CNOTES 2018 WNBA PICKS,TRENDS,NOTES,NEWS !

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY AUGUST 1, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM New York Liberty Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena
10:05 PM Phoenix Mercury Las Vegas Aces Mandalay Bay Event Center

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



Wnba july record: Overall picks.

Date w-l-t % units record

07/31/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
07/25/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/24/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
07/22/2018 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
07/21/2018 0-4-0 0.00% -22.00
07/20/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
07/19/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
07/18/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
07/17/2018 1-0-1 100.00% +5.00
07/15/2018 2-8-0 20.00% -34.00
07/14/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
07/13/2018 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
07/12/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
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..............49-60.........44.95%.....-85.00


july's best bets:

07/31/2018.................2 - 1.............+4.50.......................1 - 2................-6.00...............-1.50
07/25/2018.................0 - 1..............-5.50........................1 - 0...............+5.00..............-0.50
07/24/2018.................2 - 2..............-1.00........................3 - 1...............+9.50............+8.50
07/22/2018.................2 - 2..............-1.00........................2 - 2...............-1.00...............-2.00
07/21/2018.................0 - 2..............-11.00......................0 - 2................-11.00.............-22.00
07/20/2018.................2 - 1..............+4.50.......................1 - 2................-6.00...............-1.50
07/19/2018.................2 - 1..............+4.50.......................1 - 2................-6.00...............-1.50
07/18/2018.................1 - 0..............+5.00.......................1 - 0................+5.00..............+10.00
07/17/2018.................1 - 0..............+5.00.......................0 - 0................+0.00..............+5.00
07/15/2018.................1 - 4..............-17.00.......................1 - 4................-17.00.............-34.00
07/14/2018.................0 - 1...............-5.50........................0 - 1................-5.50...............-11.00
07/13/2018.................3 - 1...............+9.50.......................1 - 3................-11.50.............-2.00
07/12/2018.................1 - 0...............+5.00.......................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
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.....................26- 28..................-24.00....................24 - 31...............-50.50..............-74.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

Nevada casinos? net profit in June: (from Nevada Gaming Control)

Sports betting $20.1M

Craps $36M

Roulette $36.7M

Baccarat $73.7M

Blackjack $100M

Penny slots $255M

**********

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

13) Monday night was a weird baseball night; Brewers-Dodgers had a 23-minute power outage in Chavez Ravine, while in Phoenix, a haboob (dust storm) blew thru the desert and caused the lights to go out at Chase Field for a while at the Rangers-Diamondbacks game.

I had to look up this ?haboob? thing; it is like a weather front going thru, except it is in a hot, dry area and it has a ton of wind/dust. You learn something every day.

12) During the delay at Dodger Stadium, Cowboys? coach Jason Garrett was sitting with Tommy Lasorda- looked like they were talking about how different pitches are gripped. Garrett was holding a baseball while they talked.

11) NBA is the first major American sports league to sign an official betting sponsor.

Commissioner Adam Silver announced Tuesday that the league has a deal with MGM that will give the gaming company rights to use league highlights, names, logos and its direct data feed, as well as exclusively market itself as the official gaming partner of the NBA and WNBA.

People bet on the WNBA? Wow. If I could accurately predict how women will react to certain situations, I wouldn?t spend 80% of my life writing on index cards. (Its a joke!!!!)

10) Guy named Charles Robinson covers the NFL for Yahoo; he posted this on Twitter Monday:

?I?ve been very skeptical of Sean McVay supposedly having a photographic memory. When we were talking this week, he recalled our conversation from one year ago and exactly where we were standing when we had it. I?m not memorable. It was weird.?

The Rams? head coach has a very good memory.

9) News Item of the Week: ?Police are looking for a trio of thieves who stole a shark from the San Antonio Aquarium over the weekend by stuffing it into a stroller.?

Um, why would you steal a shark?

8) Cubs? P Kyle Hendricks has allowed 10 first inning home runs this season; no one else has allowed more than eight.

7) Because of the Seattle Mariners? trades this weekend/Monday, their AAA farm team in Tacoma had only nine position players available for Monday night?s game, and three of those were catchers. Managing in the minor leagues can be challenging.

6) Monday night in Boston, Aaron Nola and David Price both went 8 innings, only the 4th major league game this season (27th in last 3 years) where both starters went 8+ innings.

By way of contrast, in 1988, there were 169 such games.

5) Baseball doings- there were lot of trades Tuesday:
? Red Sox put Chris Sale (shoulder) on the DL
? JA Happ has hand, foot, mouth disease, the same viral infection Noah Syndergaard has.
? Cincinnati Reds traded Adam Duvall to Braves for P?s Lucas Sims, Matt Wisler and OF Preston Tucker.
? Red Sox traded for 2B Ian Kinsler, giving up their #19 and #23 prospects.
? Pirates acquired reliever Keone Kela from Texas in exchange for two players to be named later.
? Pirates acquired Chris Archer for prospects OF Meadows/P Glasnow.
? Toronto 2B Lourdes Gurriel is out 2-to-6 weeks. He has a high ankle sprain and a Grade 1 left knee sprain.

