UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Napheesa Collier scored 23 points, Olivia Miles added 21 and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Connecticut Sun 101-89 on Sunday to get closer to clinching the top seed in the WNBA playoffs.
asserted
Lynx → score → playoffs
The Lynx (32-10) moved within one win or Golden State loss from earning home-court advantage throughout the postseason.
asserted
Lynx → move → postseason
Minnesota closes with a home-and-home set against Indiana.
asserted
Minnesota → close → Indiana
She broke the WNBA rookie record for points in a season that was held by Caitlin Clark.
asserted
that → break → Clark
Miles got her 770th point on a free throw with 9:31 left in the second quarter.
asserted
Miles → get → quarter
Clark finished with 769 points for Indiana in 2024.
asserted
Clark → finish → 2024
The Lynx, who had lost three straight games, jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the first 3:30 as Collier had the game’s first four points.
asserted
Collier → lose → points
Courtney Williams, who starred for the Sun for five seasons, had five points during the opening spurt.
asserted
who → star → spurt
Minnesota led 27-12 after the first quarter, when Collier had 10 points.
asserted
Collier → lead → points
Collier helped extend the advantage to 45-26 on a layup with 3:44 left in the half before the Sun used a 15-4 spurt to get within eight.
asserted
Sun → help → eight
Collier had a 3-point play with 25.2 seconds left to restore the double-digit advantage.
asserted
Collier → have → advantage
The Sun hung around behind hot 3-point shooting.
asserted
Sun → hang → shooting
They made 12 of their first 19 from behind the arc and were down only seven points early in the fourth quarter.
asserted
They → make → quarter
Connecticut finished 15 for 28 on 3s.
asserted
Connecticut → finish → 3s
LIBERTY 106, TEMPO 69
TORONTO (AP) — Breanna Stewart scored 27 points to help New York rout Toronto and stay in the hunt for homecourt in the opening round of the playoffs.
asserted
York → score → playoffs
New York (26-16) could finish anywhere from fourth to eighth in the playoff standings with two games remaining.
uncertain
games → finish → standings
The Liberty host Atlanta on Monday and Wednesday.
asserted
Liberty → host → Monday
Stewart moved into eighth place in the WNBA’s all-time scoring list, passing Cappie Pondexter’s 6,811 points.
asserted
Stewart → move → points
She had six points in the first five minutes to move up on the career list.
asserted
She → have → list
Stewart scored 24 to pass her former Seattle Storm teammate Sue Bird (6,803) in the Liberty’s 93-81 road victory over the first-place Minnesota Lynx on Friday.
asserted
Stewart → score → Friday
The Liberty star, who earned MVP honors of the women’s FIBA World Cup, played only 22 minutes and made 10 of 14 shots and all seven of her free throws for the Liberty.
asserted
who → earn → Liberty
The nine-year veteran has 6,833 points — next up is Candice Dupree with 6,895.
asserted
Dupree → have → 6,895
Reserve Rebecca Allen had 14 points for the Liberty and made four of the team’s 16 3-pointers.
asserted
Allen → have → pointers
Stewart scored nine points to help New York take a 26-19 lead after one quarter and had 13 at the half for a 45-37 advantage.
asserted
York → score → advantage
She help put the game away scoring 14 points in the third quarter as the Liberty outpaced Toronto by 11 that period en route to their third consecutive victory.
asserted
Liberty → put → victory
MYSTICS 93, FEVER 77
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kiki Iriafen scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to help Washington beat Indiana and pull within a game of the fifth-place Fever.
asserted
Washington → score → Fever
Shakira Austin added 20 points with 10 boards for the Mystics (26-16), who are one of three teams just a game behind Indiana (27-15) with two regular-season games remaining.
asserted
games → add → Indiana
The Fever finish with a home-and-home series on Tuesday and Thursday against the Minnesota Lynx, owners of the WNBA’s best record at 32-10.
asserted
Fever → finish → 32
Sonia Citron scored 16 points and just missed a double-double with nine assists.
asserted
Citron → score → assists
Georgia Amoore had 11 points with three 3-pointers.
asserted
Amoore → have → pointers
The Mystics jumped out to a 34-19 lead at thge end of the first quarter.
asserted
Mystics → jump → quarter
They led by as many as 26 before closing the half with a 51-30 advantage.
asserted
They → lead → advantage
Washington was up 77-61 entering the fourth and never were threatened.
asserted
Washington → enter → fourth
Caitlin Clark scored 25 with five assists and Kelsey Mitchell had 22 points for the Fever.
asserted
Mitchell → score → Fever
But the All-WNBA backcourt shot a combined 14 of 40 from the floor, including making just 6-of-20 3-pointers.
asserted
backcourt → shoot → pointers
Fever All-Star center Aliyah Boston encountered foul trouble and scored just seven points on eight shots.
asserted
Boston → encounter → shots
And Indiana’s bench didn’t contribute a point until Raven Johnson’s jumper with 4:35 remaining in the third quarter.
asserted
bench → contribute → quarter
SPARKS 105, FIRE 84
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nneka Ogwumike had 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists to help Los Angeles beat Portland.
asserted
Angeles → have → Portland
Ogwumike became the fourth player in WNBA history to reach 8,000 points, joining Diana Taurasi (10,646), Tina Charles (8,396) and DeWanna Bonner (8,217).
asserted
Ogwumike → become → Taurasi
The 2016 WNBA MVP has 8,013 points and her 18 double-doubles are the most she’s had in a season.
asserted
she → have → season
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
