After the mid-season All-Star break coverage of the WNBA continues exclusively on Sky Sports - starting off with Atlanta Dream @ Phoenix Mercury, live on Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports Arena from 11am on Sunday, August 25.
Monday 12 July 2021 22:26, UK
Napheesa Collier matched her career-high with 27 points and the Minnesota Lynx won their seventh straight WNBA game with victory over the Los Angeles Sparks.
Collier matched her career-high with 27 points and the Minnesota Lynx won their seventh straight with an 86-61 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday night.
The Lynx (12-7) shot 56 per cent from the field, solidifying their fourth-place standing in the WNBA as the league heads into the Olympic break.
Layshia Clarendon added 14 points and Sylvia Fowles had 10. Minnesota had an 18-point lead in the first half and extended to 83-55 on Bridget Carleton's 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter.
Erica Wheeler and Brittney Sykes had 14 points each, and Amanda Zahui B added 10 for the Sparks (6-13).
Epiphanny Prince scored 15 points, Katie Lou Samuelson matched her career high with 14, and the Seattle Storm beat the Phoenix Mercury 82-75 on Sunday.
Jewell Loyd's 3-pointer with 1:48 left gave the Storm (16-5) a six-point lead and Sue Bird's running bank shot was the dagger, making it 80-72 at 43.9 seconds.
Seattle goes into the Olympic break with the best record in the WNBA and will return from it to open a five-game road trip, with a 47-day stretch until their next home game on August 27 when they visit the Chicago Sky. Breanna Stewart and Bird added 13 points each.
Kia Nurse scored 28 points and had a career-high seven 3-pointers for the Mercury (9-10). Skylar Diggins-Smith added 17 points and Brittney Griner scored 16.
In a pregame ceremony Samuelson, Loyd, Breanna Stewart and Bird were recognised for making the USA Basketball team. Bird will be seeking her record fifth Olympic gold medal.
Teaira McCowan had 21 points and 14 rebounds to help the Indiana Fever beat the Atlanta Dream 79-68 on Sunday.
The Fever (4-16) won their third in a row after 12 straight losses.
Tiffany Mitchell added 14 points, Danielle Robinson scored 12, Kelsey Mitchell 11 and Jessica Breland 10.
Indiana pulled away with 14 straight points for a 77-61 lead on Robinson's basket with 3:53 left. Crystal Bradford stopped the run with 1 of 2 free throws and Aari McDonald's 3-pointer with 2:08 left was the first of the game by the Dream (6-13). Atlanta finished 1 of 13 from 3-point range.
Odyssey Sims had 20 points and Bradford added 14 for Atlanta, which opened the game on a 12-2 run.
Jonquel Jones had 17 points, 17 rebounds and five assists as the Connecticut Sun routed the New York Liberty 71-54 on Sunday.
It was Jones' 10th double-double of the season for the Sun (14-6), who go into the Olympic break sitting in third place in the standings. Jasmine Thomas added 12 points and Briann January 10.
Connecticut played stellar defense, holding the Liberty to just 30% shooting from the field. Kylee Shook made a career-high four 3-pointers and scored 16 points to lead New York (10-11). She made six of her eight shots while the rest of the team was just 11 for 48 from the field.
The Sun led 22-12 after the first quarter and pulled away for good in the third quarter with 16 straight points.
Michaela Onyenwere added 12 points and Jazmine Jones 10 for New York.
A'ja Wilson had 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to help Las Vegas beat Dallas 95-79 on Sunday in the team's final game before the Olympic break.
Dearica Hamby also had 22 points and 12 boards for the Aces (15-6), who were missing Liz Cambage. The 6-foot-8 Australian is training with her country to get ready for the Tokyo Games.
The Aces used a 33-point second quarter to rally from a five-point deficit and take a 48-42 lead into halftime. Kelsey Plum was huge in that second quarter and finished the game with 16 points. Jackie Young had 17 for Las Vegas also, which put the game away in the third quarter.
