UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Alanna Smith and reserve DiJonai Carrington scored 18 points apiece and the Minnesota Lynx clinched the regular-season title with a 94-70 win over the Connecticut Sun on Saturday night.
Minnesota (31-8) also set a franchise record for wins. The Lynx won 30 games last season in a 40-game schedule — four fewer than this year.
Napheesa Collier added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Lynx, Courtney Williams had 15 points and eight boards and Kayla McBride had 15 points and six assists.
Minnesota was 15 for 28 on 3-pointers with McBride hitting five and Smith four. The Lynx had 27 assists on 34 baskets with 10 different players getting at least one.
Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey had 14 points apiece for the Sun (10-28) and Aaliyah Edwards 11.
VALKYRIES 99, MYSTICS 62
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Carla Leite came off the bench to contribute 19 points and six assists, and Golden State ran away from Washington to snap a two-game home losing streak and stay well positioned in the playoff chase.
Veronica Burton had 15 points, Janelle Salaun added 20 points and six rebounds and Kaila Charles scored 16 points as Golden State (20-18) tries to secure the eighth and final berth in the WNBA playoffs.
Coach Natalie Nakase had an opportunity to mix and match with her team up big, even with several players still sidelined.
Burton criss-crossed through the key for a layup and three-point play late in the first half as the Valkyries built their lead to 45-16.
Sug Sutton scored 17 points while Lucy Olsen added 13 as the Mystics lost their sixth straight game.
STORM 79, SKY 69
SEATTLE (AP) — Nneka Ogwumike scored 20 points to lead six Seattle players in double figures and the Storm beat Chicago to sweep the three-game regular-season series.
Seattle (22-19) has won five of its last six overall and four in a row against the Sky.
Ezi Magbegor had 13 points and Skylar Diggins and Gabby Williams each scored 12 for the Storm. Erica Wheeler and Brittney Sykes each added 11 points.
Angel Reese had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead Chicago (9-30), which has lost four straight and 17 of its last 19. Michaela Onyenwere scored 11 points and Kamilla Cardoso had 11 rebounds to go with nine points.
Reese made two free throws to trim the Sky’s deficit to 57-52 with 9:36 left in the game but Diggins responded with a three-point play that sparked a 7-0 run and Chicago got no closer.
MERCURY 80, LIBERTY 63
PHOENIX (AP) — Kahleah Copper hit five 3-pointers and finished with 22 points, Alyssa Thomas had 14 points and nine assists, and Phoenix beat defending WNBA champion New York.
Phoenix (25-14) has won four in a row and six of seven to move into a tie with Atlanta for third in the WNBA standings, one-half game behind second-place Las Vegas and 1 1/2 games ahead of the Liberty.
Satou Sabally also scored 14 points for the Mercury. Natasha Mack had 10 rebounds — including a career-high seven offensive boards — to go with eight points and four blocks. DeWanna Bonner added nine points and seven rebounds.
There were nine lead changes and nine ties before Kathryn Westbeld and Copper hit 3-pointers 29 seconds apart to take the lead for good at 51-48 and spark a 15-1 run. Bonner stole a pass and went the other way for a layup, then hit 3 to cap the spurt and make it an 11-point lead almost a minute into the fourth quarter.
The Mercury made 10 of 14 from the field in the fourth and scored 17 of the final 20 points. New York missed five consecutive field-goal attempts and committed three turnovers before Isabelle Harrison made a layup to cap the scoring with 16.8 seconds left.
The Associated Press