4) Detroit Tigers are only team that hasn?t made a trade this season.

3) Cubs? 1B Anthony Rizzo got on base 34 times in his first 15 games batting leadoff.

2) Nationals 25, Mets 4? Washington led 10-0 in the 2nd inning. Wilmer Flores left early with dehydration and dizziness, thats how long he was out on the field.

1) NFL exhibition games actually start tonight; Ravens-Bears from Canton. Chicago is only team that hasn?t signed its first round draft pick (LB Roquan Smith).

 

[Cnotes53]

WNBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, August 1


New York @ Connecticut

Game 307-308
August 1, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
103.851
Connecticut
116.065
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Connecticut
by 12
171
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Connecticut
by 9 1/2
165 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Connecticut
(-9 1/2); Over

Phoenix @ Las Vegas

Game 309-310
August 1, 2018 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
105.041
Las Vegas
110.307
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Las Vegas
by 5
177
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Las Vegas
by 1 1/2
174
Dunkel Pick:
Las Vegas
(-1 1/2); Over




WNBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, August 1

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

NEW YORK (7 - 18) at CONNECTICUT (14 - 12) - 8/1/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 6-13 ATS (-8.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game this season.
NEW YORK is 6-13 ATS (-8.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
CONNECTICUT is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 140-108 ATS (+21.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 48-27 ATS (+18.3 Units) in road games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1997.
NEW YORK is 48-28 ATS (+17.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 7-14 ATS (-8.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game this season.

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

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

PHOENIX (15 - 12) at LAS VEGAS (12 - 13) - 8/1/2018, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) in road games this season.
PHOENIX is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 this season.
PHOENIX is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games after scoring 75 points or more this season.
PHOENIX is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 49-71 ATS (-29.1 Units) in home games after scoring 75 points or more since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 6-3 against the spread versus LAS VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 8-1 straight up against LAS VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




WNBA

Wednesday, August 1

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

New York Liberty
New York is 6-13 ATS in its last 19 games
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 5 games
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
New York is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Connecticut
New York is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games when playing Connecticut
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New York's last 8 games when playing Connecticut
New York is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
New York is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 5 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
Connecticut is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Connecticut is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Connecticut's last 5 games
Connecticut is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing New York
Connecticut is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Connecticut's last 8 games when playing New York
Connecticut is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against New York
Connecticut is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Connecticut's last 5 games when playing at home against New York


Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games
Phoenix is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
Phoenix is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games on the road
Phoenix is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Las Vegas
Phoenix is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 8 games when playing Las Vegas
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Las Vegas
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games when playing on the road against Las Vegas
Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Las Vegas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Las Vegas's last 5 games
Las Vegas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Las Vegas's last 10 games at home
Las Vegas is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Phoenix
Las Vegas is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Las Vegas's last 8 games when playing Phoenix
Las Vegas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Las Vegas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 7 games when playing at home against Phoenix

 

[Cnotes53]

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NY at CONN 07:00 PM
CONN -11.5
O 166.5

PHO at LV 10:00 PM
LV -4.0
O 171.5

 

[Cnotes53]

WNBA Capsules
August 2, 2018

LAS VEGAS (AP) Diana Taurasi scored 37 points, Brittney Griner had 25 points and 11 rebounds and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Las Vegas Aces 104-93 on Wednesday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

DeWanna Bonner added 20 points and 14 rebounds for Phoenix (16-12), which had lost seven of its last eight games. The Mercury moved into a fourth-place tie in the playoff standings with Los Angeles and Washington.

Phoenix had its lead trimmed to 77-74 after Las Vegas scored seven of the first nine fourth-quarter points. But Taurasi and Briann January made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions for a 98-85 lead with 3:23 to go.

Griner had 18 points, four rebounds and two blocks in the first half and Taurasi also scored 18 points - with 11 straight makes at the free-throw line. Taurasi finished 17 of 18 at the stripe matching her career best in both categories. Griner made 9 of 14 from the line as Phoenix shot 82.9 percent.

A'ja Wilson scored 20 of her 29 points in the first half for Las Vegas (12-14). Kayla McBride had 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. The Aces were just 33-of-84 shooting (39 percent) from the field, including 2 of 11 from 3-point range.

SUN 92, LIBERTY 77

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) - Jonquel Jones scored 21 points while Courtney Williams added 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists to help the Sun beat the Liberty.

Layshia Clarendon beat the buzzer at the end of the third quarter with a runner in the lane to extend Connecticut's lead to 64-58. The Sun opened up a double-digit lead early in the fourth and Jones made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions for an 85-68 advantage.

Chiney Ogwumike added 12 points for Connecticut (15-12), which won its third straight game. Jones, who came off the bench, was 7 of 13 from the field for her second straight 20-plus game.

Jones scored seven points during a 12-3 run to help put Connecticut ahead 35-26.

Sugar Rodgers scored 16 points for New York (7-19). Amanda Zahui B. and Brittany Boyd each had 14 points and Tina Charles added 12.

New York opened the second half on a 10-0 run for a 49-48 lead.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 2, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Dallas Wings Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse
10:05 PM Minnesota Lynx Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center


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


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

08/01/2018 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50


BEST BETS.....................ATS.............UNITS................O/U...................UNITS.............TOTAL

08/01/2018..................1 - 1.............-0.50..................2 - 0.................+1000.............+9.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Odds to win the WGC-Bridgestone golf tournament in Akron this week:

7-1? Dustin Johnson

10-1? Rory McIlroy

12-1? Eldrick Woods

16-1? Jordan Spieth

18-1? Rickie Fowler

20-1? Jason Day, Francesco Molinari

**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud??

13) So I?ve got all my football research material and have been going thru it, getting ready for this season, then comes news that Urban Meyer is on paid administrative lead at Ohio State, so all the information about the Buckeyes goes out the window.

Ohio State?s former WR coach had domestic violence charges against him in 2015; the issue here is whether or not Meyer knew about the incident(s) and did nothing about it.

12) It is obvious from reports that Meyer?s wife knew about the incidents, and if Meyer is found to have lied about not knowing, then Ohio State might be looking for a new coach soon. Might be looking for a new athletic director, too.

August 1 isn?t a great time to put your football coach on administrative leave. Especially when the coach has a 73-8 record at that school.

11) Before Meyer took the Ohio State job, he was on ESPN for a year; I genuinely felt bad for the guy, because he seemed incapable of laughter or lightheartedness. I?m serious when I say this, the guy seemed to have zero sense of humor. It was a little eerie.

Elsewhere??.
10) Johnny Manziel gets the starting nod for the Montreal Alouettes Friday night in Montreal when they play Manziel?s old team, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats,. Hamilton traded Manziel to the Alouettes on July 22.

9) Nationals 25, Mets 4? This was an embarrassment; heads need to roll, either the manager or some players- this team has quit, plain and simple. Inexcusable.

8) Washington must have some serious dissension; they traded reliever Brandon Kintzler because they thought he was leaking info about the team to the press, then they flat out DFA?d Shawn Kelley when he gave up a homer, then threw his glove to the ground like a 10-year old brat. I laughed when I saw it because I?ve never seen a big leaguer do that before.

The home run came in the 9th inning, with the Nationals leading 25-2; go figure.

7) I guess my next question is this; how much do players care about their individual stats? If you read into the Kelley incident at all, seems like he wasn?t interested in mopping up in a 25-1 game, then vented his frustration on national TV when he gave up three runs.

6) Cameron Maybin has been in the major leagues for 12 years; he?s on his 8th team. Seattle has acquired seven new players in trades, since the season started.

5) Giancarlo Stanton?s %age of runners knocked in:
2018: 12.99% (30.9% from 3B)
2017: 18.03% (34.2%)
2016: 13.62% (35.4%)
2015: 19.32% (36.8%)
2014: 16.47% (34.4%)
2013: 13.38% (35.5%)
2012: 15.17% (32.7%)

In other words, despite being healthy, Stanton is having the worst season of his career.

4) Cody Bellinger has played 637⅓ innings at 1B, and 255 innings in CF for the Dodgers this season- this is unusual.

Last major league player with 500+ innings in both 1B, CF in same season was Lee Mazzilli with the Mets in 1980.

3) Wisconsin is the leading producer of cranberries in the United States. Thought you?d like to know.

2) George Springer left Wednesday?s game with shoulder soreness, which means Altuve, Correa and now Springer are all out of the Houston lineup.

1) Texas Rangers were in Phoenix Tuesday when they traded reliever Jake Diekman to the Diamondbacks. Diekman took his bags, went outside the locker room and was driven down to the Arizona locker room in the D?backs? bullpen cart, driven by Baxter, the team?s mascot.

 

[Cnotes53]

WNBA

Thursday, August 2

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

Dallas Wings
Dallas is 12-5-1 ATS in its last 18 games
Dallas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Dallas is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Dallas is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Dallas's last 9 games on the road
Dallas is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Indiana
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing Indiana
Dallas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Dallas is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Dallas's last 7 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana Fever
Indiana is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
Indiana is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana's last 9 games
Indiana is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Dallas
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing Dallas
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas
Indiana is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas


Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games
Minnesota is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Minnesota's last 12 games when playing Los Angeles
Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games
Los Angeles is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games
Los Angeles is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Los Angeles is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home
Los Angeles is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Los Angeles's last 22 games at home
Los Angeles is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Los Angeles's last 12 games when playing Minnesota
Los Angeles is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Los Angeles is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota


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


WNBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, August 2

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

DALLAS (14 - 12) at INDIANA (3 - 23) - 8/2/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 9-17 ATS (-9.7 Units) in all games this season.
INDIANA is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in home games this season.
INDIANA is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 this season.
INDIANA is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games after allowing 75 points or more this season.
INDIANA is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
INDIANA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
INDIANA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games this season.
INDIANA is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game this season.
INDIANA is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games this season.
INDIANA is 5-12 ATS (-8.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.

