The WNBA All-Star Game is approaching and we now know who the two coaches will be: the Seattle Storm‘s Dan Hughes and Phoenix Mercury’s Sandy Brondello. Under a revamped format, a pool of 22 All-Stars will be selected without regard for conference affiliation through voting by fans. The game is July 28 on ABC. Here’s a look at the two games on Tuesday this week. Check back for Mybookie Sportsbook odds before making your final WNBA betting picks.
Atlanta comes off an 80-77 home win over Washington on Sunday. Brittney Sykes scored 12 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Dream. They led by 10 on Sykes’ free throws with 5:26 left before the Mystics went on an 11-2 run to pull within one. Washington had a chance to go ahead in the final seconds after Monique Currie’s defensive rebound with 13.9 seconds left, but Kristi Toliver missed an 18-foot jumper and Angel McCoughtry grabbed the rebound. Washington opened the game with a 16-2 lead.
Connecticut leads the WNBA in rebounding average (36.76 per game), ranks third in scoring average (86.2) and fourth in shooting percentage (.451). Chiney Ogwumike leads the league in shooting percentage (.610) and ranks sixth in rebounding (7.7 per game).
Atlanta is 2-0 vs. Connecticut this season but both of those were played in Atlanta and both decided by just five points.
Top WNBA Betting Picks of the Week – July 16th Edition
.@tinacharles31 drops game-high 21 PTS in the @NYLiberty home win!#WatchMeWork pic.twitter.com/UokpSpYPvS
— WNBA (@WNBA) 16 de julio de 2018
WNBA Standings
- Seattle Storm: 16-6
- Phoenix Mercury: 15-8
- Los Angeles Sparks: 14-9
- Washington Mystics: 13-9
- Dallas Wings: 12-9
- Atlanta Dream: 12-9
- Connecticut Sun: 12-10
- Minnesota Lynx: 12-10
- Las Vegas Aces: 10-13
- New York Liberty: 7-14
- Chicago Sky: 7-15
- Indiana Fever: 2-20
WNBA Championship Odds to Win
New York at Dallas
It’s a 1 p.m. ET tip from College Park Center with no national TV. The Liberty (7-14) come off a 107-84 home blowout of Chicago on Sunday. Tina Charles scored 21 points, and Brittany Boyd added 14 points and 10 assists. New York matched the franchise record for points in a game set in 2010 against Phoenix and crossed the 100-point mark for the first time since last season. The Liberty shot a season-best 61 percent from the field. The Liberty, who finished third in the league last season, won consecutive games for only the second time this season. New York outscored Chicago 26-8 in the third quarter to blow open a tight game. New York remains without Marissa Coleman due to a right ankle sprain but she did partake in pregame drills Sunday so she’s getting close. Dallas had a five-game winning streak snapped Saturday in a 91-84 loss at Seattle. Wings center Liz Cambage scored 10 of her team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter but was charged a flagrant foul and technical foul in the final four minutes of the game. With 2:30 left, Cambage hit a turnaround-fadeaway bank shot. Wings forward Kayla Thornton stole the ball on the other end and scored a breakaway layup to give Dallas a 77-76 lead. Seattle forward Breanna Stewart responded by hitting a shot with a foul. After missing the free throw, Seattle forward Natasha Howard grabbed the Storm’s 17th offensive rebound of the game and scored the put-back layup. The Storm held onto the lead for the rest of the game. Wings guard Skylar Diggins-Smith put up 21 points, seven assists, and a season-high five steals. The five-game winning streak was the longest in franchise history. They were winning those by an average of 20.8 points. Since moving to Dallas, the Wings have never finished above seventh in the final standings. In their inaugural season, the Wings finished 11th in the league before improving to seventh in the 2017 season. The Wings are looking to record their first winning season since moving to the DFW area. The Wings are currently in line to make the playoffs for the second straight season. The Wings and Liberty have split two meetings this season. They last played on July 8 in New York and the Wings won 97-87. Diggins-Smith had 32 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. The Wings had their largest lead at 88-65 on Allisha Gray’s 3-pointer with 6:27 left in the game. Dallas still led by 20 with three minutes to go before the Liberty closed the game on a 15-5 run. Charles had 26 points and nine rebounds to lead the Liberty.Atlanta at Connecticut
It’s a 7 p.m. ET tip for this one from the Mohegan Sun Arena. These teams made a trade a week ago with Connecticut sending guard Alex Bentley to Atlanta for Layshia Clarendon and a second-round pick in 2019. Bentley was averaging 10 points for the Sun this season as the team’s sixth player. The former All-Star was drafted by the Atlanta Dream in 2013 with the No. 13 pick before being traded to Connecticut as part of a three-team deal with Washington in 2014. Clarendon, who had been with the Dream since 2016, served as one of the Dream’s veteran point guards, starting four games this season behind Renee Montgomery. After being named an All-Star last season, Clarendon was averaging 4.3 points and 1.7 assists in 17.3 minutes with the Dream this season.
Atlanta comes off an 80-77 home win over Washington on Sunday. Brittney Sykes scored 12 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Dream. They led by 10 on Sykes’ free throws with 5:26 left before the Mystics went on an 11-2 run to pull within one. Washington had a chance to go ahead in the final seconds after Monique Currie’s defensive rebound with 13.9 seconds left, but Kristi Toliver missed an 18-foot jumper and Angel McCoughtry grabbed the rebound. Washington opened the game with a 16-2 lead.
Connecticut leads the WNBA in rebounding average (36.76 per game), ranks third in scoring average (86.2) and fourth in shooting percentage (.451). Chiney Ogwumike leads the league in shooting percentage (.610) and ranks sixth in rebounding (7.7 per game).
Atlanta is 2-0 vs. Connecticut this season but both of those were played in Atlanta and both decided by just five points.
