Lady luck
Tuesday's best WNBA bets
Phoenix Mercury at San Antonio Silver Stars (-3, 167.5)
Becky Hammon couldn't lead San Antonio to a win over the Phoenix Mercury earlier this month. The Silver Stars, though, like their chances to win Tuesday night's rematch better with their star guard expected back in the lineup.
Hammon should on the court for the Silver Stars after missing two games as San Antonio faces the Mercury at the AT&T Center.
Hammon was absent for her WNBA team's last two contests while playing for Russia in the European women's championships. Without her, the Silver Stars (1-3) lost 77-61 at New York on Friday and fell 71-58 at Connecticut on Sunday.
Hammon averaged 18.0 points and 6.0 assists in her first two games and should provide an offensive boost for San Antonio, the lowest-scoring team in the WNBA at 65.3 points a game.
While Hammon is expected back, guard-forward Vickie Johnson and reserve guard Shanna Crossley are uncertain for Tuesday. Johnson missed Sunday's game following a death in the family while Crossley sat out with a sprained left knee.
Without those three players, the Silver Stars were outrebounded 38-31 by the Sun and held to 10 points in the fourth quarter, going scoreless for the first 3:21 of the period.
Hughes' team looks to avoid a third straight loss when it faces the Mercury, who dropped into a tie with Seattle for the Western Conference lead with a 93-84 loss to the Storm on Sunday. That snapped Phoenix's three-game winning streak.
Playing their third game in five days, the Mercury were outscored 34-20 in the first quarter. They closed to within three late in the game before suffering their first home loss in nine contests.
While Phoenix took the first meeting with San Antonio this year, the Silver Stars swept the three-game season series in 2008. The Mercury, though, have take three of the last four matchups at the AT&T Center.
Pick: Under
New York Liberty at Minnesota Lynx (+2.5, 155)
It took a few games before the New York Liberty got into a groove. The Minnesota Lynx appear headed for their own adjustment period with Seimone Augustus out for the season.
After a poor effort in their first contest without Augustus, the Lynx look to slow down the hot-shooting Liberty on Tuesday night.New York (2-3) has won two straight - both by double digits - after losing its first three games and has an excellent chance to continue its momentum against a Minnesota team that looks lost without Augustus.
The Lynx (4-3) learned Friday they would be without the All-Star forward for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL in her left knee, and they went on to shoot just 29.3 percent (17 of 58) in a 90-62 loss to Seattle that evening.
Minnesota averaged 87.0 points in six games with Augustus, who was named the Western Conference's player of the week Monday.
Augustus, who was averaging 21.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals, was injured Wednesday during a loss at Phoenix.
Veteran forward Shameka Christon continues to lead the Liberty offensively, averaging 16.5 points and shooting 45.0 percent from beyond the arc. Christon had 17 points versus the Dream, going 3 for 5 from 3-point range.
Janel McCarville has stepped up over the last two games to give the Liberty a strong presence in the post, averaging 16.5 points in that stretch. She was held to four points in New York's 91-69 loss to Minnesota last June 24, the most recent meeting between the teams.
The Liberty won 77-76 in their only other matchup with the Lynx last season.
Pick: Liberty
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