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

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

MINNESOTA (15 - 10) at LOS ANGELES (15 - 11) - 8/2/2018, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 11-8 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 10-9 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
13 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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


WNBA
Dunkel

Thursday, August 2


Dallas @ Indiana

Game 601-602
August 2, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
110.294
Indiana
98.926
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 11 1/2
161
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
by 8 1/2
166
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(-8 1/2); Under

Minnesota @ Los Angeles

Game 603-604
August 2, 2018 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
104.321
Los Angeles
116.454
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 12
150
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
by 3
153 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-3); Under

 

[Cnotes53]

Cambage facing suspension as Wings face off against Fever

The Dallas Wings might be without star center Liz Cambage when they battle the hapless Indiana Fever on Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

Cambage picked up her seventh technical foul of the season on Tuesday in a 92-91 loss to Chicago and faces a possible suspension. According to the WNBA rule book, a seventh technical will result in an $800 fine and a suspension for the ensuing game unless the league rescinds the technical foul.

"The refereeing is horrible," Cambage said. "That's my thoughts."

The Wings fought back from a 24-point second-quarter deficit to take a lead in the final seconds but couldn't hold on. Cambage had 33 points and 13 rebounds in the defeat, but missed the first of two free throws with 13.6 seconds to play that would have given the Wings a two-point lead.

Chicago won when Cheyenne Parker hit a put-back basket with 5.3 seconds left and Dallas' Skylar Diggins-Smith committed a costly turnover on the ensuing possession that denied the Wings a shot to win.

Diggins-Smith poured in 15 points and Allisha Gray had 12 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Wings, who also got 11 points and 14 rebounds from Glory Johnson and 10 points from Kayla Thornton.

The loss was the third straight for Dallas (14-12). Prior to the past three contests, the Wings had won seven of eight games.

"We didn't want to be embarrassed on our home court, so we got it together and came out at halftime," Cambage said about the comeback.

Thursday's game is the first for the Fever (3-23) since July 24. They are the only team in the WNBA that has already been eliminated from playoff contention.

But Indiana can't be taken lightly, as its three wins have come against three of the top clubs in the league -- Atlanta, Minnesota and, most recently, Los Angeles on the road on July 20.

Indiana's duo of Candice Dupree and Kelsey Mitchell pose the biggest scoring threat, with each averaging better than 13 points per game. As a team, the Fever averages 75.1 points on 40.7 percent shooting from the floor, with both those rankings at the bottom of the league.

Despite 26 points from Mitchell and a double-double by Dupree, the Fever lost to first-place Seattle 92-72 on July 24 in their final game before the All-Star Break. The Storm led wire-to-wire, though Indiana cut the deficit to eight points (80-72) with 2:05 to play. Down the stretch, however, the Fever missed four shots and committed a pair of turnovers as Seattle scored the game's last 12 points.

"We didn't finish, we fizzled, and that's extremely disappointing in terms of where we are and what we need to do," Indiana coach Pokey Chatman said. "I'm not talking about moral victories, I'm just talking about being responsible and finishing things at a higher level. We didn't, and we can't do that against any team in this league, let alone a team that's in first."

Thursday's game is the third and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Wings beat Indiana 89-83 in Indianapolis on June 8, and won a 90-63 decision in Arlington on July 5. The Wings have won three straight against the Fever overall.

The Fever lead the overall series with Dallas 30-26 and have won 19 of the 27 games played in Indiana.

 

[Cnotes53]

Streaking Lynx visit slumping Sparks

Fresh off winning the All-Star Game MVP award for the third straight year, Maya Moore on Thursday leads Minnesota into the lion's den -- AKA Staples Center -- to face archrival Los Angeles Sparks.

This will be Part IV of the regular-season collision between the league's two powers who have slugged it out for the past two WNBA titles, with the Sparks winning in five games in 2016. The Lynx got their sweet revenge by taking home the title, also in five games, last season.

Stay tuned to see if there is a rubber match this season -- league-leader Seattle appears poised to crash the Finals party -- but for now, the Lynx hope to even the regular-season series at two games apiece.

The Sparks are trying to get their mojo back.

After an unusual slow start, the Lynx are rounding into postseason form. Since starting 3-6, Minnesota has gone 12-4 and shot up into third place, a half-game ahead of the Sparks.

