Cnotes August WNBA Best Bets + Pod's

[CNOTES]

WNBA
Dunkel

Phoenix at Minnesota
The Mercury look to open the series and build on their 8-2 ATS record in their last 10 games against a team with a winning SU record. Phoenix is the pick (+9) according to Dunkel, which has the Lynx favored by only 6 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+9). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

Game 601-602: Indiana at Atlanta (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 113.835; Atlanta 108.384
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 5 1/2; 137
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 3; 142
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+3); Under

Game 603-604: Phoenix at Minnesota (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 113.497; Minnesota 120.028
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 6 1/2; 164
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 9; 158 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+9); Over




WNBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, September 26

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INDIANA (18 - 18) at ATLANTA (19 - 18) - 9/26/2013, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 93-130 ATS (-50.0 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
INDIANA is 35-55 ATS (-25.5 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.
ATLANTA is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in home games after scoring 75 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 11-8 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 12-7 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
10 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHOENIX (21 - 16) at MINNESOTA (28 - 8) - 9/26/2013, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 26-44 ATS (-22.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 20-34 ATS (-17.4 Units) in August or September games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 15-31 ATS (-19.1 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 17-28 ATS (-13.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 21-35 ATS (-17.5 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
MINNESOTA is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in home games this season.
MINNESOTA is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) in August or September games this season.
MINNESOTA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.
MINNESOTA is 16-8 ATS (+7.2 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
MINNESOTA is 33-18 ATS (+13.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games this season.
PHOENIX is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games this season.
PHOENIX is 40-23 ATS (+14.7 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 11-5 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 14-2 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Thursday, September 26

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
INDIANA vs. ATLANTA
Indiana is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana
Atlanta is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Indiana
See more trends!

9:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. MINNESOTA
Phoenix is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games
Minnesota is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Fever (16-18) at Dream (17-17)
Date: September 26, 2013 7:00 PM EDT

For the fifth straight year, the Eastern Conference will be represented in the WNBA finals by either the Indiana Fever or Atlanta Dream. One of them will be a win away from that familiar stage after Thursday night's opener of this best-of-three series in Atlanta.
Still, the conference finals can be viewed as a matchup of teams that weren't taken quite as seriously as years past entering the postseason.
While the second-seeded Dream began the playoffs having lost 16 of 23, the fourth-seeded Fever were the only team to qualify for the postseason with a losing record (16-18).
"What we did in the regular season really doesn't matter," Indiana coach Lin Dunn said after her team's first-round sweep of top-seeded Chicago. "I think the upper hand we had was experience. Postseason experience, championship experience. Don't underestimate the value of that."
While the Sky might have lacked that ingredient, the Fever's next opponent does not.
The Dream host Game 1 looking to advance to the finals for the third time in four seasons for a crack at the title that eluded them in 2010 and 2011.
The Fever are trying to defend last year's championship, albeit on quite a different kind of run after finishing the 2012 regular season 10 games over .500.
The teams met in the first round last year. Indiana dropped the series opener before scoring a season-best 103 points in Game 2 and closing out Atlanta at home in Game 3.
"They are a tough team that doesn't beat itself," Dream coach Fred Williams said. "They have some veteran players and they are a team that is going to come after you on the boards."
Atlanta was the team in the first round this year to face elimination in consecutive games after dropping Game 1 to Washington. The Dream took Game 2 with a strong defensive and rebounding effort, then won 80-72 on Monday to close out the Mystics.
It was their first shooting night over 40 percent since their second-to-last regular-season game Sept. 13 at Chicago.
"In the first game, we didn't have a sense of urgency," WNBA scoring champ Angel McCoughtry said. "(In Games 2 and 3), everyone played with so much heart. It was definitely a big difference, and that is what it takes to win a championship."
McCoughtry had 13 points and seven assists Monday, but the 4-for-19 shooting night was a continuation of a cold streak after she went 12 for 43 in the first two games of the series. She failed to score more than 20 points in any of those games after averaging 21.5 during the regular season.
Erika de Souza and Tiffany Hayes helped make up for her Game 3 struggles with 18 points apiece. De Souza averaged 13.7 rebounds in the series.
The Fever completed their sweep of the Sky on Sunday with a 79-57 win, matching their largest margin of victory of the season.
Tamika Catchings scored a game-high 18 and had a team-high 12 rebounds while Erlana Larkins added 14 points and 11 boards.
Atlanta won three of four in the regular-season series, including both home games by a combined 25 points.
McCoughtry scored 30 in the most recent matchup and de Souza added 17 with 15 rebounds as the Dream won 89-80 at home Sept. 4.
Catchings averaged 21.0 points in the season series.

