Cnotes 2013 WNBA Best Bets + News,Stats Etc. !!

[CNOTES]

Silver Stars-Sparks Preview

Posted Jun 15 2013 1:48AM

The San Antonio Silver Stars temporarily looked like they might be able to withstand the absences of two key players. More recent results suggest they could be in trouble.

San Antonio looks to shake off its road struggles and knock off the Los Angeles Sparks for the second time in two weeks Saturday night.

With last year's two leading scorers - Sophia Young (16.3 ppg) and Becky Hammon (14.7) - sidelined due to injuries to begin the season, most didn't expect much out of the Silver Stars (2-3). They suffered a 15-point loss to reigning champion Indiana in the season opener, but they bounced back with victories over Los Angeles and Chicago.

All three of those games were at home. Defeats in the first two contests of a four-game trip, including an 87-72 loss at Minnesota on Tuesday, have seemingly brought the Silver Stars a dose of reality.

San Antonio held a 36-35 halftime lead against the Lynx but was done in by an 18-4 run bridging the third and fourth quarters.

Shenise Johnson scored a team-high 16 as part of a San Antonio bench which totaled 32 points. The club's reserves average 34.5 points but haven't been able to compensate for the losses of Hammon and Young, who combined for 37 percent of the team's scoring last year.

Hammon is likely out until July with a broken middle finger, while Young may be lost for the year due to an ACL tear she suffered while playing in China during the offseason.

"You look at our team, and you take two kids out, Sophia Young and Becky Hammon, and it pushes a couple kids up," coach Dan Hughes said. "The other kids now kind of slide into that bench situation. This is a young team that is still learning roles a little bit."

San Antonio could have the benefit of rest, having been idle for three days while Los Angeles (2-2) is coming off a 97-81 loss at Phoenix on Friday.

The Sparks, who had limited their first three opponents to an average of 73.7 points, let the Mercury shoot 50.0 percent from the field.

"I'm disappointed with the loss, but I'm more disappointed with the way we played," coach Carol Ross said. "There wasn't a whole lot of fight, we didn't handle adversity well and we were not resilient. It's disappointing to not just lose, but lose in that way."

Kristi Toliver led Los Angeles with 18 points while Candace Parker added 15.

Parker had 27 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks in the teams' first meeting, but Los Angeles had a three-game winning streak in the series snapped. Johnson scored a team-high 19 for the Silver Stars.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday, June 15

Game Score Status Pick Amount

San Antonio - 10:30 PM ET San Antonio +9 500

Los Angeles - Over 158.5 500 POD # 1

 

[CNOTES]

Fever-Mystics Preview

Posted Jun 15 2013 3:11PM

Even after President Barack Obama praised the Indiana Fever for their 2012 WNBA championship, Tamika Catchings couldn't help but lament the team's early struggles in 2013.

It's been quite the opposite for the surprising Washington Mystics.

The defending champs look to end a four-game skid while putting a damper on Washington's best start in three years Sunday in the nation's capital.

Indiana visited the White House on Friday to celebrate the team's first title, but Catchings had a business-like mentality soon after the event. The Fever (1-4) are off to their worst start since 2001 after falling 73-61 to Connecticut on Wednesday.

"Right now, our backs are against the wall," Catchings said. "We've got a lot of players injured and a lot of players out, but it's a motivating factor being (at the White House) and having this opportunity. We have to get refocused.''

All-Star Katie Douglas hasn't played since May 31, while Jessica Davenport, Erin Phillips and Jeanette Pohlen have yet to take the court this season.

It's uncertain if Douglas will be able to go Sunday.

Shavonte Zellous, averaging a team-best 18.4 points, scored 14 and Catchings added 11 on Wednesday as Indiana shot a season-worst 34.3 percent. It's averaging 70.4 points, second worst in the WNBA.

"We are just missing too many open shots. We are beat up," coach Lin Dunn said. "We're not clicking on all cylinders. We had mental breakdowns by our younger players.''

While the Fever continue to struggle, the Mystics are surging after winning only five games last season.

First-year coach Mike Thibault has Washington (3-1) off to its best start since winning the first three games of 2010. The Mystics beat defending Western Conference champion Minnesota 85-80 last Saturday.

"We have a chance to get on a little bit of a roll if we can get a win on Sunday," Thibault said.

The coach's biggest contribution may have been convincing free-agent guard Ivory Latta to sign with Washington during the offseason. Latta scored 24 points in the last contest and ranks second in the league averaging 20.5 while adding a team-best 4.5 assists per game.

Monique Currie, who scored a season-best 23 points against Minnesota, suffered through last year's 5-29 effort and sees many differences in this squad.

``We're more than halfway to our total wins from last year just four games in,'' Currie said. "We've been working hard and we deserve to finally kind of change the tide of what has been happening here. We're a lot more attentive, a lot more focused and I think we believe in ourselves a little bit more than we did last year.''

Washington hasn't won three straight since 2010.

The Fever took three of four from the Mystics last season.

 

[CNOTES]

Sky-Dream Preview

Posted Jun 15 2013 2:07PM

International obligations have left the Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream without a top player, but each squad's respective star has helped make the absences a bit easier.

Elena Delle Donne leads the top offensive team in the Eastern Conference against Angel McCoughtry and the Dream, best in the WNBA on defense, as the Sky visit Atlanta on Sunday.

Epiphanny Prince was leading Chicago with 20.7 points per game when she left earlier this month to help the Russian national team in its quest to qualify for the world championships.

Delle Donne, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 draft, stepped up in the Sky's second game without Prince. She scored 23 points and hit two free throws with 1.8 seconds remaining as Chicago (4-1) beat San Antonio 72-70 last Sunday.

"I'm definitely trying to be a little more aggressive, get some double-teams, and get other people open (while Prince isn't playing)," Delle Donne said.

The rookie is fourth in the league with 19.4 points a contest while ranking third with 2.6 blocks.

``We've all been talking about it and the word that we've all used is unique skill set for somebody 6-5, and poise,'' coach Pokey Chatman said.

Delle Donne and center Sylvia Fowles, averaging 13.4 points while leading the WNBA in rebounding at 14.8 per game, have helped the Sky average a conference-best 84.2 points per contest.

They'll likely be in for a tough challenge Sunday, though, as the Dream (5-1) are holding opponents to an average of 68.7 points.

Atlanta played its first of six games Friday without leading rebounder and second-leading scorer Sancho Lyttle, who is competing with Spain's national team overseas.

McCoughtry, the top scorer in the WNBA last season who's averaging 18.8 points this year, scored 23 to go with nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals in a 68-59 win over Seattle on Friday.

Le'Coe Willingham started in Lyttle's place and grabbed eight boards.

``We played Dream basketball - forcing turnovers, contesting shots and running our offense up-tempo,'' McCoughtry said. ``Sancho is a great player, but while she's gone, other people have a chance to step up.''

Atlanta has three players ranked in the top four in the league in steals per game. McCoughtry leads the WNBA with 3.7, followed by teammate Armintie Herrington at 3.4. Lyttle is tied for third with Indiana's Tamika Catchings at 2.8.

``This is a good team, but we can get a lot better,'' McCoughtry said. ``There's a lot of stuff to clean up, but we're off to a pretty good start.''

The Dream went 3-2 in five meetings with the Sky last season. McCoughtry and Fowles each played in four, with McCoughtry scoring 25.0 points per game and Fowles averaging 19.0 points and 10.8 rebounds.

 

[CNOTES]

Mercury-Shock Preview

Posted Jun 15 2013 4:41PM

Despite rookie star Brittney Griner being hobbled, the Phoenix Mercury have bounced back from their rough start behind solid performances from their veterans.

First-year guard Skylar Diggins is having trouble finding her touch with the struggling Tulsa Shock.

Visiting Phoenix looks to win a third straight contest while dealing Tulsa its third consecutive defeat Sunday.

Griner, the center taken No. 1 overall in this year's draft, missed an 82-67 victory over Indiana on June 8 and had her minutes limited during Friday's 97-81 win over Los Angeles due to a sprained knee.

Diana Taurasi helped picked up the slack in each contest. She scored 26 points against the Fever as the Mercury (2-3) ended a three-game losing streak before hitting five 3-pointers in a 34-point effort versus the Sparks.

Fifth-year wing DeWanna Bonner also had back-to-back solid games, scoring 24 points and adding 11 boards against Indiana before recording 23 and 12 on Friday.

``It's not rocket science, it's not brain surgery, it's not making borscht, it's just basketball,'' said Taurasi, who added seven assists and six rebounds Friday. ``We've had a lot of people play well.''