The Lynx, who have won three straight, are staring at a daunting task. Following Thursday's game, Minnesota travels to Seattle to face the Storm on Friday and then returns home for matchup against second-place Atlanta.

The Lynx look forward to the challenge.

"Our confidence is fine," reigning MVP Sylvia Fowles said during the All-Star break. "It was fine when we were losing. We're just going to take it one game at a time. We're not going to get ahead of ourselves."

Unlike Minnesota, Los Angeles got off to a sizzling 9-2 start.

But then the wheels started to come loose, and the Sparks have gone 6-9. At 15-11 they are tied for fourth place, 4 1/2 games behind Seattle.

Getting off to a good start as the season heads toward the homestretch is crucial for the Sparks.

"In years' past, this break has been bad for us. We were hot and we came back and we played really bad after the break," Sparks' future Hall of Famer Candace Parker said. "I guess I'm hoping it's the opposite effect. We played poorly before the break and now maybe we'll figure out how to put it together. ... Obviously, health is something that you can't control. All you can control is the players that are on the court. I'm pretty confident that we'll get it together."

The Lynx know all about fighting through difficult times. They only have to look back to the first month of the season when coach Cheryl Reeve challenged her troops to be tougher mentally and pay attention to detail -- two essential qualities of a champion.

Moore told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune the formula was not complicated.

"We just have to pay attention, focus, and play with conviction. Whatever we're going to do, we're going to do together," she said.

For the Sparks to get back on track, they'll need a healthy Nneka Ogwumike, who is listed as questionable. The team's second leading scorer and rebounder was unable to play in the All-Star Game and hasn't been on the court since July 15. Ogwumike has been suffering headaches and fatigue.

Defensive specialist Alana Beard also is questionable with a groin injury.

Chelsea Gray has stepped up and relished the opportunity. She's third on the team in scoring at 14.5 points per game and connects on more than 39 percent of her 3-point attempts.

And, she's fearless. Her size and agility are a perfect complement to Parker.

"It's fun for me as a teammate to play with her because she's able to create for everybody - herself, her teammates," Parker told silverscreenandroll.com. "She sees the game really well. ... She definitely has a high basketball IQ."

 

[Cnotes53]

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

DAL at IND 07:00 PM
IND +8.5
U 170.0

MIN at LA 10:00 PM
MIN +2.5
U 154.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Candace Parker helps Sparks rout Liberty 79-57
August 3, 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) Candace Parker had 23 points, 10 rebounds and four assists for her ninth double-double of the season and the Los Angeles Sparks routed the defending champion Minnesota Lynx 79-57 on Thursday night.

Los Angeles (16-11) led by at least eight points from 15-7 on. Minnesota (15-11) was held to its lowest points total since 2011.

Chelsea Gray added 18 points and nine assists for Los Angeles. Nneka Ogwumike had 15 points in 28 minutes in her first game after since July 15 because of a mystery illness that she described as flu-like with extreme fatigue.

Sylvia Fowles led Minnesota with 14 points. Maya Moore was held to eight points on 4-of-7 shooting.

FEVER 84, WINGS 78.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Cappie Pondexter scored 18 points help Indiana beat Dallas for its fourth victory of the season.

Natalie Achonwa added 13 points, and Indiana (4-23) had a season-high 13 steals. Elizabeth Cambage had 37 points and nine rebounds for Dallas (14-13).

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 3, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Chicago Sky Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
7:05 PM Las Vegas Aces Washington Mystics Capital One Arena
10:05 PM Minnesota Lynx Seattle Storm KeyArena


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


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

08/02/2018 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
08/01/2018 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50

TOTALS............6-2-0........75.00%.....+19.00


BEST BETS.....................ATS.............UNITS.... ............O/U...................UNITS.............TOTAL

08/02/2018..................1 - 1.............-0.50..................2 - 0.................+10.00.............+9.50
08/01/2018..................1 - 1.............-0.50..................2 - 0.................+10.00.............+9.50

TOTALS........................2 - 2.............-1.00..................4 - 0.................+20.00.............+19.00

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Betting props for the NFL this season:

? Will anyone throw more than 39.5 TD passes? Yes -$125, No +$105

? Will anyone run for more than 14.5 TD?s? Yes +$105, No -$125

? Will anyone catch more than 14.5 TD passes? Yes -$110, No -$110

? Will anyone catch more than 116.5 passes? Yes -$110, No -$110

? Will longest FG be longer than 60.5 yards? Yes -$135, No +$115

? Will any kicker make more than 37.5 FG?s? Yes -$110, No -$110

**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here??

13) Oregon State visits Columbus in Ohio State?s football opener; smart people in Las Vegas dropped the spread on the game from 39 to 35.5, on the thought that Urban Meyer might get a one-game slap on the wrist for lying about whatever he knew/didn?t know about the domestic violence situation one of his former assistants was involved in.

Laying 35 instead of 38.5 will still take some onions, if Meyer isn?t coaching.

