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Key story lines for the WNBA conference finals

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer

The WNBA playoffs are down to the final four teams with Phoenix, Minnesota, Indiana and Chicago still standing.

Here’s a look at a few story lines for the conference finals.

WOMEN’S WORLD: For the first time in the 18-year history of the WNBA all four teams in the conference finals are coached by women. That guarantees that for the fourth straight year a female coach will guide her team to the title. Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve won in 2011 and 2013. Indiana’s Lin Dunn was the champion in 2012.

“I think it’s great,” said first-year Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello, who was the league’s coach of the year this season. “There’s a lot of talented female coaches out there, so it’s good to see that.”

Even with the success of female coaches lately in the league, Brondello thinks teams should look at a candidate’s abilities when hiring more than gender.

“I don’t think it’s about sex, in terms of who gets jobs,” she said. “It’s about, are they good enough? And obviously there’s a lot of great female coaches, as well as male coaches in the league. It’s good to see organizations hire women. But they still have to hire who they think is best for the job, and that’s what it comes down to. If it’s a woman, I think it’s great. This is the best league in the world, and it’s obviously female.”

STAR POWER: Three of the top five vote-getters in the MVP race this season are still playing, led by award winner Maya Moore.

Moore and the Lynx will have to figure out a way to slow down Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner — who finished second and fifth in the balloting, respectively — and the rest of the Phoenix Mercury.

“It’s just great players all across the board, great matchups all across the board, and at some point it’s just pride,” said Minnesota’s Seimone Augustus. “Pride is on the line, and you have to be the one that’s basically deflating and dominating the other player in that aspect.”

The East has its own stars in Tamika Catchings and Elena Delle Donne. Both would have factored in the MVP voting had they not missed significant time due to injury this season.

Delle Donne carried Chicago to its first playoff series win by scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter to rally the Sky from a 16-point deficit against Atlanta.

MUST SEE TV: Nearly everyone expected Phoenix and Minnesota to meet for the Western Conference title after the two teams ran away from the rest of the field this season. The Lynx are the defending champions and eliminated the Mercury from the playoffs last season. Minnesota also snapped Phoenix’s 16-game winning streak this season that was the second-longest in WNBA history.

The Mercury returned the favor, ending an 11-game run by the Lynx, and earned home-court advantage throughout the playoffs by finishing with the best record in the league.

If that’s not enough of a reason to watch, last season’s matchup between the teams provided one of the biggest buzz moments in league history when Diana Taurasi planted a peck on the cheek of Seimone Augustus after the players were called for double personal fouls.

That video garnered over 2.5 million views in the first 36 hours it went viral.

At the time, Augustus said that she and Taurasi joked about it afterward.

“We talked about it and laughed it off,” Augustus said. “If you think about it, it could have escalated into an all-out brawl. We have a great friendship and it turned a very stressful situation into a show of sportsmanship.”

PUTTING OFF RETIREMENT: Indiana coach Lin Dunn hopes to postpone her retirement for a couple more weeks. The veteran coach announced before the season that this would be her final year on the bench.

She refuses to look back, focusing on the upcoming series with Chicago, a team the Fever knocked out of the playoffs last season and beat three times this season.

“It is the last thing I’m worrying about,” Dunn said. “The only time I think about it is when somebody brings it up. I’m just focused on the team and preparing for the next game.”

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Freelance writer Al Bravo in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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