Moriah Jefferson and Allisha Gray each scored 14 points to lead Dallas (9-12).
Tina Charles had 32 points and 17 rebounds to continue her renaissance season and the Washington Mystics beat the Chicago Sky 89-85 in overtime Saturday night to snap a four-game losing streak.
Charles, the 2012 WNBA MVP, is having a career year in her 11th season - her first with the Mystics. The five-time first team all-WNBA pick is averaging a career-best and league-leading 25.8 points and 9.6 rebounds while shooting a career-high 36 per cent from 3-point range.
Ariel Atkins added 14 points, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough had 12 and Theresa Plaisance added 10 points and eight rebounds for Washington (8-10). Natasha Cloud tied her career-high with 11 assists.
Cloud made a driving layup and then Charles stole a pass from Courtney Vandersloot before hitting a 3-pointer that made it 87-82 with 3:43 left in overtime and the Mystics led the rest of the way.
Stefanie Dolson scored a season-high 20 points and Candace Parker had 17 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks for Chicago (10-10). Allie Quigley was 4 of 8 from 3-point range and finished with 16 points and Courtney Vandersloot added 13 points and 15 assists.
Vandersloot slipped around a screen by Dolson and another by Parker on the sideline and then slipped a bounce pass to a rolling Dolson for a layup that gave the Sky an 82-80 lead with 4.0 seconds left in regulation but, after Atkins missed a potential winning 3-point shot for Washington, Charles' offensive rebound and putback as time expired forced overtime.
Vandersloot has WNBA-record 65 career games with double-digit assists, breaking Ticha Penichiero's record of 64 set from 1998-2012.
Charles has a league-leading and franchise record eight games this season with 30-plus points, a franchise record. The 32-year old has six career games, including four this season, with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds - a WNBA record. Lauren Jackson is the only other player in league history with multiple 30-15 games in a single season (2010).
Layshia Clarendon had 18 points and nine assists and the Minnesota Lynx won their sixth straight game, beating the Las Vegas Aces 85-77 on Friday night.
Minnesota (11-7) did not attempt a free throw, the second time a WNBA team has finished a game without an attempt. The Lynx led 10-2, had a 37-18 advantage early in the second and led by at least 12 the rest of the way.
Damiris Dantas and Sylvia Fowles added 14 points each, and Kayla McBride had 10.
Kelsey Plum had 16 of her 18 points in the second half for the Aces (14-6). They lost their second in a row, handing Seattle a spot in the WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship.
Brittney Griner had 29 points and 15 rebounds to help the Phoenix Mercury beat the Seattle Storm 85-77 on Friday night.
Skylar Diggins-Smith added 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting for the Mercury (9-9). They beat the top two teams in the WNBA standings in consecutive games with Diana Taurasi sidelined by a hip injury. Griner had 33 points Wednesday night in a 99-90 overtime win over the Las Vegas Aces.
The Storm (15-5) missed a chance to clinch a spot in WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship.
Jewell Loyd had 16 points for Seattle. Breanna Stewart added 15, and Katie Lou Samuelson had 14.
Sue Bird had her 3,000th career assist on a low-post feed to Mercedes Russell with 2:53 left in the third quarter.
The teams will meet again Sunday in Everett, Washington.
Brittney Griner had 29 points and 15 rebounds to help the Phoenix Mercury beat the Seattle Storm 85-77 on Friday night.
Skylar Diggins-Smith added 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting for the Mercury (9-9). They beat the top two teams in the WNBA standings in consecutive games with Diana Taurasi sidelined by a hip injury. Griner had 33 points Wednesday night in a 99-90 overtime win over the Las Vegas Aces.
The Storm (15-5) missed a chance to clinch a spot in WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship.
Jewell Loyd had 16 points for Seattle. Breanna Stewart added 15, and Katie Lou Samuelson had 14.
Sue Bird had her 3,000th career assist on a low-post feed to Mercedes Russell with 2:53 left in the third quarter.
The teams will meet again Sunday in Everett, Washington.