12) Pretty sad that people are already speculating that Iowa State coach Matt Campbell will be the guy who replaces Meyer if the OSU administration cans him.

So an Ohio State assistant coach was accused of domestic violence, the head coach apparently lied about knowing the situation existed, and as punishment, Iowa State loses its coach? Seems fair to me.

11) New Jersey joined Nevada this week as the only states with legalized digital sports wagering. It is still amazing to me how New Jersey was right on top of getting sports betting off the ground, but neighboring NY/Pennsylvania are still dragging their feet.

10) Philip Evans started Wednesday?s game at 2B for the Mets; he broke his leg when a runner slid into him trying to break up a double play.

Jose Reyes took his place and homered from both sides of the plate, making him the first Met ever to homer from both sides of the plate in a game that he didn?t start.

9) Every now and then, I do my list of favorite movie scenes and one I?ve neglected to put on there is when Roy Hobbs hits the game-winning homer at the end of The Natural. Amazing music, with Hobbs rounding the bases and the lights from the fireworks reflecting off the glasses of manager Wilford Brimley.

Music is so cool that 35 years later, the Texas Rangers still play it every time one of their players hits a home run in one of their home games.

8) No idea what to make of it, but supposedly Patrick Mahomes is struggling badly early in Chiefs? camp? he played one game last year, so he is still a rookie, and all rookies are suspect until they aren?t suspect anymore.

In case you?re wondering (I was), Chad Henne and Matt McGloin are the Chiefs? backups. Not exactly Earl Morrall or Steve Young as a backup.

You have to remember, the last three years, Kansas City was +14/+16/+15 in turnovers; hard to replicate that with a rookie QB who is likely to make some mistakes. Play-it-safe QB Alex Smith works for the Redskins now.

7) Caesars Entertainment stock fell 14.8% Wednesday (it was down 24% at one point) as the gaming company revealed a cautious forecast for the upcoming quarter. Not good.

6) In case you need to borrow some money, Apple now has $243.7B in cash on hand, thats billion, with a B. They had $267.2B on hand in March; meanwhile, I?m going thru the couch cushions trying to get enough money to go to McDonald?s. Must be nice.

5) Hue Jackson is coach of the Cleveland Browns, the team HBO is focused on this summer as it films Hard Knocks. Coach Jackson?s mother and brother both died in the last two weeks? can?t imagine what that is like, trying to coach your team when you know another bad year will cost you your job- then two of your closest relatives die within two weeks of each other, all while cameras follow you all over training camp.

Jackson?s mom had been ill for a long time, but his brother passed away unexpectedly.

4) Because of rainouts, Braves are playing 42 days the next 42 days, with two doubleheaders and two days off in there.

3) Guy I know is a big Chicago Bears fan; he and his wife are headed to Canton today to see Brian Uhrlacher get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday night. Hope they have a great time.

Big weekend in that area, with the PGA Tour up the road in Akron.

2) Few years ago, no pro sports leagues would touch Las Vegas; then the Golden Knights took off on The Strip, the Raiders are a hot ticket with 2020 and a new domed stadium on the horizon and now the NBA is making noise about putting a team in America?s favorite city. Interesting.

1) I went grocery shopping today; no one asked me for a photo ID. Must?ve been an oversight on their part.

 

[Cnotes53]

WNBA
Dunkel

Friday, August 3

Las Vegas @ Washington

Game 605-606
August 3, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Las Vegas
107.596
Washington
112.354
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 4 1/2
164
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 6 1/2
168
Dunkel Pick:
Las Vegas
(+6 1/2); Under

Chicago @ Atlanta

Game 607-608
August 3, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
107.182
Atlanta
112.399
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 5
159
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 9
168 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+9); Under

Minnesota @ Seattle

Game 609-610
August 3, 2018 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
107.334
Seattle
115.926
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 8 1/2
171
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
by 5 1/2
162 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(-5 1/2); Over




WNBA

Friday, August 3

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

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


Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Las Vegas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Las Vegas's last 6 games
Las Vegas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Las Vegas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Las Vegas is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 5 games on the road
Las Vegas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Las Vegas's last 13 games when playing Washington
Las Vegas is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Washington
Las Vegas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington Mystics
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games
Washington is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Washington's last 13 games when playing Las Vegas
Washington is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Las Vegas
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing at home against Las Vegas


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


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


WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, August 3

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

LAS VEGAS (12 - 14) at WASHINGTON (15 - 11) - 8/3/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LAS VEGAS is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) against Eastern conference opponents this season.
LAS VEGAS is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
LAS VEGAS is 42-27 ATS (+12.3 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 325-383 ATS (-96.3 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 62-87 ATS (-33.7 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) against Western conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 186-238 ATS (-75.8 Units) after a division game since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LAS VEGAS is 6-2 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 4-4 straight up against LAS VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CHICAGO (10 - 17) at ATLANTA (16 - 10) - 8/3/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 15-26 ATS (-13.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
ATLANTA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games this season.
ATLANTA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in August or September games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 16-30 ATS (-17.0 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-4 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 6-4 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MINNESOTA (15 - 11) at SEATTLE (20 - 7) - 8/3/2018, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 4-4 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 7-1 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[Cnotes53]

