NEW YORK (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu scored 29 points while Jonquel Jones added 20 points and 11 rebounds to help the New York Liberty beat the Phoenix Mercury 89-76 on Friday night for their fifth consecutive win.
Leonie Fiebich added 13 points for the Liberty (17-6), who put more space between them and the third-place Mercury (15-9), who won the teams’ first two meetings this season.
New York trailed 54-49 midway through the third quarter before closing the period on an 18-5 run capped by Jones’ fadeaway shot that she got off just before the end of the quarter. That gave the Liberty a 67-59 lead.
The Liberty poured it on in the fourth behind Ionescu, who scored the first five points during a 10-2 run that gave the team a 82-64 advantage — its biggest of the game. The Mercury couldn’t get within single digits the rest of the way.
Alyssa Thomas had 20 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for Phoenix. She fell just short of her 17th career triple-double and 13th in the regular season.
LYNX 109, ACES 78
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier scored 25 points, Courtney Williams added 23, and Minnesota beat Las Vegas Aces for their 14th straight home win.
Williams shot 10 for 12 from the field, including 3 for 4 on 3-pointers. Collier was 7 for 12 and made 10 of 13 free throws to go along with nine rebounds.
Bridget Carleton added 14 points, Kayla McBride scored 13 and Jessica Shepard had 10 points and 10 rebounds as the Lynx (22-4) won their fourth straight overall.
After leading 51-35 at halftime, Minnesota scored 34 points in the third quarter and led 85-61 heading to the fourth. In addition to shooting 9 for 20 on 3-pointers in the first three quarters, the Lynx added 22 free throws on 31 attempts. They finished 25 for 38 from the line and shot 54% overall, with 10 for 25 on 3s.
The Lynx reached 100 points with four minutes left in the fourth quarter and Anastasiia Olairi Kosu scored on back-to-back possessions near the one-minute mark for the final score of the game and Minnesota’s largest lead of the night.
VALKYRIES 86, WINGS 76
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tiffany Hayes scored 17 points, Janelle Salaun added 16, and Golden State scored 56 points in the second half to rally past Dallas.
After being held to 30 points in the first half and falling behind by 12 early in the second half, the Valkyries scored 33 points in the third quarter to take a 63-60 lead heading to the fourth.
The Wings stayed within five points early in the fourth quarter and tied it at 71 on a short floater from Paige Bueckers.
Golden State led 75-72 with under three minutes remaining when Temi Fagbenle grabbed an offensive rebound to keep a possession alive. Her layup and subsequent three-point play gave the Valkyries a 78-72 lead.
Hayes made 5 of 6 free throws and Veronica Burton added 3 of 4 down the stretch wrap up the victory.
Bueckers scored 17 points, Arike Ogunbowale 16, Aziaha James 13 and Haley Jones 10 for Dallas (7-18).
Fagbenle scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Golden State (11-12). Carla Leite added 14 points and Cecilia Zandalasini scored 10.
The Associated Press
