Dangerfield leads Lynx past Wings; Mystics beat Dream to snap losing streak
Thursday 20 August 2020 07:38, UK
Candace Parker had 16 points, 12 rebounds and four assists to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Phoenix Mercury 83-74 on Wednesday night for their fifth consecutive win.
Candace Parker had 16 points, 12 rebounds and four assists to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Phoenix Mercury 83-74 on Wednesday night for their fifth consecutive win.
Los Angeles were ahead 64-49 early in the fourth quarter until Diana Taurasi got Phoenix back in it by hitting four three-pointers in a three-minute span. The Mercury were within 73-71 with 4:55 remaining but did not score again until Taurasi's free throw with 1:12 left. Chelsea Gray gave Los Angeles a nine-point lead with two free throws with 52.9 seconds to go.
Gray and Brittney Sykes also scored 16 points for Los Angeles (8-3). Gray had six rebounds and six assists and Parker made 8 of 10 free throws as she reached 5,500 career points.
Parker scored 11 points in the first quarter as Los Angeles raced to a 24-10 lead.
Taurasi finished with 19 points for Phoenix (6-6). Brittney Griner added 13 points.
Crystal Dangerfield scored 21 points with five three-pointers, Napheesa Collier added 18 points and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Dallas Wings 91-84.
Dangerfield also had six assists to become the fourth Lynx rookie with 20-plus points and at least five assists in a game, joining Collier, Tonya Edwards and Betty Lennox. Collier made all three of her three-point attempts as Minnesota went 14-of-23 from distance.
Damiris Dantas and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan each scored 10 points for Minnesota (5-7).
Allisha Gray also made five three-pointers for Dallas (4-8) and finished with 22 points. Arike Ogunbowale added 20 points on 6-of-23 shooting and Kayla Thornton had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Marina Mabrey scored 16 points.
Mabrey and Gray combined to score 29 of Dallas' first 49 points as the Wings led by eight early in the third quarter. The Wings were outscored 30-19 in the fourth quarter.
Stella Johnson set a Washington rookie record with six three-pointers and scored a season-high 25 points while Myisha Hines-Allen added 23 points as the Mystics beat the Atlanta Dream 98-91 to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Johnson, who was making her first career start, was 6-of-9 from three-point range, breaking Keri Chaconas's rookie record of five for Washington in 1998. Johnson was one three-pointer off the WNBA rookie record and two points shy of tying the Washington rookie record, set by Nikki McCray in 1998.
Ariel Atkins added 13 points, Emma Meesseman had 12 points and 10 assists and Leilani Mitchell also scored 12 points for Washington (4-7).
Betnijah Laney and Courtney Williams each scored 30-plus points to lead Atlanta (2-10). Laney was 14-of-24 from the field for 35 points and Williams made 13-of-22 for 30 points as the Dream shot 55.7 per cent. They are the second Dream duo to score 30 points in a game, joining Iziane Castro Marques and Angel McCoughtry on July 7, 2010.
Atlanta have lost nine straight games.