Sky aim to add to upsets with game against Dream

The Chicago Sky have put together a string of its best games of the season on either side of the WNBA All-Star break but will have to take things to an even higher plane when they square off against the Atlanta Dream on Friday in a key matchup at McCamish Pavilion in the campus of Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

The Sky head to Atlanta off a rousing 92-91 win at Dallas on Tuesday in which reserve forward Cheyenne Parker scored on a putback with 5.3 seconds left to clinch the victory. Chicago led by as many as 24 points in the second quarter but gave all that cushion back and more, trailing by four points with 2:29 remaining.

Allie Quigley led the Sky (10-17) in the win over Dallas with 22 points while Parker poured in a career-high-tying 20 points including the game-winning basket. Diamond DeShields added 15, Courtney Vandersloot hit for 12 points and recorded 14 assists, and Gabby Williams scored 10 for Chicago, which has won three of its past four games.

On Tuesday night, Vandersloot became the first WNBA player to dish out 50 assists across four consecutive games.

"I have the best point guard in the league," Parker said about Vandersloot. "She just knows how to find the open player, and I just happened to be the open player a lot tonight. And she got me the ball."

Meanwhile, the Dream had its franchise-record eight-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday, losing 86-71 to Washington at home. It was Atlanta's first defeat since falling to Seattle 95-86 on July 6.

Tiffany Hayes scored 18 points for the Dream, which shot just 36 percent from the floor and hit in only 3 of their 22 shots from beyond the arc. Elizabeth Williams had 13 points and nine rebounds for Atlanta (16-10). in the loss, and Angel McCoughtry added 12 points.

The Dream remain in second place in the WNBA standings, four games behind first-place Seattle. Defensive-minded Atlanta had held opponents to an average of just 71 points in their previous three games.

The play of point guard Renee Montgomery has been a key to the Dream's recent surge.

"When you're younger you have so many goals and a lot of them are individual -- now I want to be sure that we make the playoffs," said Montgomery, who had 8 points in the lost Tuesday to Washington. "I want to get one of those bye spots. So just my approach to the game, controlling the team, is different. My goals are team oriented. My thing is, 'Let's make sure we got this right.' I want to win."

Hayes was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month in Wednesday.

Behind Hayes, Atlanta posted a 9-2 mark in July. She ranked third among Eastern Conference players in scoring (17.6 points per game) to go with 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per outing.

Hayes also ranked sixth in field-goal percentage (50.7) and free-throw percentage (87.2) and 10th in 3-point percentage (38.5) among East players. She scored in double figures in each of her 11 games.

The two teams have split their games this season, with both winning at home.

 

[Cnotes53]

Ace visit Mystics challenging for playoff spot

WASHINGTON -- The Las Vegas Aces kick off a three-game road trip on the cusp of a playoff spot when they visit the Washington Mystics Friday night.

After a 1-7 start, the Aces (12-14) sit in ninth place overall, two games behind the Dallas Wings with eight games remaining. Las Vegas will also travel to Connecticut and Atlanta before returning home.

"We take it one game at a time. We don't look ahead," coach Bill Laimbeer said. "I think that if our players focus on the individual games coming up at hand and each one of our games for the rest of the season, then that's all I can ask as a coach."

Las Vegas had won five of six before coming out of the All-Star break with a 104-93 loss Wednesday night to a Phoenix Mercury team that had dropped four straight games.

A'ja Wilson scored 20 of her 29 points in the first half and Kayla McBride had 18 points for the Aces, who were just 33-of-84 shooting (39 percent) from the field, including 2 of 11 from 3-point range.

"You turn the page in situations like this," Wilson said of the loss. "We're going on a road trip and we really need those games, so we need to just really buckle down into who we are and not change up anything.

"Because we're making this playoff push we really can't get out of ourselves, we have to keep pushing."

The Mystics (15-11) are tied for fifth place overall, but within striking distance of second place Atlanta (16-10) and a bye to the playoff semifinals.

"No matter what happens, we'll be ready, but obviously we would love to not have to be in any of those single-elimination games because the teams are just too good this year," Elena Delle Donne told the Washington Post of her team's push for a top-two seed. "It's so level that to have a single-elimination game is pretty tough."

Washington has been scuffling of late, splitting their last 10 games. They resumed play Tuesday night with an impressive 86-71 win at Atlanta that snapped the Dream's eight-game winning streak.

Delle Donne had 28 points and 16 rebounds, LaToya Sanders added 13 points, Natasha Cloud scored 11 and Aerial Powers had 10 for Washington.

