ACES RALLY PAST DREAM IN POTENTIAL POSTSEASON PREVIEW
The Las Vegas Aces, led by 32 points from A’ja Wilson, rallied from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to overtake the Atlanta Dream 74-72 and post an eighth consecutive win.
Neither team had led by more than five points entering the fourth quarter, but Atlanta held a 61-57 edge and scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to go up 67-57 with 8:44 remaining. But Las Vegas then went on a 13-0 run to claim a 70-67 edge, capped by a Jewell Loyd 3-pointer with 4:09 to play. Wilson scored six points in that pivotal stretch.
After the Dream pulled even at 72 on a Rhyne Howard 3-pointer, it was Wilson-time again for Las Vegas. She drained a mid-range jumper to account for the winning margin with 1:15 to play. Atlanta had two possessions to answer, but Howard missed a trey with 51.9 seconds left and short runner in the paint with 4.2 seconds left. Brittney Griner got the carom and attempted a tip-in, but it was off the mark and Kierstan Bell snared the rebound for the Aces.
Las Vegas (22-14) forced six turnovers in the fourth quarter, including a trio of shot clock violations, to pull within a half-game of the Dream in the race for the No. 2 playoff seed behind Minnesota. Las Vegas shot 45.3 percent (29-for-64) while holding Atlanta to 40.0 percent (26-for-65).
Wilson’s 32 points represented her third straight 30+ point effort in a run toward a potential fourth WNBA MVP award. Wilson shot 12-for-24 and added 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. Jackie Young added 16 points and seven boards. Chelsea Gray approached a triple-double with eight points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.
Atlanta (22-13) was led by Howard, whose 19 points included 4-for-11 3-point shooting. Allisha Gray added 16 points and six rebounds. Griner tallied 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting and pulled eight rebounds.
The Dream will return to action on Thursday when they host league-leading Minnesota. The Aces will also play at home, facing Phoenix on Thursday. The Aces won the previous game with Atlanta on July 22nd, 87-72. The teams will meet again on August 27th, the lone meeting in Atlanta.
MERCURY ERUPT FOR 30 POINTS IN 4TH TO CLAIM WIN OVER VALKYRIES
Kahleah Copper poured in a game-high 25 points, four teammates also scored in double figures and the Phoenix Mercury’s depth wore down the short-handed Golden State Valkyries in the fourth quarter en route to a 98-91 triumph Tuesday night in San Francisco.
Satou Sabally chipped in with 17 points, Natasha Mack 14, Alyssa Thomas 13 and DeWanna Bonner 12 for the Mercury, who won their second straight to start a three-game trip.
Riding outstanding 3-point shooting, the Valkyries led by as many as 12 and were still up 73-68 entering the fourth period before the Mercury dominated the final 10 minutes.
Bonner and Sabally each drilled a 3-pointer among five points apiece as Phoenix opened the final quarter with a 10-4 burst that gave the visitors a 78-77 lead.
The Mercury then dominated the weary Valkyries at both ends of the court, pulling away with a 30-point period while limiting Golden State into 1-for-8 shooting from beyond the arc.
The hosts had been 9-for-18 on 3-pointers while retaining the upper hand throughout the first half. Veronica Burton had 18 of her team-high 24 points and seven of her season-high 14 assists over the first 20 minutes.
Copper shot 9-for-20 overall and 5-for-9 from deep as the Mercury hit 49.3 percent of their field goal attempts and 11 of 31 (35.5 percent) from beyond the arc.
Mack complemented her 14 points with seven rebounds, three on the offensive end, while Thomas also had a game-high nine rebounds to go with a team-high eight assists in the well-rounded Phoenix attack.
Playing without backcourt mate Tiffany Hayes, one of five Valkyries regulars out of action, Burton’s double-double was her third of the season.
Carla Leite added 15 points and Kate Martin, who shot 4-for-16 on 3-pointers, had 14 for the Valkyries, who lost their second straight after a four-game winning streak. Janelle Salaun and Laeticia Amihere also reached double figures in scoring with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
After scoring a season-high-tying 59 points in the first half, Golden State shot just 3-for-15 on 3-pointers in the second half and added just 32 points to its total. The Valkyries shot 41.6 percent overall.
ANGEL REESE RETURNS, BUT STORM OUTSCORE SKY
Skylar Diggins scored a game-high 24 points and Nneka Ogwumike added 21 to lift the visiting Seattle Storm to a 94-88 victory against the Chicago Sky on Tuesday.
Playing the opener of a five-game road trip, the Storm led by as many as 19 points in the fourth quarter. Chicago drew within seven with 2:22 left before Seattle closed out the Sky in Angel Reese’s return to the lineup from a back injury.
Ogwumike drilled a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 89-79 with 35.5 seconds to go. Diggins and Ogwumike connected on three treys apiece.
Seattle (18-18) stretched its lead for the eighth and final WNBA playoff spot to one game over the idle Los Angeles Sparks.
Chicago (8-26) dropped into a tie with Dallas for the second-most losses in the league. The Sky fell to 1-11 since the All-Star break, but welcomed Reese back to the fold. The second-year forward finished with 19 points and seven rebounds in her first action since July 29.
Reese, who entered play averaging a WNBA-best 12.6 rebounds per game, had missed seven straight contests and nine of the past 10.
She contributed six points and four boards in the first half while getting re-acclimated early, scoring a fast-break layup 46 seconds into the game off a Rachel Banham steal.