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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD
Sep 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
IND 80 Over: 169
ATL « 89 Cover: 4.5
Tools: Recaps
Aug 10, 2013 Score ATS Results
ATL 66 Over: 146
IND « 80 Cover: 11.5
Tools: Recaps
Jun 25, 2013 Score ATS Results
IND 60 Under: 136
ATL « 76 Cover: 3
Tools: Recaps
May 31, 2013 Score ATS Results
ATL « 86 Cover: 14
IND 77 Over: 163
Tools: Recaps
Oct 2, 2012 Score ATS Results
ATL 64 Under: 139
IND « 75 Cover: 7
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Mercury (19-15) at Lynx (26-8)

Date: September 26, 2013 9:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Lynx appear to be a heavy favorite to advance to the WNBA Finals for a third straight year, especially considering their success against the Phoenix Mercury.
But they haven't seen the Mercury since they brought in coach Russ Pennell, whose emphasis on defense has them within two wins of their first Finals appearance in four seasons.
Minnesota can claim its 13th consecutive victory in the series as it hosts Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night.
The Lynx, who have won 10 of 11 overall and are 16-2 at home this season, won all five regular-season meetings against the Lynx, with three victories in Minneapolis coming by an average of 21.3 points. They swept the Mercury in the 2011 Western Conference finals on the way to winning the league title.
Phoenix's last victory in the series was an 85-80 final at home on Aug. 9, 2011.
The five meetings this year came before the calendar flipped to August.
The Mercury fired coach Corey Gaines and hired Pennell on Aug. 8, and Phoenix has since gone 11-5 while allowing 74.1 points per game. They were previously 10-11 while surrendering 84.7 points, including 86.6 in the regular-season series with Minnesota.
"Well, we haven't seen them since July 24," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told the team's website. "We can go by what we see on video and statistically and if you go by the coaching change and what they do differently. They are more focused on defense. They are going to challenge you to score from the outside."
Both teams used late go-ahead baskets to advance from the conference semifinals.
The Mercury secured a 78-77 win in Game 3 at second-seeded Los Angeles on Monday after Brittney Griner hit a turnaround jumper with 4.9 seconds left.
Griner's six points tied a low from the regular season - two days after she scored 18 in an 82-73 loss in Game 2.
She averaged 11.3 points and 7.7 rebounds while playing three times against Minnesota this year.
"I've seen her make that shot all year," said Diana Taurasi, whose 22.7 points per game against the Sparks were the league's second-most in the first round. "For her to be up-and-down all series and take that shot just tells you a lot about Brittney and how mentally strong she is. She's willing to do anything for this team to win."
The Lynx marched on with a 58-55 victory at Seattle on Sunday, wrapping up their series in two games. Seimone Augustus' jumper with 21.1 seconds left put Minnesota ahead for good.
Maya Moore - who finished runner-up in MVP voting to the Sparks' Candace Parker - finished with 22 points. Moore and teammate Lindsay Whalen were named to the All-WNBA first team on Wednesday while Augustus was selected to the second team.
"She's amazing," Moore said of Augustus. "We always have confidence in Seimone. She kind of took over in that last moment of being isolated on the wing and made a move and rose up and it went in and I did a silent fist pump."
------------------------------------------------------------
WNBA HEAD TO HEAD
Jul 24, 2013 Score ATS Results
PHO 69 Cover: 3.5
MIN « 81 Under: 150
Tools: Recaps

Jul 21, 2013 Score ATS Results
MIN « 82 Under: 159
PHO 77 Cover: 2
Tools: Recaps
Jul 7, 2013 Score ATS Results
PHO 59 Under: 150
MIN « 91 Cover: 25.5
Tools: Recaps
Jun 19, 2013 Score ATS Results
MIN « 80 Cover: 7.5
PHO 69 Under: 149
Tools: Recaps

Jun 6, 2013 Score ATS Results
PHO 79 Over: 178
MIN « 99 Cover: 9.5
Tools: Recaps

 

[varkeyboy]

Good luck today....for whatever reason, I feel like the PHO/MIN total is too low. Previously, their totals were always in the 170-180's.....I know players have changed and all......but these are 2 very dominant offensive teams.

