INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tiffany Hayes scored 18 points, DeWanna Bonner added 14 and the Connecticut Sun beat the Indiana Fever 88-72 on Friday night.
Connecticut dominated the first half. The Sun scored 13 straight points in the first quarter to take an early 20-10 lead. Bonner, Hayes and Natisha Hiedeman combined for 26 of Connecticut’s 31 points in the first quarter, while the Fever scored 22 points.
The Sun extended their lead to 56-33 by halftime after shooting 66% from the field, including making 7 of 13 3-pointers. Bonner had 11 points in the first half and Hiedeman added 10.
The Sun scored the final nine points of the third quarter after Indiana got within 65-54 and cruised in the fourth.
Alyssa Thomas, coming off back-to-back games with a triple-double, had 11 points, seven rebounds and eight assists for Connecticut (20-7). DiJonai Carrington also scored 11 points and Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 10 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
Aliyah Boston had 19 points and eight rebounds for Fever (7-20). Kelsey Mitchell added 13 points, Erica Wheeler had 12 and Emma Cannon scored 11.
MYSTICS 79, SPARKS 77
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tianna Hawkins scored 17 points, Queen Egbo added 15 and the Washington Mystics beat the Los Angeles Sparks 79-77 on Friday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
Natasha Cloud put Washington ahead 75-67 with 3:28 remaining in the fourth quarter before Los Angeles scored the next six points to get within 75-73. Hawkins ended Washington’s scoring drought on a fast-break layup with 39 seconds left for a four-point lead. After Los Angeles went 1 of 2 from the free-throw line, Cloud sealed it by making two free throws with 8.1 seconds left.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 11 points, and Cloud and Li Meng each finished with 10 points for Washington (13-13), which was coming off a three-game road swing.
Washington led 48-40 at halftime as the Sparks shot just 43% from the field and turned it over 10 times. Los Angeles finished with 16 turnovers.
Azura Stevens had 19 points while Nneka Ogwumike added 18 for Los Angeles (9-18). Dearica Hamby scored 14 points and Zia Cooke had 10 points.
Washington hosts Los Angeles again on Sunday.
SKY 104, WINGS 89
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Kahleah Copper and Courtney Williams each scored 25 points, Alanna Smith added 20 and the Chicago Sky beat the Dallas Wings 104-89 on Friday night to spoil Natasha Howard's first career triple-double.
Williams made a career-high five 3-pointers, on just six attempts, and Copper made all four of her 3-pointers. Chicago was 14-of-24 from behind the arc and shot 55 per cent overall in reaching 100-plus points for the second straight game.
Howard finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for just the third triple-double in Dallas' franchise history.
Williams made back-to-back 3-pointers to put Chicago ahead 95-76 midway through the fourth quarter. Her third 3-pointer of the quarter put Chicago into triple-digits for the third time this season.
Marina Mabrey added 16 points, five rebounds and four assists for Chicago (11-15).
Satou Sabally scored 18 points for Dallas (15-12). Arike Ogunbowale was held to 11 points on 4-of-16 shooting and Maddy Siegrist had 10 points.
The two teams play again in Texas on Sunday.
LIBERTY 76, LYNX 66
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu scored 18 points on six 3-pointers, Breanna Stewart added 17 points and the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 76-66 on Friday night.
New York (21-6) has won three straight since dropping a home game to Minnesota on July 28. Ionescu had 31 points and seven 3-pointers in that game.
Ionescu finished with six of New York’s nine 3-pointers in the rematch. The Liberty struggled from the field, shooting just 40%, but dominated the paint. New York outrebounded Minnesota 43-32, including 16 offensive rebounds that led to 25 second-chance points.
New York also held Minnesota to just 24 second-half points.
Minnesota star Napheesa Collier played her first game since dropping 24 points and 11 rebounds on July 26. She was out with a right ankle sprain. Collier had 18 points and eight rebounds and Kayla McBride added 14 points for Minnesota (13-15).
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