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WNBA All-Star Break
The Phoenix Mercury holding the best record in the WNBA (18-3) at the break will also host the 2014 WNBA All-Star Game on July 19th. The hometown crowd will get to see three Mercury players (the Atlanta Dream and Minnesota Lynx also have three All-Stars each), including starters Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, and reserve Candice Dupree. The West comes in loaded and looking to repeat, Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, and 2013 All-Star MVP Candace Parker all return on the West team as starters. While, the East with first-year All-Stars Shoni Schimmel and Chiney Ogumike, lost some of their frontcourt prowess from last year’s squad due to injuries. Sylvia Folwes, a double-double machine came back recently from hip surgery
and only played eight games in the 2014 season. Teammate and second in All-Star votes, Elena Delle Donne, has also missed eight games and hasn’t played since late June with complications related to Lyme disease.
2014 WNBA All-Star Game, July 19th, 3:30 pm/12:30 pm, ESPN
Eastern Conference Starters
Shoni Schimmel, Atlanta Dream
Cappie Pondexter, New York Liberty
Elena Delle Donne, Chicago Sky
Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream
Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever
Reserves- Jessica Breland, Chicago Sky; Tina Charles, New York Liberty; Erika de Souza, Atlanta Dream; Katie Douglas, Connecticut Sun; Briann January, Indiana Fever; Chiney Ogwumike, Connecticut Sun
Western Conference Starters
Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
Skylar Diggins, Tulsa Shock
Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx
Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks
Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
Reserves- Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx; Candice Dupree, Phoenix Mercury; Glory Johnson, Tulsa Shock; Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks; Danielle Robinson, San Antonio Stars; Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota Lynx
1st Time All-Stars: East- Shoni Schimmel, Jessica Breland, Briann January, Chiney Ogwumike. West- Skylar Diggins
First Half Recap
The league at the moment is looking like a three-team race. Atlanta leading the East, while Phoenix and Minnesota are tops in the West. The three teams hold four of the five “Race to the MVP” spots, including Brittney Griner, Angel McCoughtry, Diana Taurasi, and leading MVP candidate at the break, Maya Moore. Candace Parker holds the final MVP spot and the Sparks are currently fourth in the West, an unusual eight games out of first place. Starting guard Kristi Toliver took time off during the season to train with the Slovakia National Team to prepare for European and Olympic qualifications Toliver has only started nine of the Sparks 22 games. Second in minutes and third on the team in scoring, Toliver’s absences was a key factor to Los Angeles’ slow start. The final two spots in the Eastern Conference will be heavily contested with four teams separated by one game. The foursome includes the Chicago Sky, the #1 Seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs in 2013 looking to increase the win total with the recent return of Sylvia Fowles and a hopeful recovery from second year star Elena Delle Donne.
My predictions are looking pretty good at the midway point of the season. Seven of the eight predicted playoff teams currently in with the one exception the Chicago Sky. The Sky had to deal with injuries all season and are only a game and a half out of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Candace Parker my MVP pick is playing at a very high level averaging 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists per game. She’s only behind Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, and Angel McCoughtry for the “Race for the MVP.” The others have better records, but only Moore is out pacing Parker statistically.
Standings at the All Star Break
and only played eight games in the 2014 season. Teammate and second in All-Star votes, Elena Delle Donne, has also missed eight games and hasn’t played since late June with complications related to Lyme disease.2014 WNBA All-Star Game, July 19th, 3:30 pm/12:30 pm, ESPN
Eastern Conference Starters
Shoni Schimmel, Atlanta Dream
Cappie Pondexter, New York Liberty
Elena Delle Donne, Chicago Sky
Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream
Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever
Reserves- Jessica Breland, Chicago Sky; Tina Charles, New York Liberty; Erika de Souza, Atlanta Dream; Katie Douglas, Connecticut Sun; Briann January, Indiana Fever; Chiney Ogwumike, Connecticut Sun
Western Conference Starters
Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
Skylar Diggins, Tulsa Shock
Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx
Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks
Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
Reserves- Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx; Candice Dupree, Phoenix Mercury; Glory Johnson, Tulsa Shock; Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks; Danielle Robinson, San Antonio Stars; Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota Lynx
1st Time All-Stars: East- Shoni Schimmel, Jessica Breland, Briann January, Chiney Ogwumike. West- Skylar Diggins
First Half Recap
The league at the moment is looking like a three-team race. Atlanta leading the East, while Phoenix and Minnesota are tops in the West. The three teams hold four of the five “Race to the MVP” spots, including Brittney Griner, Angel McCoughtry, Diana Taurasi, and leading MVP candidate at the break, Maya Moore. Candace Parker holds the final MVP spot and the Sparks are currently fourth in the West, an unusual eight games out of first place. Starting guard Kristi Toliver took time off during the season to train with the Slovakia National Team to prepare for European and Olympic qualifications Toliver has only started nine of the Sparks 22 games. Second in minutes and third on the team in scoring, Toliver’s absences was a key factor to Los Angeles’ slow start. The final two spots in the Eastern Conference will be heavily contested with four teams separated by one game. The foursome includes the Chicago Sky, the #1 Seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs in 2013 looking to increase the win total with the recent return of Sylvia Fowles and a hopeful recovery from second year star Elena Delle Donne.
My predictions are looking pretty good at the midway point of the season. Seven of the eight predicted playoff teams currently in with the one exception the Chicago Sky. The Sky had to deal with injuries all season and are only a game and a half out of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Candace Parker my MVP pick is playing at a very high level averaging 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists per game. She’s only behind Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi, and Angel McCoughtry for the “Race for the MVP.” The others have better records, but only Moore is out pacing Parker statistically.
Standings at the All Star Break
EAST CONFERENCE
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| W | L | PCT | GB | CONF | HOME | ROAD | L 10 | STREAK | ||||||
| Atlanta1 | 15 | 6 | 0.714 | 0.0 | 10-6 | 10-2 | 5-4 | 7-3 | L 1 | |||||
| Indiana2 | 11 | 12 | 0.478 | 5.0 | 9-7 | 5-8 | 6-4 | 5-5 | W 1 | |||||
| Washington3 | 10 | 13 | 0.435 | 6.0 | 6-6 | 4-7 | 6-6 | 5-5 | W 1 | |||||
| Connecticut4 | 10 | 14 | 0.417 | 6.5 | 6-9 | 7-5 | 3-9 | 2-8 | L 1 | |||||
| New York5 | 8 | 13 | 0.381 | 7.0 | 5-8 | 7-5 | 1-8 | 5-5 | W 1 | |||||
| Chicago6 | 8 | 14 | 0.364 | 7.5 | 7-7 | 5-7 | 3-7 | 2-8 | L 6 | |||||
WEST CONFERENCE
| ||||||||||||||
| W | L | PCT | GB | CONF | HOME | ROAD | L 10 | STREAK | ||||||
| Phoenix1 | 18 | 3 | 0.857 | 0.0 | 12-2 | 10-1 | 8-2 | 10-0 | W 12 | |||||
| Minnesota2 | 17 | 6 | 0.739 | 2.0 | 11-4 | 10-1 | 7-5 | 8-2 | W 4 | |||||
| San Antonio3 | 11 | 12 | 0.478 | 8.0 | 6-9 | 4-6 | 7-6 | 4-6 | L 3 | |||||
| Los Angeles4 | 10 | 12 | 0.455 | 8.5 | 6-8 | 3-7 | 7-5 | 6-4 | L 1 | |||||
| Seattle5 | 9 | 15 | 0.375 | 10.5 | 5-10 | 5-4 | 4-11 | 4-6 | L 2 | |||||
| Tulsa6 | 8 | 15 | 0.348 | 11.0 | 4-11 | 5-7 | 3-8 | 2-8 | W 1 | |||||
