Sun - Dream Preview
By Associated Press
Despite leading scorer Angel McCoughtry missing most of the fourth quarter with foul trouble, the Atlanta Dream pulled out a road win over the second-seeded Connecticut Sun in Game 1.
A victory at Philips Arena would ensure the defending conference champion Dream won't return to Connecticut in 2011.
Atlanta goes for a seventh straight home win over the Sun and a series sweep Sunday when these teams continue their best-of-three Eastern Conference semifinal matchup.
Second in the WNBA with a career-best 21.6 points per game, McCoughtry went to the bench with her fifth foul with 9:10 left in Friday's series opener. Without the No. 1 overall pick in 2009, who didn't return until the final minute and finished with 16 points, the third-seeded Dream rallied from five down in the fourth for an 89-84 victory.
"When I saw (McCoughtry) get that fifth foul, I was like, 'Oh, jeez, people are going to have to step up and score and also get these stops,'" said Lindsey Harding, who scored 10 of her game-high 21 in the fourth. "And we were able to do that."
The Sun will likely have to shoot better and be stronger on the boards after hitting 38.9 percent and getting outrebounded 47-29 in Game 1.
"They were a little more physical than we were. They understood you can do that in the playoffs," coach Mike Thibault said following the team's first playoff game in two years. "Some things are called and some things aren't. They know the difference."
Sun center Tina Charles, who set a league record with 23 double-doubles this season, needs to be more of a difference maker Sunday after being held to 12 points and seven rebounds in Game 1.
Charles had 17 points and 12 boards the last time these teams met in Atlanta, but the Sun lost 85-74 on Sept. 6 to finish the regular season with a 6-11 road record.
While Connecticut has dropped five of six away from home, the Dream have won five straight overall and a season-best six in a row at home, including a 94-88 overtime victory over the Sun on Aug. 19.
Atlanta, which hadn't won a playoff series until last year, will likely return to the conference finals if the Sun can't contain McCoughtry, Sancho Lyttle and Erika de Souza, who combined for 45 points and 30 boards in Game 1.
While winning a title in 2011 is their priority, the Dream made a major move toward strengthening their future Saturday by signing Lyttle to a multiyear extension.
"It's nice to know I will be part of this franchise's future as we continue to build our team and contend for a championship," Lyttle, the league leader with 2.36 steals per game, told the Dream's official website.
If Atlanta wins, it will play either Indiana or New York in the conference finals.
Game 3, if necessary, is Tuesday in Connecticut.
Lynx - Silver Stars Preview
By Associated Press
The top-seeded Minnesota Lynx have never won a playoff series.
After narrowly defeating the San Antonio Silver Stars in Game 1, they're on the verge of snapping that eight-year drought.
Visiting Minnesota looks to advance to the Western Conference finals while San Antonio hopes to extend this best-of-three series Sunday.
On a night when their rookie teammate was honored, veterans Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus led the Lynx (27-7) to a 66-65 victory over the Silver Stars in Friday's opener of this conference semifinal series.
Hours after receiving her WNBA rookie of the year award, Maya Moore was held to 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting while two of the team's oldest players keyed the win. Whalen and Augustus scored 20 and 19 points, respectively, and it was Augustus' 11-foot jumper with 53 seconds remaining that put Minnesota up for good.
"There's not many players in the league that can guard Seimone when she gets that look and bounce in her step whether she crosses you up or goes by you aggressively into the paint and shoots that runner, she's just special," WNBA coach of the year Cheryl Reeve told the Lynx's official website. "Really, really special."
Whalen, who deflected San Antonio's inbounds pass on the Lynx's end of the court with four seconds left to seal the victory, also earned high praise from Reeve.
"I told Lindsay that's the biggest deflection I've seen in my life," Reeve said. "Lindsay's just been important to us all season long and (Friday) was no different. She just poses problems in the pick-and-roll game and she had a great bounce in her step."
Close victories over San Antonio (18-16) are nothing new to Minnesota, which has taken seven straight in this series dating to 2010. Of its four regular season-wins this year, two were decided in the game's final seconds.
"At some point, the ball is going to bounce our way, being so close so many times," said Silver Stars six-time All-Star Becky Hammon, who scored 16 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
"But give them credit - they closed a little better than we did, and you move on to the next one. Yeah, we feel like it's a missed opportunity, but we still feel like there's some good basketball left to be played."
Reeve, meanwhile, knows her team still has plenty of work to do if it wants to close out this series.
"(The Silver Stars) really had us back on our heels," Reeve said. "We have to watch video and adjust a little bit, but the important thing is Game 1 goes to the Lynx."
Though San Antonio is surely looking forward to getting back to the AT&T Center, it went just 9-8 there for the third-worst home record in the WNBA. Minnesota recorded the league's best road record at 13-4, posting four more road wins than any other team.
Danielle Adams, who finished second behind Moore for rookie of the year with two votes, scored 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting in 24 minutes off the bench for the Silver Stars.
CONNECTICUT (21 - 14) at ATLANTA (21 - 14)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 18-5 ATS (+12.5 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 7-6 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 9-4 straight up against CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA (28 - 7) at SAN ANTONIO (18 - 17)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 7-7 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 9-5 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT vs. ATLANTA
Connecticut is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Connecticut is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Connecticut
Atlanta is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Connecticut
MINNESOTA vs. SAN ANTONIO
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
San Antonio is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota