Coverage of the WNBA continues on Sunday as the Las Vegas Aces host Seattle Storm on Sky Sports Arena from 8pm
Monday 21 June 2021 14:23, UK
Betnijah Laney surpassed 1,000 career points as she helped the New York Liberty hold off a furious rally by the Los Angeles Sparks in a 76-73 victory on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.
The contest commemorated the 25th anniversary of the first game in league history between the Liberty and Sparks on June 21, 1997 and it featured nine ties and nine lead changes.
Rebecca Allen made five 3-pointers and finished with 19 as the Liberty (7-6) ended a two-game losing streak, and she also blocked a game-tying shot in the final seconds.
Sami Whitcomb scored 17, Laney added 14 and Kylee Shook finished with 11.
Laney reached the 1,000-point milestone off a move inside with eight minutes to play in the third quarter, which extended the Liberty lead to 49-36.
Erica Wheeler recorded her second consecutive double-double, scoring 20 points and dishing out 10 assists. She scored 11 in the first quarter for the Sparks (5-7), who have now lost four of their last five.
Kristi Tolliver finished with 15, Nia Coffey also scored 15, while Brittney Sykes added 10 to go along with a career-best 7 steals. Meanwhile, Sparks forward Bria Holmes was ruled out of the second half with an injured foot.
Marina Mabrey bounced back from her worst offensive game of the season with a season-high 28 points to lead the Dallas Wings to a dominating 95-77 win over the visiting Minnesota Lynx on Saturday in Arlington, Texas
It was the second of back-to-back games between the teams, and on Thursday, The Lynx beat Dallas 85-73, handing the Wings their worst loss of the season.
However, Saturday's game belonged to Dallas from the start, as they roared to a double-digit lead in the first quarter, extended that advantage throughout the second, and never allowed the Lynx to within 12 points after half-time.
Arike Ogunbowale added 16 points for the Wings (6-7), scoring in double figures for the 50th straight game which leads the WNBA expands her franchise record,
Tyasha Harris finished with 13 points and Kayla Thornton scored 10 for Dallas, who snapped their two-game losing streak with an emphatic win.
Crystal Dangerfield and Napheesa Collier led the Lynx (5-7) with 17 points each. Kayla McBride added 13, and Damiris Dantas had 10 for Minnesota, who have now lost two of their last three.
Tina Charles collected 30 points and 15 rebounds to lift the host Washington Mystics to an 82-77 victory over the reeling Indiana Fever on Saturday.
Charles didn't miss a beat after missing Washington's 96-93 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday while attending the premiere of her movie at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The 2012 WNBA MVP added three assists and three steals to torment the Fever for the third time this season.
She scored 31 points in Washington's 89-77 loss to Indiana on May 23 before adding 30 in an 85-69 victory over the Fever two nights later.
Ariel Atkins scored 12 of her 16 points in the fourth quarter for the Mystics (6-6), who overcame an early 12-point deficit to post their fourth win in their last five games.
Theresa Plaisance also recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds in the win.
Courtney Vandersloot scored 18 points and dished out 11 assists Saturday as the Chicago Sky pulled away from the Connecticut Sun in the last three minutes for a 91-81 win in Chicago.
Four other players scored in double figures for the Sky (7-7), who recorded their fifth consecutive victory.
Diamond DeShields hit for 14, Allie Quigley and Ruthy Hebard came off the bench to add 13 points apiece and reserve Azura Stevens chipped in 11 points.
Chicago's best player, Candace Parker, tallied just three points, but saved her only field goal for the 1:45 mark of the fourth quarter. The fadeaway jumper upped the Sky's lead to 83-76 and was part of a game-sealing 13-0 run.
Brionna Jones scored a career-high 22 points for Connecticut (8-5), who dropped their third straight game.
DeWanna Bonner added 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Briann January contributed 12 points, while Kaila Charles and Jasmine Thomas each netted 10.
