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    <title>WNBA.com: News and Scores</title>
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      <title><![CDATA[Storm roll past Sky for 13th straight win]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/games/20100730/CHISEA/gameinfo.html?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[SEATTLE (AP) The Seattle Storm showed the Sky how much they have improved since a rare loss two months ago at Chicago.
Swin Cash had 16 points to lead five players in double figures as the Storm beat the Sky 80-60 Friday night for their 13th consecutive win.
Lauren Jackson added 14 points, Svetlana Abrosimova had 13, Sue Bird 11 and Camille Little 10 for Seattle (22-2). Bird also had eight assists as the Storm, who have already clinched the Western Conference title, improved to 13-0 at home.
``That really wasn't our team at that point in the season,'' Bird said. ``They played really well and kind of put us back on our heels and we never figured it out. We've learned a lot since that game about ourselves and to come out here and show that against them felt good.''
The Storm, who lost 84-75 at Chicago on May 27 to end Seattle's 4-0 start and give Chicago its first win after opening 0-4, have won 18 of 19 since then. Seattle is also undefeated since a 72-65 setback at Indiana on June 17.
``They are clicking,'' said Fowles, who led the Sky with 13 points. ``They've put all of the puzzle pieces together. Everyone on that team is a threat, not just Lauren and Sue. You have to guard everybody.''
Chicago (12-14) has lost three of four to drop to last place in the Eastern Conference.
Bird hit three 3-pointers in the second quarter as Seattle built a 55-31 lead at halftime. The Storm shot 8 of 14 on 3-pointers in the first half and finshed with 10 3s.
``We were just hitting,'' Bird said. ``We were getting really good looks, open looks and everybody who got them was knocking them down. Sometimes it is simple as that.''
Seattle increased the advantage to 27 points in the third and fourth quarters.
``We actually were present and engaged in playing our style of play,'' Cash said. ``We were aggressive defensively. Our assignment was there in regards to Sylvia and everything was just working. On offense we were hitting shots early on.''
The Storm are closing in on the best start in WNBA history - 25-2 set by Houston in 1998. The Comets finished that season 27-3 en route to its second of four straight titles in the league's first four years.
Cash scored 10, Jackson eight and Little seven to help give the Storm a 27-13 in the first quarter.
Jackson and Cash sat out the fourth quarter as the Storm held on to the large lead.
``Lauren and I were sitting there and I didn't know should I or shouldn't I put my shirt on,'' Cash said. ``I was happy to sit there and cheer on my teammates.''
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Silver Stars 101, Shock 85]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/games/20100730/SANTUL/gameinfo.html?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[TULSA, Okla. (AP) Becky Hammon scored 22 points to lead the San Antonio Silvers to a 101-85 victory over the Tulsa Shock on Friday night.
Sophia Young and Edwige Lawson-Wade each had 17 points, Michelle Snow added 14, Chamique Holdsclaw 12 and Roneeka Hodges 11 for the Silver Stars (9-17), who won their second straight.
Ivory Latta scored 19 points and Scholanda Robinson added 17 for the Shock (4-21), losers of six straight and 18 of their last 19.
Young scored six points in an 8-0 run that gave the Silver Stars a 47-39 lead at halftime.
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Liberty beat Sparks 88-79 for 4th win in 5 games]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/games/20100730/LASNYL/gameinfo.html?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK (AP) Cappie Pondexter scored 20 points and the New York Liberty beat the struggling Los Angeles Sparks 88-79 Friday night.
Janel McCarville had 15 points, Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 14 points and nine rebounds and Plenette Pierson also scored 14 to help New York (13-11) win for the fourth time in five games.
New York capitalized on the Sparks' mistakes and came up with key shots down the stretch. Nicole Powell's 3-pointer with less than 2 minutes left gave the Liberty a 10-point lead, their biggest of the game.
Tina Thompson scored 18 points and Marie Ferdinand-Harris added 17 for Los Angeles (8-17).
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[McCoughtry leads Dream to 94-82 win over Sun]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/games/20100730/ATLCON/gameinfo.html?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) Angel McCoughtry scored 20 points and the Atlanta Dream used a 25-0 run bridging halftime to beat the Connecticut Sun 94-62 Friday night.
Iziane Castro Marques had 17 points and Erika DeSouza added 13 points and 13 rebounds to help the Dream (17-9) hand the Sun the worst home loss in franchise history. Atlanta also moved percentage points behind first-place Indiana in the Eastern Conference.
Asjha Jones scored 16 points and Sandrine Gruda added 10 for Connecticut (13-11), which dropped into a fourth-place tie with New York. The Sun's previous low-mark at home was a 75-46 loss to Indiana on May 27, 2008.
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Harding's career-high 33 points leads Mystics]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/games/20100730/WASIND/gameinfo.html?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Lindsey Harding scored a career-high 33 points, including Washington's final 13 of the game, to lead the Mystics to a 77-73 victory over the Indiana Fever on Friday night, snapping their three-game losing streak.
Nakia Sanford had 11 points and Crystal Langhorne added nine points and 11 rebounds for the Mystics (14-10), who took the season series from Indiana 3-1.
Tamika Catchings and Katie Douglas both scored 16 for the Fever, and Tammy Sutton-Brown had 14 points to reach double figures for the first time since June 19. Indiana (16-8) had its season-high five-game winning streak snapped.
The Fever remain in first place in the Eastern Conference by percentage points over Atlanta (17-9). Washington is two games behind in third place.
Washington, which trailed by 11 points in the third quarter, got within 60-59 on Sanford's three-point play to begin the final period. The Fever answered with a 9-2 run to regain control.
Minutes later, Harding scored nine straight points to put the Mystics ahead 73-71 with 2:31 left. Harding had two layups, a 3-pointer and another layup during the spurt.
Catchings' jumper tied the score at 73 with 1:07 left, but Harding hit two free throws to make it 75-73 with 29 seconds left. After Ebony Hoffman's missed jumper, Harding made two more free throws to seal the victory.
Catchings and Douglas both scored 10 points in the first half as Indiana led 43-35. The Fever took their biggest lead of the half, 30-19, on Jessica Moore's jumper early in the second quarter.
The Mystics shot nearly 54 percent from the field in the third quarter, compared to Indiana's 26 percent, to get within 60-56. Washington tied the score at 48-all on Marissa Coleman's 3-pointer midway through the period.
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Team Rankings: July 30, 2010]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/features/powerrankings_100730.html?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[2010 WNBA.com POWER RANKINGS: 7/30
1 	
Seattle (1) 	21-2 	Is it safe to assume yet that the road to the WNBA Finals will travel through Seattle? The percentage for “Yes” increases as the season progresses. The Storm's 21-2 record is an achievement in itself. But so is clinching the Western Conference with more than a month still left on the schedule. The rest of the West is most definitely gunning for second or third place, because I don't think anyone wants to take on the Storm in the first round.
Next Three Games: 7/30 vs. Chicago, 8/01 at Minnesota, 8/3 at Tulsa
2 	
Indiana (2) 	16-7 	It's no wonder the best defensive team in the league is also one of the hottest. The Fever's five-game win streak has propelled them to the top of the East, where they finished last season on their way to the WNBA Finals. Tamika Catchings has been the key ingredient for both teams, this year averaging 16.6 points to go with nearly six rebounds, four assists and three steals a night.
Next Three Games: 7/30 vs. Washington, 8/01 at Atlanta, 8/3 vs. New York
3 	
Atlanta (5) 	16-9 	The Dream haven't been so bad either; they've just cooled off since their 14-5 start to the 2010 campaign. After losing four in a row --all to East opponents-- between July 14-21, Atlanta bounced back with victories against New York last Sunday and in Tulsa on Tuesday. The Tulsa game was also the third time this season the Dream have posted 100-plus points in a night. Sancho Lyttle had 20 points and 14 rebounds in that one. Angel McCoughtry, however, had the performance of the week with a 28-point, 10-rebound showing against the Liberty.
Next Three Games: 7/30 at Connecticut, 8/01 vs. Indiana, 9/03 vs. Washington
4 	
Connecticut (4) 	13-10 	The 88-78 win over Washington on Tuesday skips them ahead of their division mates this week. Nevertheless, Connecticut couldn't move out of the fourth spot thanks to Atlanta's jump back into the Top 3. The Sun meet Washington two more times over the next several weeks. They're already 2-0 against the Mystics in 2010, so expect these games to have meaning for both teams in the fight for a playoff spot. Connecticut needs to cut their turnovers – a league-leading 14.5 a night – if they want to improve.
Next Three Games: 7/30 vs. Atlanta, 8/01 at New York, 8/03 at Minnesota
5 	
Washington (3) 	13-10 	There was no way the Mystics were holding on to the third spot in the rankings after dropping Saturday's game against Indiana, Tuesday's in Connecticut and Thursday's versus San Antonio. The Mystics needed to win that trio of games to establish better positioning in the East, where they are now three games out of the lead. This Mystics team has the potential to be very good down the stretch, especially if Crystal Langhorne continues her stellar play. Let's also credit their defense, which is surrendering the least amount of rebounds (28.22) and second-least points (73.61) a night.
Next Three Games: 7/30 at Indiana, 8/01 vs. Tulsa, 8/03 at Atlanta
6 	
New York (8) 	12-11 	I swear to you we'll get to another Western Conference team. Eventually. The Liberty deserve the sixth spot though. Their success this season has been largely in part due to the outstanding play of All-Star Cappie Pondexter. The Liberty guard is marketing herself quite well -- something she hoped to attain by coming to the Big Apple -- with her play on the court, posting 20.8 points and almost five rebounds a night. Pondexter led the Liberty, who have won five of their last seven, with 26 points on Sunday in Atlanta.
Next Three Games: 7/30 vs. Los Angeles, 8/01 vs. Connecticut, 8/03 at Indiana
7 	
Chicago (6) 	12-13 	We close out the East teams with the Chicago Sky, who at 12-13 still have a better record than the West's second-place team, the Phoenix Mercury. Sylvia Fowles has been outstanding for Chicago thus far. The Louisiana State product is in the league's Top 5 in points (18 ppg) and rebounds (10.1 rpg). Fowles is also the number-one shot blocker (2.72 bpg) in the league today. It was a rough three games for the Sky since last week's rankings though. They lost to New York by eight last Friday, won by three over San Antonio on Saturday, then dropped one by four against first-place Indiana on Tuesday. Seattle is coming up on Friday (July 30), and that's going to be a tough match-up.
Next Three Games: 7/30 at Seattle, 8/01 at Phoenix, 8/04 at Los Angeles
8 	
Phoenix (7) 	11-13 	Don't read too much into the Mercury's number in the rankings; they're still a good team. One team they're not even close to as good as though is the Seattle Storm, who have their number this season—actually, who's number do they not have? The Storm have knocked off the Mercury four times already, with one more meeting to go on August 20. Scoring leader Diana Taurasi (23.6 ppg) is doing just about all she can to help this team win. Also, the 17.2 points Penny Taylor averages is a career high for the veteran forward. That said, scoring isn't an issue, it's the amount they're giving up (94 ppg, worst in the league).
Next Three Games: 8/01 vs. Minnesota, 8/03 at San Antonio, 8/06 vs. San Antonio
9 	
San Antonio (9) 	9-15 	Squeaking out a “W” against one of the East's top teams was an impressive feat on Thursday. Becky Hammon's pair of free throws with seven seconds remaining sealed the 79-75 win over the Mystics. Thursday's match-up also ended a three-game swing against their opposing conference, in which they finished 1-2. Three of the Silver Stars's remaining 10 games are against the Mercury, including next Tuesday and Friday. Emerging from those games victorious will certainly help in their quest to stay in the playoff race.
Next Three Games: 7/30 at Tulsa, 8/03 vs. Phoenix, 8/08 at Phoenix
10 	
Los Angeles (11) 	8-16 	The Sparks have played themselves into playoff contention after notching just three wins in the first two months of the season. Even without star Candace Parker, Los Angeles has won three of their last four. Tuesday's win in Minnesota was particularly impressive, as the Sparks held the Lynx to just 58 points on 26 percent from the field. Tina Thompson has also played well as of late, averaging 18 points over her last three games.
Next Three Games: 8/04 vs. Chicago, 8/06 vs. Tulsa, 8/08 vs. San Antonio
11 	
Minnesota (10) 	7-16 	Charde Houston put together an excellent game on Thursday, dropping 26 points and grabbing 13 boards in Minnesota's 110-92 loss to Phoenix. Despite a 7-16 record, the Lynx are still in playoff contention, only 4.5 games behind the Mercury. Ending their five-game losing streak will be difficult though, as the team heads home for a Sunday contest with the Storm, their first of two meetings remaining on the season.
Next Three Games: 8/01 vs. Seattle, 9/03 vs. Connecticut, 8/07 at Chicago
12 	
Tulsa (12) 	4-20 	It's been a really rough going for the Tulsa Shock so far. They had just one win in June and have only one in July, with a Friday night date with San Antonio at the BOK Center. They beat the Silver Stars on July 16, so a win is definitely not out of the question. Also this past week, the Shock traded Alexis Hornbuckle, the last remaining player from their Detroit days, to the Lynx for Rashanda McCants. I'd hate to blame the turnover on their lack of success, but I can't help but imagine where they'd be with a consistent rotation on the floor each night.
Next Three Games: 7/30 vs. San Antonio, 8/01 at Washington, 8/03 vs. Seattle]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Catching Up with Jayne Appel ]]></title>
      <link>http://my.wnba.com/cms/150051/catching_up_with_jayne_appel?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
I recently had the pleasure of eating lunch with my cousin Patrick who told me about how he gets to blog about politics and argue his viewpoint on multiple topics a day. He works for an online magazine called &quot;The Atlantic.” I instantly was jealous that he gets to do this almost 30 times a day for a site that has over a million viewers. It brought me to think about what I would love to blog about and argue for if I had the choice: mental health.
 
As some of you know, I majored in psychology, having developed an interest in mental health at a young age. I have a family member with a mental illness and was constantly surrounded by the social and physical problems surrounding it. It led me to strive now to create a bigger voice for those people who are now mostly forgotten about in our society. When I say forgotten, I am referring to the lack of resources for people with mental illnesses to receive help. In fact, for every one dollar donated towards mental health, one-hundred dollars are donated towards the animals who need help in our society. Granted, my family loves animals as well, but these are people in our society who surround us every day! Real people!
In California, the largest mental health population resides in LA county jail. You can imagine how much one-on-one aid these individuals are receiving in jail for their mental illnesses. There needs to be a better system in place for these individuals to receive help and learn to live with their mental illness.
After studying the actual biological issues of mental illness in college and living through all the social challenges first hand with my family member who suffers from mental illness, I decided to use my position as a professional athlete to raise a voice for these individuals whom are struggling so much. I found a community center in San Antonio that offers programs to those who live with a mental illness and went to meet the people and the staff there. Slowly, I have been developing a plan to create a &quot;Mental Health Awareness Game&quot; in August. Not only will all the individuals who struggle with a mental illness from the center get to come to the game, but every person at the game will be educated about mental health and given the opportunity to give back in some way. I am so excited this will be a social event for them and they will get to be a part of something so big.
I think the part I am looking forward to the most  about for the game is the fact that it will serve as a way to inform so many people about a cause that needs so much help. On Aug. 17, the San Antonio Silver Stars will host its first &quot;Mental Health Awareness&quot; game, and I could not be more proud to say I had a part in creating it. We will have multiple booths at the game where people can gather information and find ways to help these individuals in our society who are in need of so much help!
Ok, so I finally got to blog about something I truly love. I hope my passion for mental health will inspire others to get involved with it as well or inspire people to speak up for a need that is so great.
 
Jayne Appel #32 ]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Lynx 92, Mercury 110]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/games/20100729/MINPHO/gameinfo.html?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[PHOENIX (AP) Penny Taylor had 22 points and seven assists and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Minnesota Lynx 110-92 Thursday night.
Phoenix's fourth win in five games put the Mercury two games ahead of San Antonio for second place in the WNBA's Western Conference with 10 games to .
Minnesota has lost five straight and is a half-game behind fourth-place Los Angeles in the West.
Candice Dupree added 18 points and eight rebounds and Diana Taurasi had 16 points and seven assists for the Mercury, who have scored 100 points in four of the last six games. They have also topped 90 points in a league-record eight straight.
Charde Houston scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead Minnesota.
Kara Braxton, playing in her first game in Phoenix since being traded to the Mercury from Tulsa on July 21, scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.
The fast break was on early as Phoenix made 11 of its first 12 shots to open up a 23-point advantage late in the first half.
Taylor led four players in double figures by halftime with 16 points and four assists as the Mercury set a league record for points in the first half, taking a 69-50 lead at the break.
Phoenix was 30 for 43 from the field.
The highest-scoring team in the league has averaged 105.3 points a game in July and shot 60 percent from the field (47-of-79) on Thursday night, scoring 78 points in the paint.
The Mercury and Lynx set a league scoring mark on Saturday as Phoenix beat Minnesota 127-124 in double overtime.
The Mercury have won the season series with the Lynx in five of the last six years, splitting their games last season.
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[WNBA Announces Postseason Dates and New Format for Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/news/postseason_dates_100729.html?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK, July 29, 2010 – As teams continue to jockey for playoff positioning, the WNBA today announced dates for the first two rounds of the postseason, as well as a new format for the conference semifinals and conference finals. Semifinals games will be played Aug. 25-30 with the conference finals played Sept. 2-8. Both series will now be played in a 1-1-1 best-of-three format, with the higher-seeded teams hosting games 1 and 3. In years prior, the first two rounds were played 1-2, with the higher-seed opening on the road.
“Every team plays hard to gain competitive home-court advantage in the postseason. This change provides incentive and reward for teams who perform at the highest-level, while giving fans the opportunity to see their playoff series tip-off at home,” said WNBA President Donna Orender.
The WNBA Finals, scheduled to begin on Sept. 12, will remain a 2-2-1 best-of-five format in which the higher-seeded team will host games 1, 2, and 5. All WNBA Playoff games will be televised nationally, with ESPN2 and ABC airing up to 10 games, including all contests during the WNBA Finals. NBA TV will also air up to 12 games as part of its conference semifinals and conference finals coverage.
In the Western Conference, the Seattle Storm (21-2) has locked up the No. 1 seed, and is on pace to surpass the WNBA record for best regular season winning percentage, held by the 1998 Houston Comets (.900). The Storm is led by a pair of WNBA All-Stars, center Lauren Jackson and point guard Sue Bird. Jackson ranks second in the league in scoring (22.3 ppg) and seventh in rebounding (9.3 rpg), while Bird ranks first in the league in assists (5.6 apg).
The defending WNBA champion, Phoenix Mercury, is showing signs of returning to championship form. Phoenix is 3-2 since the All-Star break, led by league scoring leader Diana Taurasi (23.9 ppg). On three separate occasions this season, the Mercury has set new-single game scoring records, including 123 points against the Tulsa Shock and 127 points the following game against the Minnesota Lynx in a thrilling double-overtime win.
In the Eastern Conference, each remaining regular season game has playoff implications that will help determine the top four seeds. All six teams in the Eastern Conference continue to be in playoff contention, with the Indiana Fever, Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics, and Connecticut Sun leading the way. The Chicago Sky (12-13) is looking to make its first postseason appearance in franchise history.
WNBA fans can follow all the exciting league action and news on their favorite teams and players at www.wnba.com, as well as www.facebook.com/wnba and www.twitter.com/wnba. ]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Rookie Rankings: July 29, 2010]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/features/rookierankings_100729.html?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[July 29, 2010 -- It's about that time. With the stretch run upon us and teams vying for playoff berths it's time to bust out the 2010 version of the WNBA Rookie Approval Matrix. We introduced the Rookie Approval Matrix last year as a way to look at how the first-year players compare when you incorporate both their individual achievements and how their respective teams are performing. While team success may not be as critical for the Rookie of the Year Award as it might be for MVP, it's still a factor, and could be what gives the nod to one player over another in a tight race.
Luckily, it looks like we won't have to face that dilemma in 2010.
As a refresher, the upper right-hand corner is the best position to be in, while the lower left-hand corner is the least desirable. We must also again credit New York Magazine and its Approval Matrix for the inspiration. Without further ado, the 2010 WNBA Rookie Approval Matrix as it stands today.
	
No. 1: Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun (1st pick)
Skinny:.Yeah, the Rookie Approval Matrix isn't exactly done to correct scale. If it were it would probably be more noticeable just how far ahead Charles is of everyone else. But let us nitpick about Charles for a second. The league's leading rebounder has now failed to a record a double-double in three straight games and has averaged just 12.7 points and 8.0 boards during that span. The team has gone just 1-2 in that stretch, showing just how much the team relies on her production and how valuable she is. It might be a sign that she is hitting the proverbial rookie wall, or that teams are figuring out how to defend her. Either way, with the Sun in danger of losing its grip on a playoff berth, it'll be interesting to see how Charles does in these upcoming games.
Previous ranking: 1
	
No. 2: Epiphanny Prince, Chicago Sky (4th pick)
Skinny: While Prince still has a strong hold on the No. 2 spot, she is starting to fall back to the pack a bit. After starting the past week by scoring 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting in 20 minutes in a loss to New York, Prince has failed to reach double digits in scoring in her last two games, but her court time has been limited. Chicago has gone 1-2 over its last three games, keeping it on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. Still, the Sky remain within striking distance, so count me as one person who would like to see Prince get more run. What could it hurt? She's proven herself to be an explosive scorer with some efficiency (.422) and could open things up more for Sylvia Fowles. Something tells me Chicago will keep treading water until they try something different.
Previous ranking: 2
	
No. 3: Kelsey Griffin, Connecticut Sun (3rd pick)
Skinny: This week, Griffin actually turned in her first double-digit scoring game since May 30 by totaling 10 points in a surprising loss to the Sparks. Griffin only attempted four field goals in the game though, something that is not out of the ordinary. Griffin typically gets her points on second-chance buckets and that doesn't figure to change for the remainder of the season because she has not been able to hit baskets at a consistent rate all year (she's shooting just .369 for 2010). In other words, don't expect to see Coach Mike Thibault draw up plays for her anytime soon.
Previous ranking: 3

	
No. 4: Kalana Greene, New York Liberty (13th pick)
Skinny: Greene is able to hold on to the fourth position in the rankings this week basically for one reason. In the Liberty's last game, a win over San Antonio, Greene poured in a season-high 17 points on a blistering 7-of-11 shooting from the field, including 2-of-2 from three-point range. Her previous high had been 13 points against Connecticut back on June 4. One should note that Greene also played a season-high 28 minutes against the Silver Stars. Her previous high? That was 27 minutes in that June 4 game versus the Sun. Hmmmm.
Previous ranking: 4
	
No. 5: Monica Wright, Minnesota Lynx (2nd pick)
Skinny: Even though the Lynx went 0-3 this past week and did a lot of damage to their playoff hopes, the effort turned in by Wright in all three games was commendable. She posted seven points and six rebounds against San Antonio, then 14 points, three assists and four boards versus Phoenix and lastly 12 points, three assists and four rebounds against Los Angeles. Wright is finally starting to resemble the all-around player we all expected her to be coming out of Virginia. However, I'd be remiss it I didn't make mention of her shooting struggles, which continue to hold her back. In the team's most recent affair, a loss to the Sparks, Wright shot just 4-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-6 from downtown.
Previous ranking: 5
Honorable Mention:
# Jayne Appel, San Antonio Silver Stars (4.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, .536 FG%)
# Jana Vesela, Seatle Storm (3.0 PPG, .697 FG%, 9.9 MPG) ]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[On the Mend with Danielle McCray ]]></title>
      <link>http://my.wnba.com/cms/149999/on_the_mend_with_danielle_mccray?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
Hi Fans,
Time is still winding down. Since the last blog, I have been working out every day, rehabbing my knee and just finished my last week of my two-week camp for 3rd- 12th grade girls and boys. My first camp experience went well. I had a good number of kids come out and learn a lot. I really enjoyed working with them all.
I have still been working hard on the court, getting shots up and getting back in shape.  My knee is on the right path and is on schedule to be cleared in seven more days. It amazes me how strong my knee feels right now. I have been cleared to workout 100%, but I can't have contact, so these last two months have been court workouts and getting better in different areas of my game. I can't explain how excited I am to be able to play again. It's been five months since I have played in an official basketball game and these months have been the toughest. But the good thing about it is, I have had great opportunities come my way while rehabbing and getting ready to play again.
I will be back in Connecticut in about two weeks to visit with my future teammates and coaches and to cheer them on during the three games I will catch. I'm so excited for what's ahead. The countdown is still rolling...AUGUST 5th!
Until then, Go SUN!!
-Danielle McCray
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      <title><![CDATA[First Half Wrapup with Renee Montgomery]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/features/first_half_wrap_montgomery_100728.html?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Connecticut Sun took on a new look this past season not only with big additions from the draft, but also with some offseason acquisitions as well. One of those additions was Renee Montgomery, who came over to the Sun after a January trade in exchange for Lindsay Whalen and the No. 2 pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft.
Montgomery recently sat with WNBA.com to discuss Connecticut's start, where they sat at the midway point and what it's going to take to close out strong.
WNBA.com: What's your take on Connecticut's start to the season?
Renee Montgomery: Our first half of the season was really good. We surprisingly gelled kind of quick in the beginning but then we had a couple of players that were injured and we had to 're-gel,' and we're still working on that right now.
WNBA.com: That was the one thing at the start of the season that everyone was wondering: How soon could the players get it all together? At this point, would you say it's going well?
Montgomery: It is. We still have a lot of work to do. It's hard to figure out. We pretty much have a whole new team. It's hard to figure out what combinations work well together, who doesn't. All the things you figure out during the season. Usually you have a core of players. It's easy because you just have to fill in a few pieces. But right now we pretty much remodeled our whole team and we have to figure out everything.
WNBA.com: Well you pretty much took on a whole new core…
Montgomery: We did. I think it's going to pay off once we start gelling and clicking and understand where each other is going to be.
WNBA.com: Coach Thibault said a few weeks ago that he expected everyone to be on the same page after the break. Do you think that's accurate?
Montgomery: I do. I think sometimes you have to get it wrong to get it right, and we've gotten it wrong enough times to try to figure things out. We've been in situations where we've said, “OK, we can't do that anymore we have to do this.” We're getting enough experience now to realize what's kind of working for us and what's not.
WNBA.com: Plus, you're playing in a conference where getting it wrong can drop a team a few spots in the standings.
Montgomery: That's the thing. We were higher than we are now. We were winning a lot games in a row and then we lost, I think, three out of five. How quickly things can change in the East it just shows you. And in the West it's a lot different. Although we aren't at the bottom, we still want to be at the top.
WNBA.com: Where do you go from here? Is it just a matter of taking what worked and improving on it?
Montgomery: It is. It's taking what worked and keeping it, [taking] what didn't work, throwing it out and trying again. We still haven't figured it all out. I think we're still going to get it wrong sometimes but we're still taking steps to make it better. ]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Storm rallies from 18 down to beat Mercury 91-85]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/games/20100727/PHOSEA/gameinfo.html?ls=gt2hp1021000140?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[SEATTLE(AP) Lauren Jackson scored a season high 33 points to help the Seattle Storm rally from an 18-point halftime deficit and beat the Phoenix Mercury 91-85 on Tuesday night to clinch the top seed in the Western Conference.
Sue Bird added 16 and Tanisha Wright 14 for Seattle (21-2), which won its 12th consecutive game. The Storm are 12-0 at home and 16-0 in conference play.
Diana Taurasi scored 27 and DeWanna Bonner 19 to lead Phoenix (10-13), which had won three in a row. The second-place Mercury dropped 11 games behind the Storm.
The Storm rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to lead 65-64 early in the fourth quarter after Tanisha Wright scored on a three-point play.
The Mercury briefly regained the lead before 3-pointers by Wright and Jackson helped give the Storm a 77-68 lead with 5:18 left and cap a 33-7 run from midway through the third quarter.
Taurasi scored 16, Bonner 12 and Temeka Johnson 11 to help the Mercury to a 56-38 halftime lead.
Houston opened the 1998 season with a 25-2 record.
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Los Angeles uses defense to defeat Minnesota]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/games/20100727/LASMIN/gameinfo.html?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[MINNEAPOLIS (AP) For Los Angeles Sparks coach Jennifer Gillom, Tuesday night's 71-58 victory at Minnesota was very significant.
Not only were the Sparks a game back of the Lynx for the final playoff spot in the WNBA's Western Conference. Not only was Los Angeles looking for its first winning streak of the season. But Gillom was playing against the team she coached just a year ago.
And that's why Gillom had a huge smile on her face afterward.
``You don't even know, a lot of satisfaction,'' said Gillom, who led Minnesota to a 14-20 record last season. ``I'm not going to lie, it's a great feeling to be back here with familiar faces and it's where I got my start. To come back and win is pretty amazing. It was a little emotional for me tonight, but it's a great win.''
Because besides securing a little vindication, Gillom watched her team play the way she would like - limiting turnovers, sharing the ball, rebounding and playing stingy defense.
Three days after using offense to win at Connecticut, Los Angeles (8-16) used its defense to win at Minnesota. The Sparks limited the Lynx (7-15) to 26 percent shooting overall and only 42 points over the final three quarters. In the second quarter, Los Angeles' zone defense contributed to Minnesota going only 2-for-20 from the floor.
Most importantly, Los Angeles held Minnesota star Seimone Augustus to a season-low six points. Minnesota's leading scorer, Augustus missed her first seven field goal attempts and was held without a basket before making a 3-pointer with 8:12 left in the third quarter.
``That's very rewarding, especially limiting Seimone because that's very hard to do,'' said Sparks center Tina Thompson, who led all scorers with 24 points. ``In my opinion, she's the most versatile player in the WNBA. She does a little bit of everything well, she has every shot you could think of on the court. Our guards did a great job on her and our zone helped.''
Thompson and Noelle Quinn (17 points) provided much of the offense for a Los Angeles team that trailed by as many as 12 points in the first quarter. Marie Ferdinand-Harris added 12 points for the Sparks.
It was clear that the Sparks, who now have two victories over the Lynx, knew the playoff implications of this game.
``We're a good team and sometimes when you can't put a string of wins together, your confidence can go down and you can start looking at each other,'' Quinn said. ``It's very satisfying to know that we have our first winning streak of the season.''
Leading 29-26 at halftime, the Sparks steadily stretched their cushion in the second half. Ferdinand-Harris scored 10 of her points in the third quarter and her transition basket with 2:54 to play in the third quarter gave Los Angeles a 46-39 lead. The lead grew to double digits in the fourth and the Sparks led 68-56 when Quinn drove to the basket and scored with 2:36 to play.
Lindsay Whalen and Monica Wright each finished with 12 points to lead Minnesota.
``I don't know where I can even start with any one thing,'' Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. ``Probably the most frustrating thing is our inability to get the ball in the hole. In a game with this magnitude, you know (against) a team that is fighting for a playoff spot, we just haven't quite grasped how to win those kind of games.''
For the Sparks, a victory in an important game provides some much-needed confidence and momentum.
``This team is capable of making the playoffs and that is something we have really picked up lately,'' Gillom said.
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited]]></description>
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      <title><![CDATA[Greene, Pierson lead Liberty past Silver Stars]]></title>
      <link>http://www.wnba.com/games/20100727/SANNYL/gameinfo.html?rss=true</link>
      <description><![CDATA[NEW YORK (AP) The New York Liberty bounced back from a disappointing loss and got needed victory to keep pace in the Eastern Conference.
Rookie Kalana Greene scored a season-high 17 points, Plenette Pierson had 16 and the Liberty beat the San Antonio Silver Stars 77-72 Tuesday night. Cappie Pondexter added 13 points and Leilani Mitchell 10.
``It's awesome when we play great basketball, great team basketball,'' said Pondexter, who shot 4 for 12 from the field and finished eight points below her season average. ``It feels good not having to force everything or take all the shots.''
The Liberty (12-11) won for the fifth time in seven games and remained one game behind Connecticut for the fourth and final playoff position in the East.
``Right now we are trying to get to climb up to fourth, hopefully third and you never know, maybe we get to second,'' Pondexter said. ``We are going to keep fighting. We've shown a lot of resilience. We play hard, we work hard and we we just hope that it pays off.''
Greene, Pierson and Essence Carson helped the Liberty reserves outscore their Silver Stars counterparts 41-10. Pierson shot 8 for 10 from the field and Greene was 7 for 11.
``Plenette, Kalana, Essence all came in and gave us a big lift,'' Liberty coach Anne Dononvan said. ``More than half of our points came from those three, and 11 boards to go with it. When your number is called you've got to be ready to go. ... All three stepped up.''
Chamique Holdsclaw scored 18 points and Michelle Snow had 14 to lead the Silver Stars (8-15), losers of eight of their last 11. Sophia Young added 12 points and Becky Hammon 10.
``We've lost 4 or 5 games in the last stretch to a one-possession game,'' Hammon said. ``It's tough, we're having to battle through some things and we're just not closing well.''
The Liberty have had problems with that, too. New York was coming off an 82-75 loss at Atlanta on Sunday in which it led by a point with less than 3 minutes to go, but was outscored 11-0 until Mitchell hit a 3-pointer at the final buzzer. Against San Antonio, the Liberty built an eight-point lead early in the fourth quarter and held on for the win.
The Silver Stars got no closer than four until Roneeka Hodges' 3 with 44 seconds left pulled San Antonio to 75-72.
Pondexter lost the ball on the ensuing Liberty possession, but they got the ball back on a jump ball. Mitchell was fouled and made a free throw with 20.4 seconds to go, giving New York a four-point lead.
Hodges missed a long 3 on San Antonio's next possession. Carson missed two free throws for the Liberty with 16.1 seconds left. The Silver Stars turned the ball over on their ensuing possession and Taj McWilliams-Franklin hit a free throw with 5.8 seconds remaining to seal the win.
``We had stops tonight where we didn't get them in Atlanta,'' Donovan said. ``We've had different games where that's happened, at the end of games. There's no easy games in this league. No team is going to walk away with a big win. There's not been a game we haven't been in. In Atlanta, we just didn't close it down with stops. ... Tonight, we did. We got stops when we had to have them.''
New York also had a late letdown last Tuesday at Connecticut. The Liberty led by 13 points with more than 4 minutes left in regulation, but allowed the Sun to tie it before New York prevailed in overtime.
``We keep putting ourselves in a hole,'' said Greene, whose 3-pointer gave the Liberty a 67-59 lead with 8:11 left. ``We have a lead and give ourselves a cushion, then teams go on their run. We expect teams to go on a run, but it's how we react and we reacted beautifully (tonight).''
Mitchell made three 3-pointers and has 17 in the last five games while shooting 61 percent from beyond the arc during the stretch. For the season, she is at 46 percent.
``Lei is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league,'' Pondexter said. ``Teams are starting to realize that you can't leave her open. She's deadly.''
After Mitchell hit a 3 to open the third quarter, San Antonio scored the next six points to take a 42-39 lead on Holdsclaw's layup with about 8 minutes to go in the period. Pondexter had a layup and made two free throws to put the Liberty ahead 45-44 nearly 2 1/2 minutes later. Snow follwed with two free throws of her own to regain San Antonio's lead.
However, Pierson had hit a jumper to put New York ahead again, 47-46 near the midpoint of the third, and the Liberty didn't trail again.
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited]]></description>
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