LATE BUCKET, DEFENSIVE STOP HELP SPARKS PUT AWAY FEVER
Azura Stevens and Kelsey Plum anchored the Los Angeles Sparks to a narrow 89-87 victory over the Indiana Fever on Saturday night in Indianapolis.
Stevens made a key free throw with 3.1 seconds to put the visitors ahead by two, finishing with a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds. Plum added 20 points, hitting four 3-pointers for the Sparks (6-13).
Aliyah Boston (23 points, 12 rebounds) notched her ninth double-double of the season but missed a potential game-tying jumper from the top of the key at the buzzer for the Fever (9-9).
Natasha Howard had 21 points and nine rebounds in the loss.
Indiana’s Aari McDonald stole the ball off an errant pass from Julie Allemand with 30.1 seconds remaining and the Fever trailing 88-87. On the next possession, however, Lexie Hull rebounded an off-the-mark 3-pointer by McDonald but missed a jumper with 4.2 seconds to go that would have given the Fever the lead.
Rickea Jackson capped off a 9-3 run with a pair of aggressive layups and a free throw to give the Sparks the lead for good, 88-87, with 58 seconds left.
The Fever went ahead 60-52 after an midrange jumper by Howard a little more than midway through the third quarter. However, the Sparks rallied to take a one-point lead into the final period thanks to an 18-7 spurt that was capped with a layup and a 3-pointer by Plum.
The largest advantage before halftime was a 32-26 lead for the Fever after a pair of free throws by Howard with 6:25 left in the second quarter.
Plum, though, brought Los Angeles back by draining a stepback 3-pointer to give the Sparks a 36-34 lead. While she landed awkwardly on the shot, Plum was able to remain in the game.
After the Sparks knotted things up 40-40 with 1:45 left in the first half, Boston flashed her handles with a downhill, off-hand layup that put the Fever up by two. The Fever led 45-42 at the end of a back-and-forth first half that featured a combined nine ties and lead changes.
Fever guard Caitlin Clark (left groin strain) sat out her fifth consecutive game.
The Sparks are 2-6 in their last eight games, with both victories coming against the Fever, who saw a three-game winning streak come to a close.
NAPHEESA COLLIER (22 POINTS), LYNX HANDLE VALKYRIES
Napheesa Collier scored 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field, and the Minnesota Lynx held on for an 82-71 win over the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday night in Minneapolis.
Courtney Williams added 15 points for Minnesota (16-2), which has won back-to-back games since losing the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup title game against the Indiana Fever on Tuesday. Kayla McBride contributed 12 points, and Jessica Shepard had eight points to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds off the bench.
Tiffany Hayes scored 23 points on 8-for-11 shooting to lead Golden State (9-8). Kayla Thornton notched a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Stephanie Talbot scored 10.
Minnesota edged Golden State in part because of its assist-to-turnover ratio. The Lynx finished with 25 assists and nine turnovers, while the Valkyries had 19 assists and 10 turnovers.
A pesky defense helped the Lynx prevent the Valkyries from mounting a fourth-quarter comeback. Minnesota held Golden State scoreless for the first 4:33 of the final quarter until Hayes finally made a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 75-63.
McBride responded with a 3-pointer on the other end of the court to boost the Lynx’s lead back to 15 points with 4:16 remaining.
The Lynx led 69-60 at the end of the third quarter.
Natisha Hiedeman and Diamond Miller combined for back-to-back baskets for the Lynx in the final minute of the third quarter. Hiedeman made a jump shot to put Minnesota on top by six points, and Miller drained a 3-pointer to boost the advantage to nine.
Minnesota led 41-36 at the half.
Collier made a 3-pointer to give the Lynx a 41-31 lead with 2:48 to go in the first half.
Monique Billings responded with five straight points to cut Golden State’s deficit to five. Billings knocked down a 3-pointer off an assist from Hayes with 2:18 remaining, and Billings followed up with a layup off a feed from Thornton with 1:45 to play.
