Hilfestellungen » up a semifinal match against Petra Kvi

The Atlanta Dream cant control its own destiny in the hunt for the fourth seed in the WNBA Playoffs, but it certainly cant afford to lose focus and slip down the standings with just two games to play in the regular season.The Dreams first order of business is to win on Tuesday against the San Antonio Stars at Philips Arena in Atlanta.San Antonio has already secured the leagues worst record and has been eliminated from the postseason for weeks.However, the Stars arent playing like also-rans. They gave the Minnesota Lynx, the top-seed in the playoffs, a scare on Sunday before coming up short in an 81-76 defeat. Moriah Jefferson, the Stars second-leading scorer averaging 13.5 points per game, put up 26 points and eight assists in the losing effort.Atlanta (16-15) is tied for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky, but would have to settle for fifth place because the Fever owns tiebreakers against both the Dream and the Sky.Why is the fourth seed so important? The top four teams earn first round byes in the playoffs while the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth finishers will have to play each other in a one-game elimination round.The Dream will be without Angel McCoughtry, its leading scorer, on Tuesday. McCoughtry was suspended by the WNBA on Monday for one game after receiving her seventh technical foul of the season.McCoughtry, who is averaging 19.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, picked up her sixth and seventh technicals with 3:13 remaining in the second quarter during Atlantas 86-75 loss Sunday at the Phoenix Mercury. Tiffany Hayes scored 22 points in the defeat for Atlanta.San Antonio (6-25) has lost six straight games and nine of its last 10. The Stars have won just once in the eight games theyve played since the WNBAs month-long break for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.The Dream and Stars split their first two meetings this season, both in San Antonio, as the Dream won 73-63 in overtime in the season opener on May 14 and lost to the Stars 73-69 on June 25. Calgary Flames Gear . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Cheap Flames Jerseys . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. https://www.cheapflames.com/ .5 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hawkins, who turns 41 in December, will compete with Rex Brothers for the closers role at spring training. Calgary Flames Store . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. Wholesale Flames Jerseys . LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. WUHAN, China -- Fourth-seeded Simona Halep of Romania advanced to the semifinals of the Wuhan Open on Thursday with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Madison Keys of the United States.Halep beat the eighth-seeded Keys with powerful groundstrokes to set up a semifinal match against Petra Kvitova, who beat Johanna Konta 6-3, 6-4.It was a great match for me, Halep said. I knew she would be very tough because shes strong and serves really well, but I was moving well and enjoyed my time on the court.With the win, Halep improved to 4-1 against Keys and qualified for her third straight appearance at the WTA Finals in Singapore.It was Haleps third victory against Keys this year following wins in the third round of Wimbledon and in the final of the Rogers Cup in Montreal.ddddddddddddSvetlana Kuznetsova came from match point down to defeat Agnieszka Radwanska 1-6, 7-6 (9), 6-4.I was getting better as the match was going on, Kuznetsova said. Aga played well in the first set, but I wasnt moving so well.In the second set, I wasnt playing my best game, but I was trying to stay in there, trying to fight, trying to be smart and turn things around.Kuznetsova will next face Dominika Cibulkova, who defeated?Barbora Strycova?6-3, 3-6, 6-4.The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '