MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride scored 17 points apiece to help the Minnesota Lynx beat the Washington Mystics 74-67 Saturday night without three-time All-Star Napheesa Collier.
Collier, who is set to play for Team USA in Paris this summer and leads the Lynx with averages of 20 points and 10.2 rebounds per game this season, aggravated the plantar fasciitis in her left foot Thursday in the team’s 78-73 home loss against the Connecticut Sun.
Jade Melbourne made a driving layup that cut Washington’s deficit to 67-64 with 5:50 to play but the Mystics made just 1 of 10 from the field and committed four turnovers the rest of the way. Bridget Carleton answered with a 3-pointer and it was a two-possession game the rest of the way.
Minnesota (15-6) had lost back-to-back games for the first time this season against the WNBA-leading New York Liberty and second-place Connecticut.
Carleton finished with 13 points, including three 3s, and Cecilia Zandalasini scored 10 points for the Lynx.
Ariel Atkins and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, who hit four 3-pointers, led Washington (5-17) with 15 points apiece. Myisha Hines-Allen added 11 points, 11 rebounds and six assists and Aaliyah Edwards scored 10.
The Mystics, who have lost four of their last five games, went into the game tied with the Los Angeles Sparks and the Dallas Wings for fewest wins in the WNBA this season.
Walker-Kimbrough hit 3-pointers 25 seconds apart to spark a 13-2 run that cut Washington’s deficit to 32-29 when made another 3 cap the spurt with 4:36 left in the second quarter. Ariel Atkins assisted on two baskets by Hines-Allen sandwiched around her own 3-pointer in a 7-0 run to close the half and make it 36-all. Atkins hit another from behind the arc as the Mystics scored the first seven points of the second half.
McBride hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring 16 seconds into the game and her layup with 4:36 left in the first quarter gave the Lynx a 14-2 run. Minnesota got nine points apiece from McBride (all in the opening spurt) and Williams and forced seven Mystics turnovers in the first quarter to take a 24-15 lead and Diamond Miller’s basket early in the second quarter gave Minnesota its biggest lead of the game at 30-14.
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