The league continues to score less and less points....some of it is due to offensive ineptitude, and some of it is due to the pace of the game...ie, the Wings.
The default play has been UNDER and underdogs this season. July historically has been an UNDERDOG month in the W before favorites make a combeback in August.
Indigo lines, Friday
Fever +4 Sparks 157
Fever like night and day from last year....their guards are very good and Candice Dupress is about the smartest player in the league. Almost every game at home they stay in it. The Sparks are this year's version of Jeckyl and Hyde. They'll look like superheroines one game and completely fall apart the second. Their guard play sometimes is about the best I've ever seen for the WNBA, but last game in Dallas they were invisible. Parker's days as a Spark look to be numbered, and I would not be surprised if Agler gets her next year to finish off her very good pro career.
Dream +3 Lynx 152
Dream looked good against the swooning Sun last game at home. Though the league is now totally playing Sykes and Hayes to drive to the hoop every time they touch it,...instead of forcing the shot, they are looked to dish to the bigs on their drives which worked last game for them. It's about time!! The Dream are quite capable of playing good defense, which for the first 10 games was just an idea and not put into practice whatsoever. They are still the most disappointing team in the league and I question whether they can play a complete game against the very sound Lynx versus playing and winning against the headcase Sun.
Sun -4 Mercury 160
Every year the Sun come out like a house afire, and then completely fall apart after about game 10. They still have lost only one at home and play a team in the Mercury that just finished crushing the best team in the league on the road. The Mercury's guards shoot it better than anyone and of course basically the better shooting 3 point teams covers games in modern basketball. Griner has a good game about once every three though and it's tough to shoot it great from three on the road consecutive games.
Sky -4 Liberty 160
I raved about DeShields previously. I've changed my mind about her. Her game looks pretty, but she is basically a volume shooter that does nothing else to help her team and she hurts her team a great deal if she isn't making anything. I'd take Quigley over her EVERY time, as Quigley makes threes and causes the whole opposing team to be aware of her. Vandersloot?...there's something wrong with her this season....the Sky should pick for her out top and let her attack the defense and have her dish, but it happens rarely...instead Dolson after setting a pick out high, acts as the point forward for much of the game for the Sky and Lavendar gets more three point shots than anyone....I don't get it.
Storm -4 Wings 158
If either team breaks 60 this will be a surprise....slow ball at its finest. Agler has done a marvelous job and they play very tough defense and not so great offense this year. They'll get a couple of scorers next year and contend. Seattle just plays slow and the attrition is mountng for this team. Basically Howard can score and they refuse to play Whitcomb much who would help the scoring load....they play VERY slow to try to keep the games close, which seemed to work for most of the beginning of the season, but they are strugging now. Wings type of ball of defense first works best at home, but offense is what will win you games on the road.
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