Preview: Mercury (20-13) at Shock (17-16)
Date: September 13, 2015 4:30 PM EDT
By making the playoffs for the first time in six years, the Tulsa Shock are guaranteed at least one more home game before the franchise relocates to Texas.
The Phoenix Mercury will be their opponent for that game and Sunday's regular-season finale in Tulsa.
The final WNBA game in Oklahoma would be next Saturday if the Shock (17-16) fail to beat Phoenix in a best-of-three, opening-round series which begins Thursday. This playoff appearance is their only one since relocating from Detroit after the 2009 season.
The Shock are moving to the Dallas-Fort Worth area next season but will try to reward their current fans by securing the only winning season in their time in Oklahoma. They were a combined 41-129 in their first five in Tulsa.
The Shock have won their last five home games, beginning with a 74-59 victory over Phoenix on Aug. 18. They had lost the previous five meetings, including three this season.
Tulsa has dropped two of three overall following a 92-71 loss in Chicago on Friday.
Odyssey Sims, Karima Christmas, Plenette Pierson and Riquna Williams did not play in that game. Williams, who had a team-high 18 points in the win over Phoenix, has been out since Aug. 30 because of an injured left leg.
Vicki Baugh and Jordan Hooper set career highs Friday with 22 and 16 points, respectively, but the Shock's regulars might see some playing time in front of the home crowd.
Sims has averaged 25.5 points in her past four games but has been held to a more pedestrian 15.3 while shooting 32.0 percent in three matchups against Phoenix this season.
The Mercury (20-13) will try to earn a fourth consecutive win in their final tuneup before their title defense. Monique Currie had a season-best 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting in a 70-65 victory over Los Angeles on Friday, and Phoenix reached 20 wins in consecutive seasons for the first time.
Candice Dupree has averaged a team-best 19.5 points on 63.2 percent shooting against Tulsa this season, and leading scorer DeWanna Bonner has averaged 20.7 in the past three meetings.
Bonner, averaging 15.8 points overall, has scored in single digits in each of the last three games.
WNBA HEAD TO HEAD
Aug 18, 2015 Score ATS Results
PHO 59 Under: 133
TUL « 74 Cover: 19.5
Tools: Recaps
Aug 4, 2015 Score ATS Results
TUL 84 Cover: 5
PHO « 87 Over: 171
Tools: Recaps
Jul 30, 2015 Score ATS Results
PHO « 78 Cover: 10
TUL 66 Under: 144
Tools: Recaps
Jul 2, 2015 Score ATS Results
TUL 55 Under: 141
PHO « 86 Cover: 23.5
Tools: Recaps
Jun 29, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 80 Under: 157
TUL 77 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps
Jun 20, 2014 Score ATS Results
TUL 80 Cover: 0
PHO « 91 Over: 171
Tools: Recaps
Jun 6, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO 78 Over: 172
TUL « 94 Cover: 21.5
Tools: Recaps
May 30, 2014 Score ATS Results
TUL 78 Over: 178
PHO « 100 Cover: 12.5
Tools: Recaps
Date: September 13, 2015 4:30 PM EDT
By making the playoffs for the first time in six years, the Tulsa Shock are guaranteed at least one more home game before the franchise relocates to Texas.
The Phoenix Mercury will be their opponent for that game and Sunday's regular-season finale in Tulsa.
The final WNBA game in Oklahoma would be next Saturday if the Shock (17-16) fail to beat Phoenix in a best-of-three, opening-round series which begins Thursday. This playoff appearance is their only one since relocating from Detroit after the 2009 season.
The Shock are moving to the Dallas-Fort Worth area next season but will try to reward their current fans by securing the only winning season in their time in Oklahoma. They were a combined 41-129 in their first five in Tulsa.
The Shock have won their last five home games, beginning with a 74-59 victory over Phoenix on Aug. 18. They had lost the previous five meetings, including three this season.
Tulsa has dropped two of three overall following a 92-71 loss in Chicago on Friday.
Odyssey Sims, Karima Christmas, Plenette Pierson and Riquna Williams did not play in that game. Williams, who had a team-high 18 points in the win over Phoenix, has been out since Aug. 30 because of an injured left leg.
Vicki Baugh and Jordan Hooper set career highs Friday with 22 and 16 points, respectively, but the Shock's regulars might see some playing time in front of the home crowd.
Sims has averaged 25.5 points in her past four games but has been held to a more pedestrian 15.3 while shooting 32.0 percent in three matchups against Phoenix this season.
The Mercury (20-13) will try to earn a fourth consecutive win in their final tuneup before their title defense. Monique Currie had a season-best 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting in a 70-65 victory over Los Angeles on Friday, and Phoenix reached 20 wins in consecutive seasons for the first time.
Candice Dupree has averaged a team-best 19.5 points on 63.2 percent shooting against Tulsa this season, and leading scorer DeWanna Bonner has averaged 20.7 in the past three meetings.
Bonner, averaging 15.8 points overall, has scored in single digits in each of the last three games.
WNBA HEAD TO HEAD
Aug 18, 2015 Score ATS Results
PHO 59 Under: 133
TUL « 74 Cover: 19.5
Tools: Recaps
Aug 4, 2015 Score ATS Results
TUL 84 Cover: 5
PHO « 87 Over: 171
Tools: Recaps
Jul 30, 2015 Score ATS Results
PHO « 78 Cover: 10
TUL 66 Under: 144
Tools: Recaps
Jul 2, 2015 Score ATS Results
TUL 55 Under: 141
PHO « 86 Cover: 23.5
Tools: Recaps
Jun 29, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 80 Under: 157
TUL 77 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps
Jun 20, 2014 Score ATS Results
TUL 80 Cover: 0
PHO « 91 Over: 171
Tools: Recaps
Jun 6, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO 78 Over: 172
TUL « 94 Cover: 21.5
Tools: Recaps
May 30, 2014 Score ATS Results
TUL 78 Over: 178
PHO « 100 Cover: 12.5
Tools: Recaps