Here’s something that you would never see in the NBA: a team refusing to lay because of travel issues. After traveling for more than 25 hours, the Las Vegas Aces players decided not to play a game against the Washington Mystics on Friday night. The decision to cancel the game was made about 1½ hours before the tip. I’m sorry, but that’s patently ridiculous. These ladies make decent money to play a child’s game, although it should be noted they don’t travel in style like their NBA brethren. WNBA teams aren’t allowed to fly charter because of the cost and the competitive advantage it could give some teams willing to spend the money. Here’s a look at two intriguing WNBA Betting matchups this week. Check back for the latest WNBA odds at MyBookie Sportsbook.
It’s unlikely that the game will be rescheduled. There just isn’t much time between now and the end of the regular season. The Mystics and Aces are tied 1-1 this season Friday’s game would have determined who would get the playoff tiebreaker if it came to that.
Phoenix, meanwhile, is third in the West. The Mercury’s star is Diana Taurasi. She’s the WNBA’s all-time leader in scoring and three-point makes. Taurasi had her 1,000th-career 3-pointer on 5/18/18 vs. Dallas. She passed Becky Hammon for 4th on WNBA’s all-time assists list on 6/16 vs. Connecticut and passed Tina Thompson for 1st on WNBA’s all-time field-goals made list on 7/5 vs. Connecticut.
Phoenix is 13-5 against Washington since the start of the 2011 and has won six of the last nine matchups. The two teams split the first two meetings of the season with the road team picking up the win each time. After averaging a double-double against the Mystics a season ago, Brittney Griner has averaged 25.5 points against Washington this season.
Top WNBA Betting Picks of the Week – August 6th
Queen of the 3 👑 pic.twitter.com/OtkPDsRZfs
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) 6 de agosto de 2018
Las Vegas at Atlanta
I’m assuming the Aces will, you know, actually play this game. The team arrived at the team hotel in Washington, D.C., about 3:30 EDT, 4½ hours before Friday’s scheduled game, and consulted with the players association and their medical staff. “They were concerned that we hadn’t had proper rest or nutrition for over 24 hours at that point,” Aces player and team player rep Carolyn Swords said. “It really came down to player health and player safety, and just making sure that we weren’t putting our careers at serious risk.” The team, in conjunction with the WNBPA, contacted the WNBA and informed the league of its decision, citing health concerns. They were met with resistance, Swords said, but reiterated that “this was about health and safety more than anything else.” The WNBA has not announced whether the Aces will actually forfeit the game yet. That could actually affect whether the team makes the playoffs or not. Las Vegas was in action Sunday and lost 109-88 at Connecticut. Las Vegas led 8-6 with just under three minutes gone in the first quarter, but the Sun scored the next eight points to take a lead they would never relinquish. Connecticut would go on to lead by eight at the end of the first quarter, 15 at the intermission, and by as many as 23 in the second half. The closest the Aces got after the break was 10. Connecticut connected on 59.7 percent of its shots, including 64.9 percent through three quarters, compared to 50.7 percent for the Aces. A’ja Wilson (24 points) scored in double figures for the 27th straight game to start her WNBA career, which is a franchise record. She also topped the 20-point plateau for the 16th time this year. The 109 points allowed were the most in franchise history for the Aces, who are an expansion team. It is the fifth time this season they have allowed an opponent to score more than 100 points in a game which is the most in franchise history. The franchise moved from San Antonio to Las Vegas for this season. Previously as the Stars, they had missed the postseason the past three years with the league’s worst record. The Aces hosted Atlanta on June 8 and the Dream won 87-83.Washington at Phoenix
The Mystics are right behind first-place Atlanta in the Eastern Conference. Washington won its second game in a row on Sunday, 76-74 at Dallas. Kristi Toliver hit a fadeaway jumper with 1.4 seconds left for the victory. Toliver led Washington with 16 points, including eight in the final two minutes. Latoya Sanders added 15 points and Natasha Cloud scored 13. Elena Delle Donne, who came in fourth in the WNBA in scoring at 20.9 per game, finished with just five points on 2-of-9 shooting. The Mystics were well-rested since they didn’t have to play Las Vegas on Friday. Mystics general manager and head coach Mike Thibault felt that the Aces should have played, saying that “Every team I’ve been around in the WNBA or the NBA or the old CBA goes through this. … If you’re there and in the city and can play, you should show up and play.”
It’s unlikely that the game will be rescheduled. There just isn’t much time between now and the end of the regular season. The Mystics and Aces are tied 1-1 this season Friday’s game would have determined who would get the playoff tiebreaker if it came to that.
Phoenix, meanwhile, is third in the West. The Mercury’s star is Diana Taurasi. She’s the WNBA’s all-time leader in scoring and three-point makes. Taurasi had her 1,000th-career 3-pointer on 5/18/18 vs. Dallas. She passed Becky Hammon for 4th on WNBA’s all-time assists list on 6/16 vs. Connecticut and passed Tina Thompson for 1st on WNBA’s all-time field-goals made list on 7/5 vs. Connecticut.
Phoenix is 13-5 against Washington since the start of the 2011 and has won six of the last nine matchups. The two teams split the first two meetings of the season with the road team picking up the win each time. After averaging a double-double against the Mystics a season ago, Brittney Griner has averaged 25.5 points against Washington this season.