 

[CNOTES]

Thursday, September 26

Game Score Status Pick Amount


Indiana - 7:00 PM ET Indiana +3.5 500 POD # 4


Atlanta - Over 142 500 POD # 3


Phoenix - 9:00 PM ET Phoenix +8 500 POD # 1


Minnesota - Under 159 500 POD # 2

 

[varkeyboy]

Let's have a POSITIVE night!

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Dream (17-17) at Fever (16-18)

Date: September 29, 2013 3:00 PM EDT


The Atlanta Dream are a win away from their third trip to the WNBA finals in four years, but they know very well a 1-0 lead in a best-of-three series guarantees nothing.

Winning either Game 2 or 3 would close out the Indiana Fever, but that's something the Dream couldn't do against the same team last season and something their first-round opponent this year failed to do.

The Fever will try to even the Eastern Conference finals Sunday in Indianapolis.

They were a game away from elimination in the first round against Atlanta last season but came back to win the next two games on their way to the WNBA title. One year earlier, Atlanta lost in Indiana to open the conference finals but won Games 2 and 3.

While Indiana swept Chicago in the opening round this year, the Dream won two elimination games against Washington while struggling to find their shot.

They found it in their 84-79 series-opening win Thursday night, hitting 53.3 percent from the floor while scoring 23 points off 17 Fever turnovers.

"They rely on steals and turnovers, which sparks their offense," said Indiana star Tamika Catchings, who had four turnovers. "We didn't do a good enough job moving the ball quickly. We didn't take the open shots and didn't drive the ball into the defense. But we'll be better come Sunday."

The Dream shot 33.7 percent from the floor in three games against Washington.

Tiffany Hayes led the offensive turnaround with a playoff career-high 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 3 for 6 from 3-point range. She even played through an ankle injury suffered in the third quarter.

"Like (teammate Armintie Herrington) said, you can't worry about injuries right now when you're trying to win a championship," said Hayes, who shot 37.5 percent in the first round.

Herrington also scored a playoff career high with 16 points while adding seven rebounds, five assists and four steals. Angel McCoughtry, the league's leading scorer during the regular season, had 18 points.

Game 1 featured 15 ties and 11 lead changes after all four regular-season meetings were decided by at least nine points. The Fever had a chance to tie it for a 16th time with 18 seconds remaining, but Shavonte Zellous' 3-pointer didn't fall.

While Zellous, Erlana Larkins and Karima Christmas each had 15 points for the Fever, Catchings matched her season average against the Dream with 21.

Indiana shot 48.3 percent, 9.0 percent higher than its league-low regular-season mark, which left coach Lin Dunn pointing to her team's defensive effort as the place for improvement in Game 2.

"They just drove it right at us, and we did not contain the dribbler," Dunn said. "It's one thing to make somebody pull up and take jump shots. But it's another thing to let them get to the rim. ... We know we can do better."

The Dream have now won four of five this year against the Fever. They split two regular-season games in Indiana.

Larkins and Atlanta's Erika de Souza are the only two remaining players averaging a postseason double-double.

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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Sep 26, 2013 Score ATS Results
IND 79 Over: 163
ATL « 84 Cover: 2
Tools: Recaps

Sep 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
IND 80 Over: 169
ATL « 89 Cover: 4.5
Tools: Recaps

Aug 10, 2013 Score ATS Results
ATL 66 Over: 146
IND « 80 Cover: 11.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 25, 2013 Score ATS Results
IND 60 Under: 136
ATL « 76 Cover: 3
Tools: Recaps

May 31, 2013 Score ATS Results
ATL « 86 Cover: 14
IND 77 Over: 163
Tools: Recaps

Oct 2, 2012 Score ATS Results
ATL 64 Under: 139
IND « 75 Cover: 7
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Lynx (26-8) at Mercury (19-15)

Date: September 29, 2013 5:00 PM EDT


Diana Taurasi's peck on Seimone Augustus' cheek provided a light-hearted moment in an otherwise uneventful Minnesota Lynx blowout victory over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Another lackluster performance could result in Phoenix kissing its season goodbye.

Minnesota looks to make it a perfect 7 for 7 against the Mercury this season while advancing to the WNBA finals for the third straight year with a road victory Sunday.

