Parker, Gray help Sparks beat Lynx for 9th straight home win
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Candace Parker had 20 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double, Chelsea Gray added 17 points, and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Minnesota Lynx 81-71 on Tuesday night.
Los Angeles used a 23-4 second-quarter spurt to take a 49-32 lead at the break and opened the second half on a 17-4 run for a 30-point advantage.
The Sparks (16-10) scored just six points through the first 8 minutes of the fourth quarter as Minnesota pulled to 74-67 on Lexie Brown's fourth 3-pointer of the game. But Parker answered with a 3 and the Lynx did not get closer than eight points from there.
Brown led Minnesota (13-15) with 20 points.
ACES 84, MERCURY 79, OT
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Liz Cambage had 19 points and 15 rebounds, A'ja Wilson scored 19 points in her return from injury, and Las Vegas scored the final six points to beat Phoenix in overtime.
Cambage blocked a layup attempt in the closing seconds of regulation and grabbed the rebound, but she was called for an offensive foul under the basket. Phoenix inbounded it with 2.3 seconds left but Brittney Griner's baseline jumper was short.
In overtime, Wilson drove the lane and scored for an 82-79 lead with 11.8 seconds left. Leilani Mitchell missed an open 3-pointer from the wing and Dearica Hamby made two free throws at the other end to cap a 6-0 game-closing run.
Jackie Young added eight points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Las Vegas (19-9).
DeWanna Bonner and Griner each scored 24 points for Phoenix (13-14).
LIBERTY 82, FEVER 76
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tina Charles had 23 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks to help New York snap an eight-game losing streak.
Charles moved into sixth on the WNBA's career list for field goals made and 15th for blocks.
Indiana trailed by 17 in the first half before tying the score at 61-all in the second half, but couldn't take the lead.
Kia Nurse finished with 20 points and Bria Hartley scored 16 for New York (9-18).
Rookie Teaira McCowan scored a season-high 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Indiana (9-18). Erica Wheeler had five assists to set the Fever's single-season record, passing Tamika Catchings' mark of 143 in 2005.
SKY 87, DREAM 83
ATLANTA (AP) — Diamond DeShields led five Chicago starters in double figures with 17 points, helping the Sky beat Atlanta.
Courtney Vandersloot went 1 of 2 from the line with 17.9 seconds left to give Chicago an 85-83 lead. Tiffany Hayes had a contested layup roll off at the other end and Cheyenne Parker made 1 of 2 free throws before Astou Ndour grabbed an offensive rebound and added a free throw.
Allie Quigley scored 16 points and Vandersloot had 14 points and 10 assists for Chicago (16-11).
Hayes scored 27 points to lead Atlanta (5-22), which has lost 12 consecutive games for its longest losing streak since starting 0-17 in 2008.