Taurasi has averaged 27.0 points over her last three to increase her league-best scoring average to 21.8.

"Diana leads the way and we follow," said forward Charde Houston, who scored 15 points Friday. "When she plays like that, it lifts everyone up."

The Mercury have increased the tempo lately with Griner, who hit all five of her shots for 10 points while adding four blocks in 15 minutes, nursing her injury.

``We're going to go back and do what we do best and that's organized chaos,'' coach Corey Gaines said. ``That's all that is. (Taurasi is) on another level right now."

Diggins, the No. 3 overall pick this year, is trying to raise her level of play as the Shock (1-6) continue to struggle. She's shooting 27.0 percent on the season and has scored 13 points while hitting four of 17 shots over her last two games.

Tulsa fell 83-74 to Minnesota on Friday despite 22 points and nine rebounds from Glory Johnson and 18 points from Candace Wiggins. Diggins missed her first five field-goal attempts before hitting a bucket with 3:47 remaining.

The Shock and Mercury split four meetings last season. Taurasi played less than 10 minutes in the first matchup and missed the final three while dealing with a strained left hip flexor.

 

[CNOTES]

Storm-Sun Preview

Posted Jun 15 2013 7:32PM

While the Seattle Storm continue to search for ways to ignite their struggling offense, the short-handed Connecticut Sun hope an extended home stretch will help them get back on track.

Two teams near the bottom of their respective conferences again look to improve their early season play Sunday.

Seattle (1-3) ranks last in the WNBA in scoring (65.3 points per game), field-goal percentage (39.1) and 3-point percentage (25.0). Since beating Phoenix 75-72 on June 2, the Storm have failed to score 60 in back-to-back losses.

They were outscored 17-4 in the third quarter and shot 33.9 percent overall in Friday's 68-59 defeat at Atlanta.

"We're going to have to just keep fighting," said veteran forward Tina Thompson, who matched Temeka Johnson with a team-high 11 points. "We're not going to give in. Just going to keep fighting. Keep working, getting better, executing. I think that if we continue to focus on that then we'll be OK."

On a positive note, Seattle went 7 of 19 (36.8 percent) from beyond the arc against the Dream after missing all 17 of its 3-point attempts during a 67-58 loss to Tulsa on June 7.

"We just have to be aggressive," Johnson said. "Take what we want, not what people give us."

Tanisha Wright averages a team-leading 11.3 points, but she's totaled 14 on 5-of-19 shooting in the last two games.

She managed 18 points on 38.1 percent shooting while the Storm split their two meetings with Connecticut in 2012.

Camille Little scored 27 and Thompson added 20 as Seattle shot 52.3 percent to snap a nine-game road skid to the Sun with an 89-83 win July 1. The Storm have won four of seven against Connecticut since losing seven straight in the series.

Connecticut (2-4) has played four of its first six on the road, but begins a stretch of four in a row and six of seven at home. The Sun have split their first two home games.

Since opening with an 81-69 win over New York on May 25, the Sun have averaged 70.0 points while losing four of five. Ending that slide likely won't be easy with key reserve Tan White (broken finger) set to miss a fourth straight contest and Renee Montgomery (sprained ankle) her fifth in a row.

Allison Hightower scored 17 and Kara Lawson added 16, but Connecticut failed to hold an 11-point third-quarter lead in Friday's 78-68 loss to the Liberty.

"The Liberty looked like a team that really got after it in the second half," said coach Anne Donovan, whose team was outscored 54-35 over the final two quarters.

Tina Charles ranks among the league leaders with 19.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, but the Sun center went 3 for 17 from the field while being held to season lows of seven points and four boards Friday.

 

[CNOTES]

Sunday, June 16

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Indiana - 2:00 PM ET Washington -2 500
Washington - Over 142.5 500 POD # 4

Chicago - 3:00 PM ET Chicago +4 500 POD # 2
Atlanta - Over 155 500

Phoenix - 4:30 PM ET Tulsa +6 500
Tulsa - Over 169.5 500 POD # 3

Seattle - 5:00 PM ET Connecticut -8.5 500 POD # 1
Connecticut - Under 143.5 500

 

[CNOTES]

WNBA
Dunkel

Washington at Seattle
The Mystics look to build on their 4-1 ATS record in their last 5 games against a team with a losing record. Washington is the pick (+5) according to Dunkel, which has the Storm favored by only 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Washington (+5). Here are all of today's picks

TUESDAY, JUNE 18

Game 651-652: Washington at Seattle (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 106.851; Seattle 109.471
Dunkel Line & Total: Seattle by 2 1/2; 145
Vegas Line & Total: Seattle by 5; 140 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+5); Over




WNBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, June 18

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WASHINGTON (4 - 1) at SEATTLE (2 - 3) - 6/18/2013, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 229-282 ATS (-81.2 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 143-185 ATS (-60.5 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
SEATTLE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 22-41 ATS (-23.1 Units) off an upset win as an underdog since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 3-1 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
SEATTLE is 4-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Tuesday, June 18

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Trend Report
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10:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Washington's last 11 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Seattle's last 9 games when playing Washington
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington

 

[CNOTES]

Mystics-Storm Preview

Posted Jun 17 2013 3:52PM

With back-to-back victories over last season's WNBA finalists, the Washington Mystics have a chance to match last season's win total.

They'll have to end a seven-game skid in Seattle against the Storm for that to happen Tuesday night.

After defeating Minnesota 85-80 on June 8, Washington (4-1) extended its winning streak to three with Sunday's 64-60 victory over defending champion Indiana.

The Mystics, a league-worst 5-29 last season, have won all of their games by five points or fewer to jump out to their quickest start since opening a franchise-best 7-1 in 2002.

"We're pulling out games,'' said Crystal Langhorne, who scored all 16 of her points in the second half Sunday. "The past few years in the last five minutes of a game, we would lose it. This year we're showing a whole different mentality. We're closing out games."

Washington is also getting the job done outside the nation's capital, winning both times after finishing 1-16 as the road team in 2012. The Mystics can match the second-longest road winning streak in team history - the record is four in 2007 - as they begin a three-game trip.

Washington, though, is winless in Seattle since 2005 after falling 72-55 in its last visit June 24.

The Storm (2-3) have won four straight overall in this series, but this team is still searching for an identity with stars Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson out for the season with injuries.

"Our mindset is to fight through everything,'' Camille Little said after scoring 15 points with nine rebounds and five assists in Sunday's 78-66 road win over Connecticut. "You can make excuses if you want, but nobody cares if Sue and Lauren aren't playing. Nobody cares what may or may not be going on with our team. We have to believe in ourselves and fight through everything, and tonight we showed that.''

The Storm are also showing they can clamp down on defense, holding their last two opponents to a combined 41.4 percent from the field.

"We were aggressive (defensively), and it sparked our offense," Little said.

Seattle, averaging a league-low 67.8 points, shot a season-best 51.4 percent against the Sun after hitting a season-low 33.9 percent in its previous game, a 68-59 loss at Atlanta on Friday.

Veteran forward Tina Thompson, the Storm's leading scorer (12.2 ppg) and rebounder (5.0), averaged 8.5 points and 2.0 boards against Washington in 2012.

Langhorne had 41 points and 16 rebounds in those contests to lead all players.

Mystics guard Ivory Latta, a teammate of Seattle's Temeka Johnson in Tulsa last season, is among the WNBA's best with 19.8 points per contest. She's shooting 48.7 percent, including an 8-for-14 effort from 3-point range, in the team's longest undefeated stretch since a six-game winning streak to end 2010.

"The chemistry is building,'' Latta said.

Another victory would pull first-year Mystics coach Mike Thibault into a tie with Van Chancellor for the most wins in league history with 211.

 

[CNOTES]

[h=3]Tuesday, June 18[/h]

Game	Score	Status	Pick	Amount
Washington	-	10:00 PM ET	Washington +4	500 POD # 1
Seattle	-		Under 139.5	500 POD # 2

 

[CNOTES]

Lynx-Mercury Preview

Posted Jun 18 2013 3:43PM

Less the two weeks ago, the Minnesota Lynx routed Phoenix behind a solid performance from Maya Moore, sending the Mercury to a third consecutive defeat.

Diana Taurasi is a big reason Phoenix hasn't lost since.

The league's two highest-scoring teams go head to head as the Mercury seek a fourth straight victory when they host Minnesota on Wednesday night.

Moore scored 22 points and the Lynx (4-1) recorded an assist on 30 of their 36 field goals in a 99-79 home victory over Phoenix on June 6.

Taurasi scored 21 points in that contest, beginning a streak of four straight 20-point games that is her longest since a nine-game run in August 2011. She's averaged 27.5 points during her current run after netting 29 in Sunday's 108-103 overtime win at Tulsa.

The veteran guard also finished with nine rebounds and nine assists, falling just short of the WNBA's first triple-double since 2005. DeWanna Bonner scored 23 points and Candice Dupree added 20 and 10 rebounds.

"When the game is on the line, hopefully you can make plays,'' said Taurasi, who leads the league with 23.0 points per game. "We had so many people making shots."

Phoenix (3-3) has won each of its three games since falling to Minnesota despite No. 1 overall pick Brittney Griner playing limited minutes in the last two after she missed an 82-67 victory over Indiana on June 8 due to a knee sprain.

Griner scored 16 points and added five blocks in 23 minutes Sunday.

"I wanted to utilize the minutes I had," Griner told the team's official website. "I had limited minutes per quarter so I wanted to go in and do something. I didn't want to go in and not be a factor."

The Mercury's 86.3 points per game rank second in the WNBA to Minnesota's 87.8, and they may have their hands full again with Moore, who is averaging 19.8 points to rank among the league leaders.

She struggled in Minnesota's 83-74 win over Tulsa on Friday, though, shooting 4 for 12 and scoring 10 points. Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen helped pick up the slack, scoring 19 and 17 points, respectively.

"For sure, we do like when we can take some pressure off Maya,'' coach Cheryl Reeve said. "It's what we do as a team.''

Brunson may not get the same notoriety as players like Moore and Seimone Augustus, who scored 19 points in the first meeting with Phoenix, but Reeve said the opposition is very aware of her talent.

"I think she's under the radar as far as media types, but for opposing coaches, she's a big, big part of every scouting report," Reeve said. "Everybody understands how good she is. I don't think she really cares much; she just goes about her business."

Brunson had only four points but added 10 rebounds in the first meeting with the Mercury, who got 18 points from Bonner and 16 - including a dunk - from Griner.

Phoenix is averaging 95.7 points during its winning streak compared to 77.0 in its three losses.

 

[CNOTES]

Wednesday, June 19

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Minnesota - 10:00 PM ET Phoenix +3 500 POD # 2

Phoenix - Over 175 500 POD # 1

 

[CNOTES]

Sky-Shock Preview

Posted Jun 19 2013 4:30PM

After losing two of three without her, the struggling Chicago Sky could get Epiphanny Prince back in the lineup Thursday.

The Sky's high-scoring guard might return as her team looks to avoid a third straight road loss Thursday against the struggling Tulsa Shock.

While Prince fulfilled her overseas obligations to the Russian national team, Chicago (4-2) split two games against San Antonio before falling 88-74 at Atlanta on Sunday. The Sky committed 17 turnovers to give them 36 over the past two games.

"You have to handle the ball better than that, especially against a team like Atlanta,'' coach Pokey Chatman said.

Though Russia has failed to advance in EuroBasket tournament play, it's uncertain whether Prince will be able to return in time for the Thursday tip in Tulsa.

Prince scored a game-high 19 in a 92-71 home win over the Shock (1-7) on June 2 in her most recent WNBA game. She's averaging a career-high 20.7 points and 56.8 percent shooting while making 10 of 19 from 3-point range.

Chicago has scored 93.3 per game in its three contests with Prince as opposed to 71.7 in its last three.

A bright spot during Prince's absence has been rookie Elena Delle Donne, who has stepped up her game. Delle Donne had a then-career high 23 points in a 72-70 home win over San Antonio on June 9 before scoring 25 on Sunday.

She is second in the WNBA with 20.3 points per game.

Center Sylvia Fowles, tops in the league in rebounding at 14.0 per game, had 13 to help the Sky to a 40-25 advantage on the boards in the June meeting with Tulsa.

Led by point guard Courtney Vandersloot, Chicago limited Shock rookie Skylar Diggins to eight points and 3-of-10 shooting in that contest.

Diggins, though, is coming off her best performance of the season, scoring 22 points with eight assists in a 108-103 overtime loss to Phoenix on Sunday. Teammate Glory Johnson had 32 points and 15 rebounds while reserve guard Riquna Williams scored 28.

Williams has gone 8 for 11 from 3-point range in her last two games.

"I've been in the gym a lot lately," she said. "The coaches told me they wanted me to shoot 3s and that's what I've done.''

Each of the Shock's three straight losses have come by single digits, with two of the past three going to overtime.

While Tulsa is giving up 86.0 points per game, it's forcing 16.1 turnovers a contest.

 

[CNOTES]

Thursday, June 20

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Chicago - 12:30 PM ET Tulsa +5.5 500 POD # 1


Tulsa - Over 161 500 POD # 2

 

[CNOTES]

Storm-Silver Stars Preview

Posted Jun 20 2013 4:32PM

After a challenging start to the season, the Seattle Storm may be starting to establish an identity without their stars.

The San Antonio Silver Stars, however, don't appear to be adjusting as well to their rash of injuries.

The Storm seek their third straight victory overall and 13th win in 16 meetings with the Silver Stars on Friday night in San Antonio.

With key players Sue Bird (knee) and Lauren Jackson (hamstring) out for the season with injuries, Seattle (3-3) opened the season 1-3 and suffered those defeats by an average of 17.0 points.

The Storm, though, have regrouped with double-digit victories over Connecticut and Washington to even up their record as they open a stretch of six of seven on the road.

Although she's set to retire at season's end, 38-year-old Tina Thompson has given the short-handed Storm a lift with team highs of 15.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

The veteran forward hit five 3-pointers and finished with season highs of 30 points and eight rebounds to lead Seattle to a 96-86 overtime win over the Mystics on Tuesday.

"She's a winner and she's proven that,'' Seattle coach Brian Agler said. "It's nice for us and our fans and our players to have her on our team so we can enjoy this and see her at her best.''

Teammate Tanisha Wright added 17 points and is second on the Storm with 12.5 per game.

Since averaging 65.3 points during their slow start, the Storm have scored 87.0 per game in their last two victories.

They'll try to continue that production against a San Antonio team that was swept in a three-game road trip and is third-worst in defensive scoring in the WNBA at 78.2 points per game.

Injuries have taken their toll on the Silver Stars (2-4), who lost 84-48 at Los Angeles on Saturday without leading rebounder Jayne Appel (undisclosed) and last year's leading scorers Becky Hammon (broken finger) and Sophia Young (ACL tear).

The Silver Stars were outscored 46-20 in the paint and their season-worst 25 turnovers led to 27 points for the Sparks.

"When you're turning the ball over to a team that loves to run and they have the players to run, then we're sitting ducks," said forward DeLisha Milton-Jones.

The lack of depth has plagued the Silver Stars, who have been outscored 101-56 in the second half of their last two losses.

Shenise Johnson (11.5 ppg), Danielle Adams (11.2), Jia Perkins (11.0) and Danielle Robinson (10.2) are averaging in double figures, but San Antonio is 11th in the league in scoring at 69.7 points per game.

The Silver Stars won both their home games last season against the Storm by a combined 37 points.

 

[CNOTES]

Mystics-Mercury Preview

Posted Jun 20 2013 1:25PM

The Phoenix Mercury and Washington Mystics were two of the league's hottest teams heading into their last contests, but humbling defeats made both realize they have plenty to improve upon.

Phoenix seeks a fourth victory in five tries versus visiting Washington as the teams meet Friday night.

The Mercury (3-4) had won three straight before falling to defending Western Conference champion Minnesota 80-69 on Wednesday. They averaged 95.7 points during their winning streak but were held to 34.4 percent shooting in the defeat.

DeWanna Bonner had one of the worst games of her career, going 0 for 13 from the field and scoring just four points for Phoenix, which was outrebounded 17-6 on the offensive glass and 48-26 overall.

It was outscored 24-9 while shooting 2 of 13 in the fourth quarter.

"Every shot they missed, they got the ball back 46 percent of the time," coach Corey Gaines told the team's official website. "It just killed us. We can't have that. Even with the bad shooting we were up in the game. You don't have to score when you get the ball but you can't give them the ball back when you get those rebounds."

Diana Taurasi continued her hot stretch, though, scoring 28 points. She's averaging 27.6 during her run of five-straight 20-point games, and the five-time All-Star leads the league in scoring at 23.7 points per game.

"When it's clicking, it's clicking," Taurasi said. "There were stretches where we were doing really well. We were up going in the fourth and then they turned it up. It's a good lesson for us."

Taurasi missed both of last season's meetings due to injury with Washington (4-2), which had its three-game winning streak snapped with a 96-86 overtime loss to Seattle on Tuesday.