The Mystics opened the second half with a 12-6 spurt, building a 62-49 lead, and coasted home as they outscored the Dream 16-8 in the fourth quarter.

Delle Donne is averaging 26.3 points over her last three games.

The teams split their first two meetings with the home team winning each time. They Mystics won 75-70 on May 22 and the Aces answered back with an 85-73 victory on June 1.

 

[Cnotes53]

Lynx, Storm matchup has playoffs feel

The WNBA playoffs are still a few weeks away, but Friday night's matchup between the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm promises to have a bit of a postseason feel.

Host Seattle (20-7) has the best record in the league, leading Atlanta by 3 1/2 games. Minnesota (15-11) has overcome a 3-6 start and had a chance to tie the Dream for second place before Thursday night's 79-57 loss in Los Angeles that snapped the Lynx's three-game winning streak.

"You have to treat every game like it's a playoff game," Storm point guard Sue Bird told The Seattle Times. "For us, that means not relaxing, not being complacent.

"Yes, we had a good first part of the season, but that doesn't mean anything. You have to peak in the playoffs. I know that's the message that I'm going to be sending in our locker room. Just don't relax because it's going to be crazy competitive."

Since Seattle last played in the WNBA finals, beating Atlanta in 2010, the Lynx have gone six times in seven seasons, winning four titles.

"You have to be so focused, so locked in, and all the little things make a big difference when it comes to getting a win or not getting a win every night," said Minnesota forward Maya Moore, the 2014 WNBA MVP. "Teams have to be able to focus in and execute down the stretch. Again, the margin from victory to defeat is so, so narrow.

"It's great for the game. It's just very stressful for anyone who's invested in us as people because these games, they're devastating because we're all picking up our intensity, and so each game feels like a playoff game."

The Lynx have a 38-29 all-time advantage over the Storm, with Minnesota winning the first matchup this season 91-79 on June 26. The teams meet against Aug. 12 in Minneapolis.

"The standings are pretty tight," said Minnesota center Sylvia Fowles, the league's reigning MVP who is averaging 17.1 points and a career-high 11.7 rebounds per game. "It's going to get down to the nitty gritty, but that will make it interesting. Every team in this league is good. Bring your 'A' game every night."

The Storm are coming off a 4-1 trip, with four more games on the road after Friday's contest at KeyArena.

"There will be a lot of games that will have a playoff feel," Storm coach Dan Hughes told The Seattle Times. "This team is learning from those experiences, win or lose.

"We're collecting data and understanding ourselves in those situations. For this team, it's a good learning process. ... Win or lose, we need to play in those games and have the experience of learning what we did well or hopefully not too many situations what we didn't."

 

[Cnotes53]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

LV at WAS 07:00 PM
LV +6.5
U 168.5

CHI at ATL 07:00 PM
CHI +8.5
O 168.5

MIN at SEA 10:00 PM
SEA -6.5
O 162.5

 

[Cnotes53]

WNBA Capsules
August 4, 2018

SEATTLE (AP) Breanna Stewart scored 20 points, Sue Bird had 14 points and 11 assists and the Seattle Storm clinched the first WNBA playoff berth this season with an 85-75 victory over the defending champion Minnesota Lynx on Friday night.

Stewart drove the lane and finished in traffic to give Seattle a 79-69 lead and she had a left-handed layup on the next possession for a 12-point advantage.

Natasha Howard had 15 points, six rebounds and five steals for Seattle (21-7), which recorded its first 20-win season since 2011. The Storm were 7 of 14 from 3-point range in the first half and finished 12 of 24 from behind the arc.

Sylvia Fowles led Minnesota (15-12) with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Maya Moore was limited to seven points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Minnesota opened the second half on a 10-2 run for a 48-39 lead. But Stewart scored six straight points as Seattle outscored the Lynx 22-9 the rest of the quarter for a 61-57 lead.

Seattle had its third sellout in a row with a crowd of 12,064.

DREAM 89, SKY 74

ATLANTA (AP) - Angel McCoughtry scored 21 points, Tiffany Hayes added 19 and the Dream beat the Sky.

Atlanta closed the third quarter on a 6-0 run, for a 64-59 lead, and held Chicago to 4-of-17 shooting in the frame.

Hayes and Alex Bentley each made a 3-pointer on Atlanta's first two possessions of the fourth quarter for a 70-59 lead and the Dream led by at least seven points the rest of the way.

Jessica Breland had 13 points and nine rebounds for Atlanta (17-10). The second-place Dream are three games back of Seattle (20-7) in the playoff standings and one game ahead of Los Angeles (16-11).

Courtney Vandersloot led Chicago (10-18) with 24 points, seven assists and four steals. Allie Quigley was held to eight points.

Vandersloot sank a running 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer, capping Chicago's 9-0 run for a 43-42 lead. She had 16 points in the first half, including 3-of-3 shooting from 3-point range.