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LOS ANGELES -- Sparks guard Kristi Toliver dreams a lot about basketball, which makes sense. Shes the daughter of a referee. Shes been a shooter since forever. Shes cerebral on the court. So, of course, the sport is there a lot even when she sleeps.She thinks the game very well; shes one of the most intelligent players Ive been around, Los Angeles coach Brian Agler said. If you think of people Id compare her with, its like Sue Bird, Katie Smith, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker -- those guys really see the game and understand it.They see things before they happen and can analyze it from a team perspective and talk about what we need to get better. Kristi sees the game like that.Toliver, 29, has long been viewed as a shooting guard who plays the point out of necessity, but thats not a fair way to describe it. With eight years experience as a professional, Toliver has been pretty great at being a combo guard and all that entails.This year has illustrated that. During the regular season, Toliver had 122 assists -- the second-highest total of her career -- and 45 turnovers. Her turnover average of 1.3 was the lowest of her career. Efficiency was the key word for the Sparks offense, and Toliver played a huge role while averaging a team-high 32.1 minutes per game.She also shot the 3 better than ever: Toliver made a career-high 81 from long range. And her 42.4 percent from behind the arc was fourth-best in the WNBA and the fourth season in which shes shot better than 42 percent from behind the arc.As the Sparks enter Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Friday (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET), a lot as always will be riding on Tolivers shoulders. The Sparks will look to her to initiate offense and score herself. After Los Angeles was so thoroughly beaten on the boards in Tuesdays Game 2 loss at Minnesota, the Sparks guards will need to do more to help with rebounding, too.And everyone will be waiting for Toliver to hit 3-pointers. In her career, shes made 416 treys in the WNBA regular season, and 33 in the playoffs. Eighteen of those have come in six postseason games this year.I know thats what people expect me to do, she said. But I also use the fact that I am a shooter to my advantage as a decoy. You can use that whether youve got the ball or not.The long ball is her signature, and always has been. But we know -- weve seen for some time now -- that there is a lot more to Tolivers game.She can pretty much do everything, Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen said. She can drive, she can put it on the bounce and shoot. And if she gets hot from outside, look out. Shes a tough player who has really improved her game every year. So you just do what you can to stay on her. She makes it hard, though; shes one of the reasons theyve had such a great season.Toliver started her career with Chicago, which drafted her at No. 3 in 2009, but she and then-coach Steven Key didnt necessarily see eye-to-eye. In 2010, the Sky traded her for a 2011 second-round pick (Angie Bjorklund, who played in just seven WNBA games). Key was gone after the 2010 season himself, but by then the damage had been done by giving Toliver away for nothing.Los Angeles has reaped the benefits. Parker, the Sparks No. 1 pick in 2008, remembers when the team told her there was a chance to get Toliver.I got excited because shes one of the best shooters in the WNBA, said Parker, the only current Sparks player whos been with Los Angeles longer than Toliver. Shes a combo guard, but shes learned to play the point-guard position: run the offense and figure out when its her time. Shes mastered that and has a good balance of getting other people involved.If you ask an expert true point guard about the different mentality between the guard positions, you have a greater appreciation for how well Toliver has done dual duty.When Im the point guard and Im dribbling down the court, Im calling a play, and trying to get my teammates in place, Seattles Sue Bird said. Youre looking to set things up. When I do play shooting guard, though, immediately in my head, the first thing when I touch the ball is, I get to try to score.So I think when you are naturally a shooting guard, and you get put at the point spot, its a little uncomfortable. When youre trying to find that natural balance, its hard for some players.Over the years, someone who is as natural a shooter as Toliver has struggled at times with the balance. But shes spent many years to refine all the skills she needs for both jobs.Kristi, when she can put the ball on the floor and create a little distance to get her shots off, shes probably at her greatest strength, Agler said. But she has really worked to evolve her game so she could be an effective point guard; her assist-to-turnover ratio this year was really good.Toliver said after this long in the league, she is relishing a chance to play in the WNBA Finals for the first time and is suitably dialed in. Shes averaged 14.3 points in this postseason, including 19 in the Sparks Game 1 victory over Minnesota.I dont think Ive ever been so focused, Toliver said of the 2016 playoffs. I know that everyone is just willing to do anything. Watching the extra film, doing your homework. Knowing its going to take everything we have.And basketball does seep into her subconscious. Toliver said she does plenty of shooting in dreamland. The most famous 3-pointer of her career, which tied Duke late in the 2006 national championship game and paved the way for Marylands overtime victory, sometimes even replays in her mind.Does she ever miss in her dreams? Toliver gives you a perish-the-thought look and smiles.Oh, no, she said. It always goes in.Vapormax Off White Acheter . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. Vapormax Pas Cher Chine . Pierce was ejected in the third quarter of Indianas 103-86 win Monday. George Hill stole a bad pass and was going in for a layup, and Pierce hustled back and appeared to be trying to wrap him up. http://www.vapormaxsolde.fr/basket-vapormax-flyknit-grossiste.html . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4. Vapormax Off White Pas Cher . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. Vapormax Plus Pas Cher Chine . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace.MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Bob Huggins joined some elite company.No. 12 West Virginia used a 37-4 first half run to cruise to a 112-67 victory over UMKC, Huggins his 800th career win.Huggins is the 10th head coach to reach 800 wins and only the third to achieve that milestone at his alma mater, the others being Jim Boeheim at Syracuse and Adolph Rupp at Kentucky.Those are big names, Huggins said. Those are guys that I said when I first got to go to the Final Four, Id sit in the lobby all day and all night and just watch them. Id watch how they interacted with people and just sat there thinking that one day I want to be like that. One day, I want to be one of them.Huggins is the second college basketball coach to achieve the 800-win milestone this week as former Villanova coach Rollie Massimino did it this week as Keiser defeated Trinity Baptist 77-47 on Wednesday.Boeheim along with former WVU player and Golden State Warriors executive board member Jerry West, Kentucky head coach John Calipari, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino and countless former Cincinnati and WVU players were among those to send their congratulations in a postgame ceremony.It was kind of neat seeing all of those former players and all the people who were more a part of it (800 wins) than I am because I didnt score a goal in any of the 800, Huggins said.Huggins was presented with a jersey with the number 800 printed on it by West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons following the game.Thank you Shane, but I dont think I couldve fit into this even when I played, Huggins said.Among Huggins 800 wins are two Final Four appearances (1992 with Cincinnati and 2010 with West Virginia), four Elite Eight appearances, seven Sweet 16 appearances and 10 conference championships.Eight-hundred wins. How do you pick one? Huggins answered when asked for his favorite win. I cant do it. I like beating Cal (John Calipari) but thats way more than one.Nathan Adrian led seven players in double figures for the Mountaineers (9-1)) with 13 points.dddddddddddd Daxter Miles Jr. and Esa Ahmad had 12 points each. Elijah Macon led West Virginia with seven rebounds and Jevon Carter had six assists.He has a lot of pride in this state and a lot of pride for the game of basketball so you really cant hide that, Adrian said when asked of Huggins emotions after the game.The win was the highest scoring output for the Mountaineers this season.LaVell Boyd led the Kangaroos (7-6) with 14 points.The 45-point defeat is the worst for UMKC this season beating their 43-point defeat at Kansas earlier this month.BIG PICTUREUMKC has one major trip left on its schedule as they hit the road to take on Mississippi State on Dec. 29, which is sandwiched between a couple of home games. The Kangaroos start WAC play at home against New Mexico State on Jan. 5.West Virginia has looked impressive in just about all facets of the game since their upset of then-No. 6 Virginia on Dec. 3. The Mountaineers have a couple more games in the stat-padding portion of their schedule before starting Big 12 play at Oklahoma State on Dec. 30.PRESS VIRGINIAThe Mountaineers scored 38 points off 27 UMKC turnovers. West Virginia forces an average of 26.1 turnovers per game.WITNESSING HISTORYThis is the second time the Kangaroos have played in a milestone game this season. Their loss to Kansas, 105-62, on Dec. 6 was Jayhawks coach Bill Selfs 600th career win.PLAYING ONE `ROO SHORTUMKC dismissed senior guard and second-leading scorer Martez Harrison earlier in the week. Harrison had been suspended since late November due to an investigation by the schools Title IX office. He averaged 16.5 points per game during the first six games of the season.UP NEXTUMKC hosts UT Martin on Tuesday night.West Virginia hosts Radford on Tuesday night.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. ' ' '