LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kelsey Plum scored 34 points and the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Indiana Fever, 88-69, in front of the fifth-largest crowd in WNBA history on Tuesday night.
With an announced gathering of 20,366, the most-attended sporting event in T-Mobile Arena, home to the 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, the two-time defending champion Aces won their fifth straight.
A’ja Wilson added 28 points and nine rebounds, while Jackie Young had 15 points and 10 assists. Kiah Stokes added 12 rebounds.
Indiana’s All-Star contingent of Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark combined to score 54 points — 78.2% of the team’s scoring. All three were named to the WNBA All-Star team that will play the U.S. Olympic team in Phoenix on July 20.
LIBERTY 76, LYNX 67
NEW YORK (AP) —Jonquel Jones had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and New York used stellar defense in the fourth quarter to beat Minnesota.
Breanna Stewart added 17 points and 17 rebounds for the Liberty in a rematch of the Commissioner’s Cup championship game that was won by the Lynx a week ago.
New York (17-3) trailed 65-61 before clamping down defensively. Minnesota missed 10 shots and had four turnovers over the next 7 1/2 minutes and the Liberty scored 15 consecutive points to go up 74-65 with 1:07 left on two free throws by Sabrina Ionescu.
Dorka Juhasz finally ended the drought with a layup with 30 seconds left, but it wasn’t enough.
SKY 85, DREAM 77
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) — Chennedy Carter scored six of her season-high 26 points in the final 92 seconds, rookie Angel Reese recorded her 11th consecutive double-double just before being named to the All-Star roster, and Chicago Sky beat Atlanta.
Reese finished with 12 points and a season-high 19 rebounds to move within one double-double of Candace Parker’s WNBA record of 12 straight.
Chicago trailed 75-72 before Atlanta went the final three minutes without a field goal. Diamond DeShields rattled in a 3-pointer from the corner with 2:21 left to tie it at 75-all and she added one free throw on the Sky’s next possession to take the lead for good.
Carter took over down the stretch, making a basket on three straight possessions. She converted her second straight driving layup for an 80-77 lead and then stole it at the other end, leading to a jumper from the free-throw line.
MYSTICS 82, SPARKS 80
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 10 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter, and Washington rallied past Los Angeles.
Myisha Hines-Allen had 16 points for Washington, which trailed 64-52 entering the fourth.
Walker-Kimbrough made a 3-pointer with 2:55 left, lifting the Mystics to their first lead since it was 6-5 in the opening quarter.
Walker-Kimbrough threw it over the defense to find Stefanie Dolson for a layup with 1:18 remaining. Dolson was fouled on the play and made the free throw for an 80-77 lead.
Walker-Kimbrough helped close it out when she stole an inbounds pass with 20.7 seconds left and made one free throw at the other end for a four-point lead. She went 1 of 2 from the free-throw line again before Los Angeles forward Stephanie Talbot beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer from the corner.
The Associated Press