The Mystics had allowed an average of 67.3 points during their winning streak. They allowed 47 in the first half but clawed back into the game in the second to get to overtime.

``I thought we gave ourselves a chance to win by getting back into the game with our defense,'' coach Mike Thibault said. ``But then we made crucial mistakes and they took advantage of it. We have only ourselves to blame for that.''

Crystal Langhorne scored a season-high 23 points, but Ivory Latta finished with only nine and six assists. Latta attempted a season-low seven shots after averaging 13.6 attempts and 19.8 points over her first five games.

Latta seemingly has a solid chance to bounce back, as Phoenix is allowing a league-worst 86.7 points per game.

The Mercury and Mystics split last season's meetings, and Langhorne scored 22 points to help Washington snap Phoenix's three-game winning streak in the series with a 90-77 win July 1.

Charde Houston scored 26 points and Bonner added 19 in that contest for the Mercury.

 

[CNOTES]

Lynx-Sparks Preview

Posted Jun 20 2013 3:29PM

The Minnesota Lynx clinched their second straight Western Conference championship the last time they faced the Los Angeles Sparks, who will have multiple opportunities coming up to obtain some measure of revenge.

Minnesota concludes a stretch of three straight road games Friday night against the Los Angeles Sparks in the first of three meetings in 12 days.

The Lynx (5-1), leading the WNBA with 86.5 points per game, have won three in a row after beating Phoenix 80-69 on Wednesday. Maya Moore scored 26 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds for Minnesota, which outscored the Mercury 24-9 in the fourth quarter.

"I am so blessed to be playing on this team. We play for each other," said Moore, second in the league with 20.8 points a game. "When we get into tough situations, we want to make sure we don't let each other down. We do it together, and that's why it's so fulfilling and why we're able to do it consistently."

The Lynx have won by an average of 14.2 points, though they may have a much more difficult time dispatching the Sparks (3-2).

After the teams split four regular-season meetings last year, Minnesota beat Los Angeles 80-79 in Game 2 of the conference finals to sweep the series. Seimone Augustus scored 21 points in the finale and Moore added 20 to help overcome 33 points and 15 rebounds from Candace Parker.

The Lynx will host the teams' next matchup June 28th before visiting Los Angeles again July 2.

"It's another road test," Moore said. "We're the top teams in the West right now and every game is going to be a battle. They have a lot of talent. I'm excited, anxious to play them for the first time this season."

The feeling may be mutual for Los Angeles after an 84-48 win over San Antonio on Saturday. Nneka Ogwumike scored 16 points while Parker and Kristi Toliver added 13 points and six assists apiece.

The Sparks held the Silver Stars to 30.2 percent shooting in bouncing back after suffering a 16-point loss at Phoenix the night before.

"It's not this game, it's the next game that's going to tell us if this is a trend or if this is just a one-game thing," Parker said. " So right now you're just trying to figure out which team is going to show up (Friday) - the team from Phoenix or the team from (Saturday). We just have to make sure it's a positive trend, for sure.''

It's uncertain if guard Lindsey Harding will be able to play against Minnesota after she sat out the last contest with a right eye contusion suffered against the Mercury.

 

[CNOTES]

Friday, June 21

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Seattle - 8:00 PM ET Seattle +5.5 500 POD # 2
San Antonio - Under 143.5 500

Washington - 10:00 PM ET Washington +7 500 POD # 1
Phoenix - Over 166 500 POD # 4

Minnesota - 11:00 PM ET Minnesota +3.5 500 POD # 3
Los Angeles - Over 166.5 500

 

[CNOTES]

Sky-Fever Preview

Posted Jun 21 2013 5:45PM

The Indiana Fever continue to struggle, and the injury-plagued WNBA champions will have to continue fighting through the tough times without Katie Douglas and Jessica Davenport.

Others, like Tamika Catchings, have had plenty of success against the Chicago Sky, though.

Indiana seeks a seventh straight win in the series as Chicago looks to avoid a fourth consecutive road defeat Saturday night.

The Fever (1-5) have battled multiple injuries and have looked nothing like the team that won last season's title. Guards Erin Phillips (torn right meniscus) and Jeanette Pohlen (torn left ACL) have been out, while Douglas has missed four games with a bulging disc in her lower back.

The team announced Friday that Davenport will miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture of her left tibia. Douglas, who averaged 17.5 points in the two games she played, is expected to miss several more weeks for extra rest and therapy.