Dominique Malonga (15 points), Brittney Sykes (12) and Ezi Magbegor (11) also scored in double figures for the Storm. Magbegor grabbed eight rebounds and Malonga added seven.
Ariel Atkins tallied 19 points for Chicago. Kia Nurse followed with 13 points, Kamilla Cardoso chipped in 10 points, six rebounds and six assists and Elizabeth Williams contributed10 points and nine boards.
Seattle took a 46-34 lead into intermission, with Diggins (12 points), Ogwumike (11) and Gabby Williams (nine) sparking a balanced attack. In the opening half, the Storm shot 57.6 percent from the floor compared to 35 percent for the Sky, who surged to a four-point advantage in the first 1:28 and again late in the first quarter before fading.
Chicago struggled to a 6-for-22 shooting effort in the second quarter, getting outscored 26-14.
Seattle clinched the season series with Chicago, earning its second victory in as many games. The Storm are set to host the Sky on Aug. 30.
SUN’S RESERVES SPEARHEAD UPSET VICTORY OVER MYSTICS
Saniya Rivers led Connecticut with 17 points off the bench, as the Sun’s reserves totaled 45 points to fuel an 80-69 road win over the Washington Mystics Tuesday night.
The win marks only Connecticut’s seventh victory of the year — its first on the road since May 30 — and deals a blow to a Washington team firmly in the playoff hunt.
Connecticut forced 15 Washington turnovers and capitalized, scoring 21 points off the giveaways. The Mystics notched only 10 points on 10 Sun turnovers.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa scored 15 points off the bench for Connecticut, while Tina Charles was the only starter in double-digits with 13 points.
All-Star rookie guard Sonia Citron tallied 19 points, passing Chamique Holdsclaw for the most points in a rookie season in Mystics history. Shakira Austin added 12 points.
The Mystics and Sun made a trade at the deadline, with Washington sending forward Aaliyah Edwards to Connecticut in exchange for guard Jacy Sheldon.
Sheldon was out with an ankle injury, while Edwards added eight points and four rebounds off the bench.
The Sun ended the first half on a 9-0 run and extended their scoring stretch to 13-0 in the third quarter. An Austin layup at the 8:49 mark of the third snapped the streak, cutting the lead to 51-37.
Citron cashed a three-pointer with 6:53 left in the quarter to cut Connecticut’s lead to single digits. Washington pulled within six points before a pair of Nelson-Ododa free throws and a Leila Lacan jumper put the Sun up 59-49 at the 2:20 mark.
The Sun preserved their lead in the fourth, with each team notching 18 points in the frame.
Washington and Connecticut traded runs in the first quarter.
After the Sun gained a 5-4 lead, the Mystics rattled off 11 unanswered to claim a 15-5 advantage. Jade Melbourne, in her 100th career game, started the game 4-for-4 from the field and led the Mystics with eight points in the first half.
Connecticut, fueled by Rivers, outscored Washington 16-8 over the remainder of the first frame. The Sun continued their run in the second quarter, taking a 47-35 lead into halftime.
Connecticut’s bench contributed 28 of its 47 first-half points, while Washington got only seven points off the bench in the first two quarters.
SABRINA IONESCU’S LATE 3-POINTER SEALS LIBERTY’S VICTORY OVER LYNX
Sabrina Ionescu finished with 17 points, a season-high 11 assists and four rebounds and helped the New York Liberty fend off a Minnesota Lynx comeback effort by hitting a deep 3-pointer with 33.8 seconds left to secure an 85-75 victory on Tuesday night in the final regular-season meeting between the teams.
Ionescu was only 5-of-18 from the field but her biggest shot clinched New York’s first win in four meetings with the Lynx and improved the Liberty (22-13) to 5-6 since losing Breanna Stewart to a bruised right knee on July 26.
New York saw its lead sliced to 79-75 when Natisha Hiedeman sank a trey with 2:08 remaining. After Natasha Cloud missed from long range with 44.5 seconds left, Ionescu grabbed the offensive rebound and sank a 31-footer while falling to the floor for a 82-75 lead.
Ionsecu then split a pair of free throws and finished it off by finding Kennedy Burke for a layup with 32.1 seconds.
Jonquel Jones posted her 100th career double-double and reached 4,000 career points by leading New York with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Emma Meesseman added 13, while Leonie Fiebich and Cloud finished with 10 points apiece as the Liberty trailed once in the opening minute and shot 43.9 percent from the field.
Courtney Williams scored 17 points but missed two mid-range jumpers in the final two minutes as the Lynx (28-6) saw a six-game winning streak halted. Natisha Hiedeman added 16 while DiJonai Carrington and Maria Kliundikova contributed 11 apiece as the Lynx shot 40.8 percent from the floor.
New York started quickly as Ionescu found Burke for a layup with 1:56 left for a 24-12 lead. The Liberty settled for a 24-20 lead through the opening quarter after Carrington sank a 3-pointer with 14.2 seconds left.
After Jessica Shepard brought Minnesota to within 37-35 with a bucket, Ionsecu hit two trifectas in the final 3:45 in a 13-2 run to give New York a 48-37 halftime lead.
Cloud hit a trey to open a 15-point lead in the opening minute of the third, but Minnesota chipped away, getting within 54-46 on a hoop by Hiedeman with 5:25 left and 60-51 on her 29-foot 3-pointer two minutes later. Two free throws by Burke gave New York a 62-51 lead with 2:29 left and the Liberty held a 66-60 lead into the fourth after Williams sank a trey with 4.3 seconds remaining.
