Shock - Dream Preview
By Associated Press
The Atlanta Dream are within one win of returning to the playoffs. If Angel McCoughtry has another game against the Tulsa Shock like her last, clinching a postseason berth should come easily.
McCoughtry and the Dream seek their fifth straight home win Sunday when they host the league-worst Shock.
After a slow start, Atlanta (17-14) needs a win Sunday or a Chicago loss to Indiana later in the day to secure a playoff berth for a third straight season. The Dream, who reached the WNBA finals last year before being swept by Seattle, opened the season 2-7.
Atlanta, which has won four of five, is the second highest-scoring team in the WNBA at 82.4 points per game, and the team is putting up even more impressive numbers recently. McCoughtry had 16 points in 21 minutes of a 95-73 victory over Washington on Friday - the fifth time in 10 games the team has topped 90 points.
Six players scored in double figures in the win, including Alison Bales, who had a career-high 15 starting in place of the injured Erika de Souza.
"When everybody's stepping up, that's how you win championships," McCoughtry said. "It's not one person."
Atlanta could have more help available Sunday. De Souza may be back in the lineup after missing the last two games with a sprained ankle. She's averaging 13.8 points the last six games.
It may not matters who plays against the league-worst Shock (3-27) as long as McCoughtry plays well again versus the Shock. She scored a career-high 37 points in a 76-68 win at Tulsa on July 26.
McCoughtry is averaging 24.7 points the last three games as she competes with Phoenix's Diana Taurasi for the league scoring title.
Tulsa heads to Atlanta having lost its last two. The Shock dropped 20 straight before putting together back-to-back wins prior to the current losing streak.
Tulsa is coming off a 78-72 loss against Seattle on Friday. The Shock led early, but never recovered from a 13-0 run in the second quarter by the Storm.
Jennifer Lacy tied her career high with 18 points while Amber Holt added 17. Tulsa was without injured point guard Ivory Latta, who is uncertain for Sunday.
"It took our rhythm off (playing without Latta)," interim coach Teresa Edwards said. "I thought Sheryl (Swoopes) was awesome, but (playing point guard) took away from her scoring."
The 40-year-old Swoopes finished with six points and six assists in 37 minutes, her second-most of the year.
On Saturday, the league announced that Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler are taking over ownership of the Dream from Kathy Betty.
Sun - Mystics Preview
By Associated Press
Following a dominant performance against the Eastern Conference's top team, Tina Charles and the Connecticut Sun hope to avoid a letdown versus an inferior opponent as their quest for the No. 1 seed continues.
Coming off their most impressive victory of the year, the visiting Sun try for a four-game season sweep of the Washington Mystics on Sunday.
After clinching a playoff berth Tuesday despite falling 78-66 at San Antonio, Connecticut (19-12) regrouped in spectacular fashion, routing East-leading Indiana 83-55 on Friday to move within one-half game of the Fever.
Charles recorded 10 points, 16 rebounds and a season-high 10 assists, posting the fifth regular-season triple-double in WNBA history and the first since Deanna Nolan did it May 21, 2005.
"We're getting to the time of year where it's time to start making better decisions," said Charles, last season's WNBA Rookie of the Year. "I didn't want to force shots. I just passed. My teammates made the shots."
The Sun, who haven't made the postseason since 2008, could take the conference lead with a fourth consecutive victory over Washington and an Indiana loss at Chicago later Sunday night. Connecticut has three games left on its schedule while the Fever have four.
"Coach (Mike Thibault) told us on the bus ride to the airport (Wednesday in San Antonio) that last year at this time we were miserable because we weren't going to the playoffs," Charles said. "He made us feel like things could always be worse and that this season is different."
The Sun have dropped four straight on the road but seem to be in good position to snap that skid. Connecticut has outscored the conference-worst Mystics (6-25) by an average of 10.3 points in winning all three matchups this year, including a 79-71 victory at the Verizon Center on June 16.
Charles had 26 points and 10 boards in that win while the Sun limited Crystal Langhorne, who ranks fourth in the league with 18.8 points per game, to just nine on 3-of-9 shooting.
Langhorne wasn't very efficient from the floor Friday, either, finishing with 15 points while making 4 of 13 shots as Washington fell 95-73 to cap a home-and-home set with Atlanta. Langhorne had 25 points and 10 rebounds in an 85-81 home victory the previous night, helping end the Mystics' season-worst nine-game skid.
Washington, a conference-worst 4-12 at home, is 1-22 when Langhorne scores fewer than 20 points. Langhorne missed three games July 3-9 with a back injury.
Forward Monique Currie, who scored eight points in 10 minutes Thursday in her first action since tearing her left ACL in the offseason, didn't take the court Friday. Her status for this matchup is unknown.
Lynx - Liberty Preview
By Associated Press
The Minnesota Lynx have accomplished everything they needed to before the playoffs begins, but that won't likely lessen their intensity during the final week of the regular season.
The Lynx close a home-and-home series against the New York Liberty on Sunday, trying to avoid consecutive defeats for only the second time this season.
Minnesota (24-7) guaranteed it will finish with the WNBA's best record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs despite suffering a 78-62 loss to New York on Friday.
"It's a dejected locker room," coach Cheryl Reeve said. "Kind of weird. You know, you clinch the best overall record and get No. 1, and I've got towels over heads and we're dejected. That's a great sign because they want to win every game they play. They've got a great deal of pride. It was hard to tell them the game didn't matter because it mattered a lot to them."
The team will try to bounce back after the 62 points matched the Lynx's second-lowest scoring game of the season. They shot 33.8 percent while Lindsay Whalen was held to seven points and Rebkkah Brunson went scoreless in 19 minutes.
Whalen, who scored 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting her previous game, missed 7 of 8 field-goal attempts, and her two assists matched a season low.
Although its starters are likely to get some additional rest over the final three games, Minnesota is also trying to make sure it doesn't lose any momentum before the playoffs.
"We want to win every game we play in," Reeve said. "It's hard to tell your players that a game you're going to play in doesn't matter, but it doesn't matter. ... When you clinch with games remaining it is difficult because you risk kind of losing that rhythm, that bounce in your step.
"At the same time, the playoffs are what matters."
The Liberty (18-13) don't need any additional motivation despite clinching a playoff berth with Friday's win. The crowded Eastern Conference standings could allow them to improve on their current third seed since only 2 1/2 games separate first-place Indiana from fourth-place Atlanta.
"I don't know that the East is the toughest, but its certainly the most compact," coach John Whisenant said. "It's just according to which night they play who's the best team. It's been that way nearly all year. I can see it being that way in the playoffs. There's somebody not going to be make it, but it's not going to be us."
Leilani Mitchell scored 24 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and Cappie Pondexter had 13 points and seven assists Friday.
The Liberty are trying to win their sixth in a row at home and third straight overall.
Fever - Sky Preview
By Associated Press
Following an extremely disappointing loss, the Chicago Sky need a victory and some help to keep their unlikely postseason hopes alive.
A matchup with the Eastern Conference leaders normally might not be ideal under such circumstances, but the Indiana Fever continue to falter.
The Sky conclude their home schedule looking to even their season series with the Fever, who hope to avoid a season-worst fourth consecutive loss and stay atop the conference Sunday.
Chicago (14-16) was on the verge of a season best-tying third consecutive victory Tuesday but blew a 14-point lead in the final 7:49, losing 71-67 at New York.
Sylvia Fowles scored 22 points and Epiphanny Prince had 15, but the Sky finished with 22 turnovers - six in the fourth quarter.
"You got to finish things out," coach Pokey Chatman said. "We're not good enough to not close out games or not stay true to the scheme or not play with poise or not scrap and be blue-collar. That's what it takes for us and it takes for 40 minutes, not 32."
With only one playoff spot remaining in the East after the Liberty clinched a berth Friday, the only way the Sky can make the postseason for the first time is if they win their final four games while fourth-place Atlanta loses its last three. The Dream, who sit 2 1/2 games ahead of Chicago, have taken three of four from the Sky and own the tiebreaker if the teams finished with the same record. Atlanta hosts Tulsa on Sunday.
The Fever (19-11), meanwhile, are coming off their most lopsided defeat of the season, falling 83-55 at Connecticut on Friday thanks largely to shooting just 30.1 percent from the floor. Tamika Catchings, who averages 15.6 points to rank among the league's top 10, was held to 11 on 4-of-14 shooting.
"We have to understand that we have a target on our back, everyone wants first place," coach Lin Dunn said. "We can't just show up and expect to win and it's very disappointing especially with our veteran team that we didn't match their level of intensity."
Indiana, now just one-half game in front of the second-place Sun, could end the day out of the spot in the East if it loses to Chicago while Connecticut defeats Washington.
The Fever rank second in scoring defense with 72.8 points allowed per game but have surrendered an average of 87.0 during their three-game skid.
Indiana won at home in the first two matchups of the season with the Sky but had difficulty slowing them down at Chicago in the most recent meeting, falling 88-69 on Aug. 7.
Fowles and guard Eshaya Murphy each scored 21 points during that win for the Sky, who have posted back-to-back victories at Allstate Arena.
TULSA vs. ATLANTA
Tulsa is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Tulsa is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Tulsa
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing at home against Tulsa
MINNESOTA vs. NEW YORK
Minnesota is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Minnesota is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of New York's last 10 games at home
CONNECTICUT vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Connecticut's last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
Connecticut is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Connecticut
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing at home against Connecticut
INDIANA vs. CHICAGO
Indiana is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games at home
TULSA (3 - 27) at ATLANTA (17 - 14)
Top Trends for this game.
TULSA is 26-37 ATS (-14.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 19-31 ATS (-15.1 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
TULSA is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 4-3 against the spread versus TULSA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 6-3 straight up against TULSA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT (19 - 12) at WASHINGTON (6 - 25)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 210-259 ATS (-74.9 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 126-165 ATS (-55.5 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 131-169 ATS (-54.9 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 130-165 ATS (-51.5 Units) after a division game since 1997.
Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 7-4 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 7-4 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA (24 - 7) at NEW YORK (18 - 13)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1997.
NEW YORK is 143-111 ATS (+20.9 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
NEW YORK is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) against Western conference opponents this season.
NEW YORK is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
MINNESOTA is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-2 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 3-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA (19 - 11) at CHICAGO (14 - 16)
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 30-18 ATS (+10.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 9-3 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 10-2 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons