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Happy Labor Day and welcome back to Layup Lines, your quick recap of what’s going on in the WNBA.

• Remember how I said yesterday that I was off today to move? I lied. The big drive now comes tomorrow and Wednesday, so I will see you back here on Thursday.

This 482 word newsletter should take about 2 minutes to read.

Valks win third straight, now in 6th

• Golden State has gone from a fun expansion team to a great story to a legitimate threat to get out of the first round of the playoffs. After beating the shorthanded Fever by double digits last night thanks to a career-high 21 points from Iliana Rupert, the Valkyries are now in 6th place in the standings and should be the first expansion team in the history of the WNBA to make the playoffs in their first season.

  • The race to see who has to play Minnesota in the first round is still deadlocked between Seattle, Indiana, Golden State and theoretically L.A., but the Valks are playing the best out of those four and are so well coached.

• In last night’s other, game, the Sparks kept their season alive with a meager win over the free-falling Mystics, 81-78.

  • L.A. has the talent on paper but is running out of time to put it all together.

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Today’s games

• The Sparks won without covering last night, so we went 1-1 with our picks and are now 83-95 this season with $233 remaining to wager.

• There are three games today — Atlanta @ Connecticut (1:00pm ET, League Pass), Dallas @ Minnesota (8:00pm, NBA TV) and Los Angeles @ Seattle 10:00pm, NBA TV). Finally, some daytime basketball!

  • This feels like a trap game for Atlanta on the road. The Dream should still win, but Connecticut has been playing great team basketball the last few weeks.

    • Bet: Sun +10.5, $50 to win $46.

  • The Lynx have already clinched the No. 1 seed and don’t have anything left to play for, while the banged-up Wings are mentally already in Cancun.

    • Bet: Minnesota / Dallas over 170 total points scored, $50 to win $44.

  • L.A. needs this to stay close to 8th place and Seattle needs this to stay there, which means either a close defensive game or one team getting blown out.

    • Bet: L.A. / Seattle under 173 points scored, $50 to win $45.

Graphic to go

• Even though the Mystics have fallen apart in the second half, Sonia Citron setting this record is a big deal considering the talent of the last two rookie classes. Washington is going to be a fun sleeper to make the playoffs next year.

Layup Lines is written 100% by a human being. I very much appreciate you reading and will see you back here Thursday.

— Everett Cook, Founder & Editor