MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier scored 27 points and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds to help the Minnesota Lynx beat the Las Vegas Aces 87-74 on Friday night.
Minnesota (21-8) has won five straight games and sits atop the Western Conference standings, two games ahead of the Seattle Storm. The Lynx extended their winning streak over the two-time defending WNBA champion Aces to three games.
Collier finished 11 of 15 shooting, including 2 of 4 from 3-point range, with five assists and two steals. Alanna Smith made 6 of 9 from the field and scored 15 for the Lynx, while Courtney Williams scored 13 and Natisha Hiedeman and Kayla McBride added 12 apiece. Williams left the game after she suffered a non-contact injury midway through the fourth quarter and did not return.
Collier made a layup and then a mid-range jumper to give Minnesota a one-point lead at halftime and the Lynx scored 22 of the first 28 second-half points to stretch their advantage to 62-45. It was at least a two-possession game the rest of the way.
Jackie Young made the second of two free throws to pull Las Vegas within four points with 6:14 to play but McBride answered with a 3-pointer and the Aces got no closer.
MYSTICS 80, SPARKS 74
WASHINGTON (AP) — Brittney Sykes scored a season-high 28 points and Shakira Austin added 14 points and 11 rebounds — her first double-double of the season — to help Washington beat Los Angeles and snap a five-game losing streak.
Ariel Atkins scored 15 points and Stefanie Dolson finished with a season-high eight assists for Washington.
The Mystics trailed 41-38 at halftime and 55-54 after the third before pulling away with a strong fourth-quarter effort.
Washington opened the fourth on a 10-0 run with Sykes setting up back-to-back layups by Austin before a basket from Emily Engstler made it 64-55 with 7:24 to play. Dearica Hamby answered with a basket and then hit 1 of 2 free throws for Los Angeles to trim its deficit to six points, but that six-point margin was as close as the Sparks would get.
Rickea Jackson led Los Angeles with 17 points. Hamby finished with nine points and 10 rebounds while Azurá Stevens posted nine points and nine rebounds.
Los Angeles has lost six games in a row.
MERCURY 82, DREAM 80
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) — Brittney Griner scored 22 points on 10 of 13 shooting with six rebounds, six assists and four blocks to help Phoenix beat Atlanta.
Diana Taurasi added 18 points and Kahleah Copper scored 16 for Phoenix.
The Mercury went ahead 24-17 after the first quarter and played with the lead for the rest of the night, but Atlanta’s Allisha Gray scored eight points in a span of 2:04 to cut Phoenix’s advantage to 80-77 with 1:45 to go.
Neither team scored again until Rhyne Howard hit two free throws to make it a one-point game with 13.1 seconds left. After Gray was called for a foul, Copper, at the right elbow, cut toward the basket, caught an inbounds pass from Natasha Cloud and made a layup to make it an 82-79 lead for Phoenix with 10.1 remaining.
On the next possession, Howard missed a potential tying 3-point attempt. Off the miss, the loose ball made its way to Tina Charles with 0.1 seconds to go. She made the first free throw and missed the second, allowing Phoenix to grab the rebound and close out the win.
Gray finished with 22 points, Howard scored 16 and Charles added 14 and 13 rebounds for Atlanta. Jordin Canada scored 13 points.
SUN 82, SKY 80
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Marina Mabrey made five 3-pointers and finished with 24 points off the bench, Alyssa Thomas hit two free throws with 4.1 seconds to play and Connecticut beat Chicago.
Thomas, who finished with 12 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds and four steals, was fouled with the game tied 80-80 and sank both free throws to give the Sun the victory. DeWanna Bonner had the chance to give the Sun the lead with 35 seconds to go but was only able to tie the score when she split a pair of free throws.
The Sun scored the game’s final five points, all from the free-throw line.
Connecticut (21-7) had a 45-35 halftime lead, but Chicago’s Angel Reese scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds in the third as the Sky outscored the Sun 29-18 to take a one-point lead into the fourth.
That lead stretched to 74-68, but Mabrey, playing against her former team, answered with a 3-pointer and a layup to cut the deficit to a point, 76-75, with 4:38 to play.
Reese, who finished with 13 points and 20 rebounds and became the only rookie in WNBA history with 20-plus rebounds in back-to-back games, made two free throws to give Chicago an 80-77 lead with 1:52 remaining.
The Associated Press