Taurasi and Augustus got a little too close as the two headed up court in the fourth quarter Thursday, resulting in double personal fouls. As an official stepped in to separate them, Taurasi kissed Augustus on the cheek, creating a video clip millions have viewed online.

"I had no idea it would catch fire like it did," Augustus said in a phone interview Saturday. "I guess I should've expected it when I woke up the next morning and saw ESPN had its little segment on sentimental smooches. But I didn't think it would reach this magnitude. It's great. I hope those 2.5 million views transfer over to the game.'

Though each joked about the incident - Augustus said they "talked about it and laughed it off" - the Mercury didn't find anything funny about the game's result. They trailed by as many as 31 before falling 85-62, creating a must-win situation for themselves in Game 2 at home.

Phoenix, which has lost all six meetings with Minnesota this season, shot 34.3 percent while the Lynx hit 53.1 percent from the field.

"That game's over," said Taurasi, who finished with a team-high 15 points. "Now we go home and try to win Game 2. We'll be ready."

Rookie Brittney Griner added 13 points and six boards.

"We understand what we have to do," Griner said. "We need our fans to be loud on Sunday like they have been all year. We'll make some adjustments and have fresher legs with a couple days off."

The Lynx were the league's highest-scoring team in the regular season at 82.8 points per game, while the Mercury gave up a WNBA-worst average of 80.3.

"Some nights, the ball doesn't go in the basket," Phoenix coach Russ Pennell said. "I was more disappointed in our defense than actually missing shots. I thought it was a combination of them guarding us well and us taking some quick shots that led to some fast breaks, and it was just kind of downhill from there."

In order to force a decisive Game 3, the Mercury will have to find a way to slow Augustus, Lindsay Whalen and Maya Moore. Whalen and Moore scored 20 points apiece while Augustus finished with 18.

Whalen, who joined Moore and Taurasi on the All-WNBA first team, scored 13 points while shooting 6 of 17 from the field in Minnesota's first-round sweep of Seattle.

"I thought she had a little more bounce in her step," coach Cheryl Reeve said. "Any time Lindsay struggles in a series you can bet she's going to come out the next series and really assert herself, and she did just that for us."

Pennell said his team can't be intimidated by the star power of the Lynx, especially with its season on the line.

"Sometimes you kind of get something in your head that maybe isn't true, and if you think about it long enough, you'll think it's true,' Pennell said. "I want to make sure they understand that Minnesota is beatable."

The Lynx have appeared in the last two WNBA finals. They beat the Mercury in the conference finals before winning the 2011 title, then fell to Indiana in last year's championship series.

Phoenix will need to win two straight to make its first finals appearance since winning the 2009 title.

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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Sep 26, 2013 Score ATS Results
PHO 62 Under: 147
MIN « 85 Cover: 15.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 24, 2013 Score ATS Results
PHO 69 Cover: 3.5
MIN « 81 Under: 150
Tools: Recaps

Jul 21, 2013 Score ATS Results
MIN « 82 Under: 159
PHO 77 Cover: 2
Tools: Recaps

Jul 7, 2013 Score ATS Results
PHO 59 Under: 150
MIN « 91 Cover: 25.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 19, 2013 Score ATS Results
MIN « 80 Cover: 7.5
PHO 69 Under: 149
Tools: Recaps

Jun 6, 2013 Score ATS Results
PHO 79 Over: 178
MIN « 99 Cover: 9.5
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Sunday, September 29

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Atlanta - 3:00 PM ET Atlanta +5 500 POD # 3

Indiana - Over 145.5 500 POD # 2


Minnesota - 5:00 PM ET Minnesota -2 500 POD # 4

Phoenix - Under 158.5 500 POD # 1

 

[CNOTES]

2013 WNBA Playoff Results

September 30, 2013


2012 Results
Betting Results
-- Road Teams are 9-5 Straight Up
-- Underdogs are 7-7 Straight Up
-- Underdogs are 8-6 Against the Spread
-- The 'Under' is 11-3


WNBA Finals

Sunday, Oct. 6

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Atlanta Minnesota - - -

Tuesday, Oct. 8

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Atlanta Minnesota - - -


Thursday, Oct. 10

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Minnesota Atlanta - - -

Sunday, Oct. 13

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Minnesota Atlanta - - -

Wednesday, Oct. 16

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Atlanta Minnesota - - -


Conference Finals

(2) Atlanta beat (4) Indiana 2-0
(1) Minnesota beat (3) Phoenix 2-0


Thursday, Sept. 26

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Indiana Atlanta (-3) 84-79 Favorite Over (144)

Phoenix Minnesota (-7.5) 85-62 Favorite Under (159)


Sunday, Sept. 29

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Atlanta (+5.5, +200) Indiana 67-53 Underdog Under (145)

Minnesota (-3.5) Phoenix 72-65 Favorite Under (156)

Conference Semifinals

(4) Indiana beat (1) Chicago 2-0
(2) Atlanta beat (3) Washington 2-1
(1) Minnesota beat (4) Seattle 2-0
(3) Phoenix beat (2) Los Angeles 2-1


Thursday, Sept. 19

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Washington (+7, +250) Atlanta 71-56 Underdog Under (151.5)

Phoenix (+7.5, +300) Los Angeles 86-75 Underdog Under (162.5)


Friday, Sept. 20

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Indiana (+7, +240) Chicago 85-72 Underdog Over (142.5)

Seattle Minnesota (-15) 80-64 Favorite Under (148.5)


Saturday, Sept. 21

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Atlanta (+2.5, +125) Washington 63-45 Underdog Under (148.5)

Los Angeles (+1, +105) Phoenix 82-73 Underdog Under (162)


Sunday, Sept. 22

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Chicago Indiana (-1.5) 79-57 Favorite Under (145.5)

Minnesota (-8.5) Seattle 58-55 Underdog Under (146.5)


Monday, Sept. 23

Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Washington Atlanta (-6.5) 80-72 Favorite Over (143.5)

Phoenix (+7, +260) Los Angeles 78-77 Underdog Under (161)


Winner Listed in Bold

 

[CNOTES]

Conference Finals Preview

September 26, 2013

Eastern Conference Finals
Best of Three Format (1-1-1)

(2) Atlanta Dream vs. (4) Indiana Fever

-- Dream (19-17 SU, 19-17 ATS)
-- Fever (18-18 SU, 17-19 ATS)
-- Dream won season series, 3-1

-- Atlanta won both home battles against Indiana
-- Three of four matchups finished 'over' the total

-- Both teams entered the playoffs with losing streaks
-- Atlanta is 2-5 in its last seven
-- Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last six

-- Atlanta is 13-4 at home this season, 1-1 in the playoffs
-- Indiana is 7-10 on the road this season, 1-0 in the playoffs
-- The Dream are 4-13 on the road this season, 1-0 in the playoffs
-- The Fever are 9-8 at home this season, 1-0 in the playoffs

How they got here:

-- Atlanta beat Washington 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals
-- Indiana beat Chicago 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals

Western Conference Finals
Best of Three Format (1-1-1)

(1) Minnesota Lynx vs. (3) Phoenix Mercury

-- Lynx (28-8 SU, 23-13 ATS)
-- Mercury (21-16 SU, 16-20-1 ATS)
-- Lynx swept season series, 5-0

-- Minnesota won four of five meetings against Phoenix by double digits
-- The 'under' went 4-1 in the five encounters

-- Minnesota is 10-1 SU and 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games
-- Phoenix has seen the 'under' go 7-1 in its last eight games

-- Minnesota is 15-2 at home this season, 1-0 in the playoffs
-- Phoenix is 9-8 on the road this season, 2-0 in the playoffs
-- The Lynx are 11-6 on the road this season, 1-0 in the playoffs
-- The Mercury are 10-7 at home this season, 0-1 in the playoffs

How they got here:

-- Minnesota beat Seattle 2-0 in the Western Conference semifinals
-- Phoenix beat Los Angeles 2-1 in the Western Conference semifinals

 

[CNOTES]

WNBA Conference Finals Update

September 26, 2013


Minnesota and Phoenix were both preseason favorites to be title contenders this year, and here they are facing off in the Western Conference finals.


With four All-Stars scoring in double digits, the Lynx had another strong regular season before sweeping Seattle in the first round and now seek their third straight trip to the WNBA Finals.

``They give you a lot of problems,'' Mercury coach Russ Pennell said. ``They're multidimensional. They can hurt you inside, outside, they run well, they defend well. They're a complete team. ... We realize we're going to have to play pretty well in order to do well in the series.''

Phoenix will have to at least play a lot better than it did while losing all five matchups against Lynx in the regular season. Other than a five-point margin on the Mercury's home court on July 21, Minnesota's other four wins were by double digits. All five of those games came before Pennell took over as coach on Aug. 8.

Here are five other things to know as the conference finals begin Thursday night:

1. THROW OUT THE REGULAR SEASON: Atlanta won three of five meetings against Indiana during the season, though they've only played once since Aug. 12. The defending champion Fever endured an injury-plagued start to the season and only three players appeared in more than 30 games. Though still missing Katie Douglas, they've settled into a rotation that got them back into the playoffs with the fourth seed in the East, and then beat conference champion Chicago in two games in the first round.

Atlanta star Angel McCoughtry didn't think her team, which has played without star forward Sancho Lyttle most of the season, could put too much emphasis on their regular season success against the Fever.

``You have to continue how you were playing, but it's a different ballgame now,'' McCoughtry said. ``It doesn't really matter about that, because they're a different team and we're going to be a different team. We can take the positives from it and continue to do what we've been doing, but they're playing a lot, lot different now.''

This is the third straight year the teams are meeting in the postseason. Atlanta won in the conference finals in 2011, and Indiana won in three games in the first round last year.

2. THE MERCURY HAVE STARS, TOO: Phoenix also has four double-digit scorers with five-time scoring champion Diana Taurasi, No. 1 overall draft pick Brittney Griner, Candice Dupree (15.2) and DeWanna Bonner (14.5). After struggling to find consistency for much of the season, Griner showed she can hit the big shot as she knocked down a turnaround jumper with 4.9 seconds left in Game 3 of the first round at Los Angeles to give the Mercury the series-clinching win.

``Phoenix is definitely a dangerous team offensively, and defense is always a part our mindset and our strategy going in,'' Minnesota's Maya Moore said. ``Every game we play (against them) we have to bring our defense to give us a chance to win. ... The two-man game with (Taurasi) and Dupree is extremely dangerous and we have to be ready to just combat that with our versatility.''

3. ZELLOUS TIME: For the fourth time in her five seasons in the league, Indiana's Shavonte Zellous has increased her scoring output from the regular season to the playoffs. Overall, she's averaging 9.0 points in 158 regular season games and 10.8 in 25 postseason contests. This season, Zellous averaged 14.7 points - nearly double her career regular season average coming in - to earn the league's most improved player award. She then averaged 15.0 points against Chicago.

`` She wants the ball in her hands in crunch time,'' Fever coach Lin Dunn said. ``She's ready to drive to the rim, she'll pull up and shoot a 15-footer and she'll also shoot a 3 now. And she plays with so much energy, so much intensity that it's contagious.''

4. BACK TO THE FINALS: The four conference finalists have each appeared in the WNBA finals twice in the previous six years, and the winners will make it three in seven. Phoenix won championships in 2007 and 2009, beating Indiana for the latter. The defending champion Fever spoiled Minnesota's bid for two straight titles last year, and Atlanta lost in consecutive trips - to Seattle in 2010 and the Lynx the following year. Minnesota will be looking to become the first team to make three straight trips to the title round since the Detroit Shock in 2006-08.

5. HOME-COURT DISADVANTAGE?: Road teams won seven of the 10 games played in the conference semifinals, with Indiana, Minnesota and Atlanta the only teams protecting their home court. The Dream lost the opener against Washington at home before winning the middle game on the road and then clinching the series in Game 3 at home. In the Mercury-Sparks series, the road team won each game as Phoenix won twice at Los Angeles after the Sparks had lost twice at Staples Center during the season.

 

[CNOTES]

Minnesota faces Atlanta in WNBA finals

October 2, 2013


Ever since the Minnesota Lynx lost in the WNBA finals last year, they've been focused on getting back there.

Now they are three wins away from a second championship in three seasons, facing a team they swept two years ago to earn the franchise's first title.

``We're a very hungry, determined group of women,'' said Minnesota's Seimone Augustus. ``All year we've talked about holding our goal and destiny in our hands. We have another chance at a title after not ending last season the way we wanted to.''

Minnesota has looked nearly unbeatable in the playoffs. The Lynx have swept all four of their playoff games after posting the best record in the regular season (26-8). They won both of their home games easily.

One key to Minnesota's success has been the play of Maya Moore. She's coming off a career year and has raised her game in the playoffs, averaging 21.5 points, including a career playoff best 27-point effort in the series clincher against Phoenix in the Western Conference finals.

Moore was the runner-up to Candace Parker for the league's MVP, losing by just 16 points. Almost expecting that her star wouldn't win the MVP award, coach Cheryl Reeve said in early September that she'd rather see Moore raising the MVP trophy in the finals because that meant the Lynx were the champions again.

``She's matured and developed into a young leader,'' Reeve said. ``She's become much more efficient on the offensive side. The overall growth of Maya makes life easier for Seimone, Lindsay (Whalen) and Rebekkah (Brunson).''

The Dream want to avoid losing in the finals for the third time in the past four seasons. The Dream were swept by Seattle in 2010 and Minnesota in 2011. If Atlanta can't beat Minnesota, the Dream would become the second team in league history to lose in the finals three times, joining the New York Liberty - who lost in three of the league's first four championships.

``We learned from our failures,'' said Angel McCoughtry, who leads the Dream with 19.5 points a game. ``We know what it feels like to not win it, and we want to get over that hump this year and bring a championship to Atlanta.''

Atlanta got off to a hot start, winning 10 of its first 11 games before cooling off with eight losses in the next nine. The Dream lost the final four games of the regular season and got blown out in Game 1 of their first-round series against Washington.

But then it all clicked with two straight wins over Washington and a sweep of defending champion Indiana.

``We had a long road streak there in July that tested us a lot going to the West Coast,'' Atlanta coach Fred Williams said. ``All in all we were able to maintain our second place in our division and try to gain home court advantage in the East. Down the stretch we wanted to get into postseason play when it's a different season. We stepped up after that first Washington loss.''

The two teams split their regular-season matchups, each defending its home court. Atlanta has struggled on the road, winning just twice away from home since June 23. Both of those came in the playoffs at Washington and Indiana.

The first two games of the finals will be in Minnesota before the series shifts to Atlanta. If having to face the best team in the league wasn't enough of a problem, the Dream won't even be able to play on their home court; Disney on Ice is booked at the Phillips Arena. The Dream will be forced to play 25 miles away at Gwinnett Arena in Duluth.

 

[CNOTES]

Lynx advance to 3rd straight finals

September 29, 2013


PHOENIX (AP) - Maya Moore scored 27 points, Seimone Augustus had 22, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Phoenix Mercury 72-65 Sunday to advance to the WNBA Finals for the third straight year with a sweep in the best-of-three Western Conference finals.

Minnesota will open the finals next Sunday at home against Atlanta, which completed its sweep of Indiana earlier Sunday.

Diana Taurasi had 21 points for Phoenix, but was 6 of 21 from the field. Candice Dupree added 17 points, while No. 1 draft pick Brittney Griner was held to six points and 10 rebounds.

Minnesota beat Phoenix 85-62 in Game 1 on Thursday.

The Lynx swept Atlanta in the 2011 finals and lost to Indiana in four games last season.

Minnesota led by as many as 13 in the fourth quarter, but Taurasi hit a 3-pointer and another basket to cut the lead to 69-63 with 1:24 remaining. Dupree got loose for a layup with 33 seconds left to get Phoenix within 69-65.

The Lynx, who won eight of nine at the end of regular season, have won all four of their playoff games in the postseason, winning by an average of 12 points a game.

Minnesota won all seven meetings with the Mercury this year and has beaten Phoenix 14 straight times dating to 2011.

The Lynx advanced despite missing 12 free throws and the Mercury holding Lindsay Whalen to three points on 1-for-12 shooting. Whalen had 20 points in Game 1.

Minnesota ran off seven straight points after Phoenix had tied it 41-all with 7:45 left in the third quarter and went into the final period with a 53-45 lead.

Griner, after hitting two quick shots in the first two minutes, was held to 3-of-6 shooting in 32 minutes.

The Mercury made a concerted effort on the glass, starting the game by outrebounding Minnesota 8-1 in the first five minutes and grabbing an early 15-9 lead. Phoenix led 21-19 after the first quarter.

Minnesota scored the first nine points of the second quarter and opened up a 38-29 advantage after Augustus hit a 3 with 1:46 remaining. But Dupree scored the last four points for Phoenix and the Mercury got within 38-35 at the break. Augustus had 14 points and Moore 13 for Minnesota in the first half.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Dream (17-17) at Lynx (26-8)

Date: October 06, 2013 8:30 PM EDT


Ever since the Minnesota Lynx lost in the WNBA finals last year, they've been focused on getting back there.