Catchings and Shavonte Zellous have done their best to keep Indiana afloat, though the Fever fell 64-60 to Washington on Sunday. Zellous scored 17 points and Catchings added 16 for the Fever, who rank last in the WNBA at 68.7 points per game.

"We put ourselves in a position to win the game even though we didn't get over the hump," Catchings said.

Catchings leads the team with 18.2 points per game, but the play of Zellous in Douglas' absence has impressed coach Lin Dunn. She's averaged 18.2 points over the last six games.

"(Zellous) is probably our best perimeter player as far as just looking for her shot and being ready to take it," Dunn said. "She's not getting out of whack. She's not going too fast. She's not forcing the situation. She kind of has a calmness about her that just comes from experience."

Zellous is aware, though, that Catchings and Douglas, when healthy, are going to get the majority of the touches.

"At the end of the day, this is still Katie's and Catch's team," Zellous said. "But right now, we're down a few of our star players. I just give credit to my teammates for finding me and giving me the ball."

In her third season with Indiana, Zellous has been around for a good portion of the team's success versus Chicago, though Catchings has experienced all of it. The Fever are 24-5 against the Sky, including a five-game sweep last season.

Chicago (4-3) has dropped three straight road games and has lost three of four overall after its 3-0 start. It fell 83-74 at Tulsa on Thursday despite the return of Epiphanny Prince, who scored 13 points after missing the previous three while playing for the Russian national team.

Sylvia Fowles finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds while rookie Elena Delle Donne added 14 points.

"They were more physical and had us on our heels,'' coach Pokey Chatman said after her team committed 15 turnovers. "They beat us in the toughness areas. If there was a loose ball, they were getting it. They played hard.''

Fowles averaged 18.4 points versus Indiana last season.

 

[CNOTES]

Storm-Shock Preview

Posted Jun 22 2013 12:26AM

A lineup change sparked the Tulsa Shock to their first home win of the season earlier this week.

With Nicole Powell likely starting once again, the Shock will try to record their second victory in as many matchups against the streaking Seattle Storm on Saturday night.

With his team off to another lackluster start, Tulsa coach Gary Kloppenburg gave Powell her first start of the 2013 on Thursday. She responded with a season-high 18 points and eight rebounds in an 83-74 win over Chicago.

"When you're 1-7, you have to do something to shake things up," Kloppenburg said. "Nicole is a former All-Star who can shoot the ball very well. It was time to make that change and get her in the starting lineup."

Riquna Williams also shined once again off the bench by scoring a team-best 21 points after putting up a career-high 28, including six 3-pointers, in a 108-103 overtime loss to Phoenix on Sunday. Williams is averaging 17.0 points and has done her best to help the Shock (2-7) overcome injuries to leading scorer Liz Cambage (ankle) and Tiffany Jackson-Jones (leg).

Prior to Thursday, Tulsa's only other win came against Seattle on June 7. Williams sat out with an undisclosed injury and star rookie Skylar Diggins scored six of her 12 points in the final 2:21 of a 67-58 victory to snap a 10-game skid in the series.

Diggins, who made three of her eight shots in that game, is shooting just 29.5 percent this season and is 4 of 21 (19.0 percent) from 3-point range. The point guard, though, had a career-best 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting in the loss to Phoenix.

She missed five of six shots against Chicago and finished with five points.

Seattle continued to show that it's adjusting without a pair of star players in Friday's 91-86 victory at San Antonio - its third win in a row. Camille Little had season highs of 23 points and 10 rebounds while Tina Thompson scored 10 of her 21 points in the final 5:07.

Thompson, the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, had a season-high 30 points in a 96-86 victory against Washington on Tuesday and a team-best 17 in the loss to Tulsa.

The 17-year veteran is giving the Storm a huge lift with the absences of Lauren Jackson (hamstring) and Sue Bird (knee). Seattle started 1-3 without those players and dropped its first two road games before winning its past two.

"I think we disappointed ourselves in the start, and we didn't play to the best of our abilities," Little said. "We knew we were better than that, and so we've just focused as a group so we can play better on both ends of the floor. We've been doing that, and we're going to try to continue doing that."

The Storm (4-3) have won five straight in Tulsa, and Little scored a career-high 28 points in Seattle's most recent game there, an 89-66 win Sept. 8.