MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier had 15 points and 12 rebounds and the Minnesota Lynx hit 14 3-pointers to hand the New York Liberty their second-straight loss 84-67 on Saturday.
The Lynx used three 3s in an 11-0 run to pull away from a tie late in the third quarter. A 6-2 outburst to start the fourth gave them a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Alanna Smith also had 15 points for Minnesota (3-1). Kayla McBride hit four 3s and scored 14 points, with two of the 3s coming quickly after New York tied the game at 55 late in the third. The Liberty were 14 of 28 from 3.
Bridget Carleton, who started in place of Diamond Miller, also scored 14 points. Minnesota announced Friday that Miller was out indefinitely with a knee injury.
Breanna Stewart scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Liberty (2-4), who finished 7 of 29 behind the arc and only scored nine points in the fourth. Sabrina Ionescu added 13 points and Courtney Vandersloot had 12 but the other two starters — Jonquel Jones and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton — both had four. Leonie Fiebich had 11 points off the bench, going 3 of 5 behind the arc.
Minnesota raced to a 31-17 lead after the first hitting 7 of 11 3s; two by Cecilia Zandalasini in just three minutes off the bench.
ACES 99, FEVER 80
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Caitlin Clark might be the WNBA’s future, but A’ja Wilson showed Saturday night why she is arguably the league’s best current player with 29 points and 15 rebounds to lead Las Vegas Aces to a win over Indiana.
Clark scored eight points on 2-of-8 shooting (2 of 5 from the 3-point line) and had seven assists and five rebounds to go with six turnovers. It was the fewest points for Clark, who entered the game averaging 16.7 points. Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana (1-6) with 16 points, Temi Fagbenle had 13 and Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull each finished with 12.
Wilson, a two-time league MVP, made 12 of 18 shots. Also for the Aces (3-1), Jackie Young scored 22 points and Kelsey Plum 20. Rookie Kate Martin, Clark’s best friend and former Iowa teammate, scored a personal-high 12 points, making two 3-pointers, a three-point play and three free throws on one foul.
Clark and Martin skipped toward each and hugged pregame. Another former Hawkeye, Megan Gustafson, plays for Las Vegas.
Their former coach, Lisa Bluder, sat courtside. Bluder, who retired May 14 after 24 years overseeing the Hawkeyes, was joined by her replacement, Jan Jansen.
SUN 86, SKY 82
CHICAGO (AP) — DeWanna Bonner scored 19 points, DiJonai Carrington and Brionna Jones each scored 16 and Connecticut beat Chicago.
Tyasha Harris scored 15 points for the Sun (5-0) who remain the only unbeaten team in the WNBA.
Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas was ejected for a flagrant foul after appearing to wrap at least one hand around the neck of Chicago rookie Angel Reese on a play in the third quarter. Reese made the two foul shots with 3:41 left in the period to give Chicago a 60-59 lead. Carrington countered with a driving layup 38 seconds later.
Bonner’s 3-pointer with 7:03 remaining made it 78-71 before Chicago went on an 8-0 run and Dana Evans’ 3-pointer with 5:03 left gave the Sky their last lead at 79-78.
Bonner followed with a three-point play and a mid-range jumper and Connecticut led the rest of the way.
Marina Mabrey scored 23 points for Chicago (2-2) while Evans and Reese had 13 points each.
STORM 101, MYSTICS 69
SEATTLE (AP) — Nneka Ogwumike scored 19 points and Jewell Loyd added 18 to lead five Seattle players scoring in double figures as they beat Washington.
Ezi Magbegor and Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 16 points apiece and Sami Whitcomb hit 4 of 5 from 3-point range and finished with 12 points for the Storm (3-3)
The Mystics (0-6) are off to their worst start since the 2007 team opened the season with eight consecutive losses.
Diggins-Smith made two free throw with 6:26 left in the first quarter that made it 12-11 and Seattle led the rest of the way. Julie Vanloo made a driving layup that cut Washington’s deficit to 19-15 with 3:38 to go in the first quarter but the Mystics went scoreless for the next four-plus minutes and didn’t make another field goal until Jade Melbourne hit a short jumper that made it 31-19 with 8:32 remaining in the first half.
Vanloo hit a 3-pointer that pulled Washington within 50-43 at halftime but got no closer. Diggins-Smith found Magbegor for a 3-pointer that made it 55-45 with 8:09 left in the third quarter and Seattle led by double figures the rest of the way.
Karlie Samuelson led the Mystics with 16 points, Melbourne scored 13 and Vanloo 12.
WINGS 107, MERCURY 92
PHOENIX (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale scored a season-high 40 points, including 19 in the fourth quarter, and Dallas beat Phoenix.
Ogunbowale added seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. She was 11 of 24 from the field including 7 of 12 on 3-pointers, and was 11 for 12 from the free-throw line.
Maddy Siegrist scored a career-high 22 points, Monique Billings had 18 and Teaira McCowan added 13 for the Wings, who have won five straight in the series.
Dallas led by 17 points at halftime but by only seven heading to the fourth quarter. An 8-2 run in the middle of the period helped put the Wings back in charge and they finished with 31 points in the final quarter.
A 23-5 run drew Phoenix within 72-66 in the third quarter. The burst was capped by a 3-pointer from Kahleah Copper that gave her 3,000 points for her career. Phoenix scored 34 points in the third quarter after managing just 35 points in the first half.
Copper led Phoenix with 32 points. Diana Taurasi scored 28 and Sophie Cunningham added 11. Natasha Cloud had 12 assists.
The Associated Press
