LAS VEGAS (AP) 鈥� Napheesa Collier scored 23 points, Courtney Williams added a season-high 22 and the Minnesota Lynx raced past the Las Vegas Aces 98-87 on Wednesday night.
Minnesota scorched the two-time defending champions at home for the second time this season, winning 100-86.
The Lynx shot 55.2% in the first win, 59.4% in this one with Williams, who also had 10 assists and seven rebounds, providing the clincher. Las Vegas cut a 15-point deficit with 4:40 to play to 93-85 on a layup by Jackie Young with 1:37 left. Williams then drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing.
Bridget Carleton added 12 points, Kayla McBride had 11 and Alanna Smith 10, giving the Lynx (20-8) five starters in double figures for just the second time, the first coming in the other win over the Aces. Myisha Hines-Allen, acquired in a trade on Tuesday, had eight points off the bench.
DREAM 72, MERCURY 63
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) 鈥� Tina Charles became the while posting 12 points and 17 rebounds, and Atlanta defeated Phoenix.
Allisha Gray had 21 points and Rhyne Howard 19 to lead the Dream (10-17), who won their season-best third straight after going into the Olympic break on an eight-game losing streak.
Charles, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft out of UConn, opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer from the top of the key that moved her past Tina Thompson鈥檚 7,488 points. Charles鈥� 7,491 points are more than 3,000 behind Diana Taurasi (10,500), who was held to a late 3-pointer in this game.
Charles鈥� basket broke a 48-48 tie and started a 17-2 run that broke the game open. Reserve Maya Caldwell had all six of her points following Charles鈥� 3.
The Associated Press