Now they are three wins away from a second championship in three seasons, facing a team they swept two years ago to earn the franchise's first title.

``We're a very hungry, determined group of women,' said Minnesota's Seimone Augustus. ``All year we've talked about holding our goal and destiny in our hands. We have another chance at a title after not ending last season the way we wanted to.'

Minnesota, which hosts Game 1 Sunday night, has looked nearly unbeatable in the playoffs. The Lynx have swept all four of their playoff games after posting the best record in the regular season (26-8). They won both of their home games easily.

One key to Minnesota's success has been the play of Maya Moore. She's coming off a career year and has raised her game in the playoffs, averaging 21.5 points, including a career playoff best 27-point effort in the series clincher against Phoenix in the Western Conference finals.

Moore was the runner-up to Candace Parker for the league's MVP, losing by just 16 points. Almost expecting that her star wouldn't win the MVP award, coach Cheryl Reeve said in early September that she'd rather see Moore raising the MVP trophy in the finals because that meant the Lynx were the champions again.

``She's matured and developed into a young leader,' Reeve said. ``She's become much more efficient on the offensive side. The overall growth of Maya makes life easier for Seimone, Lindsay (Whalen) and Rebekkah (Brunson).'

The Dream want to avoid losing in the finals for the third time in the past four seasons. The Dream were swept by Seattle in 2010 and Minnesota in 2011. If Atlanta can't beat Minnesota, the Dream would become the second team in league history to lose in the finals three times, joining the New York Liberty - who lost in three of the league's first four championships.

``We learned from our failures,' said Angel McCoughtry, who leads the Dream with 19.5 points a game. ``We know what it feels like to not win it, and we want to get over that hump this year and bring a championship to Atlanta.'

Atlanta got off to a hot start, winning 10 of its first 11 games before cooling off with eight losses in the next nine. The Dream lost the final four games of the regular season and got blown out in Game 1 of their first-round series against Washington.

But then it all clicked with two straight wins over Washington and a sweep of defending champion Indiana.

``We had a long road streak there in July that tested us a lot going to the West Coast,' Atlanta coach Fred Williams said. ``All in all we were able to maintain our second place in our division and try to gain home court advantage in the East. Down the stretch we wanted to get into postseason play when it's a different season. We stepped up after that first Washington loss.'

The two teams split their regular-season matchups, each defending its home court. Atlanta has struggled on the road, winning just twice away from home since June 23. Both of those came in the playoffs at Washington and Indiana.

The first two games of the finals will be in Minnesota before the series shifts to Atlanta. If having to face the best team in the league wasn't enough of a problem, the Dream won't even be able to play on their home court; Disney on Ice is booked at the Phillips Arena. The Dream will be forced to play 25 miles away at Gwinnett Arena in Duluth.


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

Aug 20, 2013 Score ATS Results
MIN 75 Over: 163
ATL « 88 Cover: 15.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 9, 2013 Score ATS Results
ATL 72 Over: 166
MIN « 94 Cover: 16.5
Tools: Recaps

 

[CNOTES]

Sunday, October 6

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Atlanta -8:30 PM ET Minnesota -9.5 500 POD # 1

Minnesota - Under 155.5 500 POD # 2

 

[CNOTES]

WNBA Finals
Long Sheet

Tuesday, October 8

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ATLANTA (21 - 19) at MINNESOTA (31 - 8) - 10/8/2013, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 7-2 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 9-1 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




WNBA Finals

Tuesday, October 8

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

8:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. MINNESOTA
Atlanta is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games at home
Minnesota is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing Atlanta

 

[CNOTES]

WNBA Finals
Dunkel
Atlanta at Minnesota
The Dream look to bounce back from their Game 1 loss and build on their 19-7 ATS record in their last 26 games when playing on 1 days rest. Atlanta is the pick (+10 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Lynx favored by only 8. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+10 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8
Game 653-654: Atlanta at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 114.485; Minnesota 122.363
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 8; 159
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 10 1/2; 153 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+10 1/2); Over

 

[CNOTES]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

10/08/13 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
10/06/13 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail

Totals 4-*0-*0 100.00% +2000

 

[CNOTES]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

10/08/13 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
10/06/13 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail

Totals 4-*0-*0 100.00% +2000


Thursday, October 10

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Minnesota - 8:30 PM ET Atlanta +7 500 POD # 2

Atlanta - Over 151.5 500 POD # 1