The Wings pulled away with an 11-2 run near the end of the first quarter and scored 10 straight points to end the third quarter with an 80-54 lead.

The Mercury (14-7) committed 13 of its 22 turnovers in the first half and trailed 59-39 at halftime. Brittney Griner scored 21 and DeWanna Bonner added 20.

Diana Taurasi left the game due to illness in the first quarter and did not return. Phoenix has dropped the first two of a four-game road trip.

ACES 98, SKY 74

CHICAGO (AP) - Kayla McBride scored 12 of her 18 points in the second half to help the Aces take the season series against the Sky.

The Aces (9-12) outscored the Sky 32-15 in the second quarter and closed the third with an 18-2 run to make it 76-50. The Sky (7-13) got the deficit no closer than 17 in the fourth.

Las Vegas won its third in a row including an 84-80 win at home against Chicago on Thursday night. The Sky beat the Aces 95-90 on June 3.

McBride was 3 of 4 from 3-point range and the Aces were 6 of 12. Tamera Young added 16 points, Kelsey Plum scored 14 and A'ja Wilson 12.

Diamond DeShields had 15 points to lead Chicago.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY JULY 11, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
11:30 AM Atlanta Dream Washington Mystics Capital One Arena
11:30 AM New York Liberty Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena
12:00 PM Minnesota Lynx Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse


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WNBA MAY RECORD: OVERALL PICKS

Totals............30 - 22 - 2...57.69%......+29.00

MAY'S BEST BETS:

TOTALS........................11 - 12.................-11.00.......................... ...18 - 8 - 1................+46.00

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WNBA JUNE RECORD: OVERALL PICKS

TOTALS................66 - 53....................55.46%.....................+ 49.50

JUNE'S BEST BETS:

TOTALS................40 - 23....................55.03%...................... +49.50

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WNBA JULY RECORD: OVERALL PICKS.

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

07/10/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
07/08/2018 1-4-1 20.00% -17.00
07/07/2018 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
07/06/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/05/2018 3-4-1 42.86% -7.00
07/03/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
07/01/2018 3-7-0 30.00% -23.50

TOTALS...........19-25.........41.30%.....-42.50


JULY'S BEST BETS:

07/10/2018.................3 - 0...............+15.00......................2- 1................+4.50.............+19.50
07/08/2018.................0 - 2...............-11.00.......................1 - 2................-6.00..............-17.00
07/07/2018.................1 - 2................-6.00........................1 - 2......,.........-6.00..............-12.00
07/06/2018.................0 - 1................-5.50........................1 - 0...............+5.00..............-0.50
07/05/2018.................2 - 1...............+4.50........................1 - 3...............-11.50.............-7.00
07/03/2018.................2 - 2................-1.00........................3 - 1...............+9.50..............+8.50
07/01/2018.................1 - 4................-17.00......................2 - 3................-6.50...............-23.50

TOTALS.......................9 - 12..............-21.00....................11 - 12..............-11.00..............-32.00

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

Six NFL teams who won 4+ more games than they did in 2016:

? Jacksonville Jaguars

? Los Angeles Chargers

? Los Angeles Rams

? Minnesota Vikings

? Philadelphia Eagles

? San Francisco 49ers


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Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Mid-week musings??.

13) Six NFL teams improved their win total by 4+ games last year.

Over the last 19 years, 104 teams have done that; of the 98 before last year, they mostly regressed in the third year, winning an average of 2.45 less games per season. 70 of those 98 teams won fewer games than they did in the second year, when they improved.

12) On the other hand, over those same 19 years, 104 teams have won 4+ fewer games than they did the year before, and strange as it may seem, in that third year, the 96 teams prior to LY improved by the same 2.45 wins per team that the above teams regressed by. Go figure.

11) This is one story of how difficult it is to make an NBA roster.

Kid named Isaiah Briscoe is on Orlando?s summer league team in Las Vegas; he played two years at Kentucky, scoring 9.6 ppg as a freshman, 12.1 as a sophomore, at which point he declared for the NBA, but he wasn?t drafted- doesn?t shoot the ball well enough.

Briscoe played for the 76ers? Summer League team LY, went to training camp with the Trailblazers, but got cut? he wound up playing pro ball in Russia last winter, and did well there, scoring 18 ppg.

10) Can you imagine what it is like to be a 21-year old kid who was treated like a God for two years at Kentucky, then spending last year as an anonymous American playing in Russia?

Talk about a humbling experience; I?m sure he made decent bank over there, but it ain?t the NBA and you?re in freakin? Russia.

Briscoe had nine points in 24:00 vs Memphis Sunday, played three scoreless minutes against the Suns Monday. Orlando is a rebuilding team, but it could be back to Russia or some other foreign country for Briscoe- where else can a 22-year old with no college degree make a six-figure salary?

9) G-League players make around $35,000, except for the two 2-way players each team can have, who make anywhere from $75K to $275K a year.

The competition for these NBA roster spots is really, really fierce.

8) USC is a football underdog twice this September; Trojans are +4 at Stanford September 8, and +4.5 at Texas Sept 15.

Going back to 2016, USC will have been an underdog in five of its last 12 September games, and that is a little surprising.

7) fanatics.com has orders for Lebron James #23 Laker jerseys from all 50 states and 90 different countries.

6) Rookie pitcher Corey Oswalt allowed one hit in six innings for the Mets Monday night, but the one hit he allowed was a bases loaded double to the opposing pitcher Aaron Nola, who was 9 for 136 hitting in his major league career.

5) Buster Posey has a problem with hip inflammation, will miss the All-Star Game; Yadier Molina takes his place on the NL roster.

4) Sacramento Kings? top draft pick Marvin Bagley III is out for the rest of Summer League with a pelvic bone bruise. Bagley is still a kid, won?t turn 20 until next March. Takes some time for these young players to mature physically so they can compete with adults.

3) Royals? 2B Whit Merrifield found out just before Sunday?s game that he wouldn?t be an All-Star; he went out and got five hits against the Red Sox.

Merrifield is hitting .303 this year with a .371 OB% and is now mentioned in trade rumors to lot of contending teams. He is also versatile, playing in both infield and outfield.

With Gleyber Torres hurt, Jed Lowrie was named to the AL team at 2B.

2) Reds 7, Indians 4? Cleveland led this game 4-0 in 9th inning; their bullpen has worst ERA in the major leagues, which suggests they?ll be making a trade or two for a reliever this month.

1) Congrats to the workers who rescued the 12 soccer players and their coach from the flooded caves in Thailand. Great work by those Navy SEALS.