WNBA Roundup: Storm bounce back vs. Lynx, Sun snap losing streak

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jewel Loyd scored 31 points, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu had a season-high 15 rebounds, and Seattle defeated Minnesota 88-74 on Sunday.

Leading 80-61 at the 5-minute mark off the fourth quarter, the Storm did not score again until Loyd hit a step-back 3-pointer for an 83-65 lead with 3:13 remaining. Joyner Holmes added a 3-pointer about a minute later and Yvonne Turner closed out the scoring with a 22-foot jumper in the final minute.

After making just 5 of 19 shots in a 78-70 loss to Minnesota in Seattle on Friday, Loyd bounced back with 10-for-25 shooting from the field, including 5 for 10 on 3-pointers, to go with 6 for 7 on free throws. She had five rebounds and four assists, playing 32 minutes.

Ezi Magbegor scored 12 points and Sami Whitcomb added 10 for Seattle (10-22).

Kayla McBride scored 18 points, Napheesa Collier 14, Aerial Powers 12 and Tiffany Mitchell 11 for Minnesota (15-17).

FEVER 83, MERCURY 73

PHOENIX (AP) — Kelsey Mitchell scored 13 of her 25 points in a key fourth-quarter run, Nalyssa Smith added 25 points and 11 rebounds, and the Indiana Fever beat the Phoenix Mercury 83-73 on Sunday.

Indiana led for the final 37 1/2 minutes but never by more than 10 points until Mitchell’s personal 13-4 run late in the fourth quarter.

With the Fever (9-24) leading 65-62, Mitchell connected on a layup, back-to-back 3-pointers, a deep 2-pointer and another 3 to give Indiana a 78-66 lead with 1:17 remaining. Erica Wheeler finished off the win with 5-for-6 shooting from the line in the final minute.

Mitchell hit 10 of 22 from the field, including 5 of 10 from 3-point range, and added four assists. Smith made 9 of 12 shots from the field and 7 of 11 free throws.

Sophie Cunningham led Phoenix (9-23) with 18 points. Megan Gustafson had 15 points and eight rebounds, Michaela Onyenwere scored 12, and Moriah Jefferson added 10 points. Diana Taurasi scored six points in 16 minutes of play before leaving with a toe injury.

The Mercury shot just 3 for 22 on 3-pointers.

The Mercury were without leading scorer Brittney Griner, who missed her second straight game while in the WNBA’s health and safety protocol.

SUN 79, SKY 73

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CHICAGO (AP) — Alyssa Thomas scored 22 points and moved into second place on Connecticut’s career scoring list, and the Sun beat the Chicago Sky 79-73 on Sunday to snap a three-game losing streak.

With Connecticut leading by five late in the third quarter, Thomas grabbed a defensive rebound and connected for a three-point play at the other end to pass Asjha Jones (3,336) on the franchise scoring list. Thomas is now at 3,346 — trailing only Nykesha Sales (3,955).

Leading 74-66 with about 2 1/2 minutes left, Natisha Hiedeman buried a 3-pointer for Connecticut and DeWanna Bonner added a layup a couple of minutes later, putting the Sun ahead 79-66 with 1:17 remaining. Chicago closed out the scoring with a series of free throws that included three from Courtney Williams after Olivia Nelson-Ododa was called for a flagrant foul.

Bonner and Hiedeman scored 13 points each and Tiffany Hayes added 12 for Connecticut (22-10). Bonner had eight rebounds and Thomas had eight assists.

Kahleah Copper led Chicago with 15 points. Elizabeth Williams had 14 points, Courtney Williams 11 and Marina Mabrey 11.

Connecticut trailed by five late in the second quarter but closed the half with a 12-2 run in which Bonner and Rebecca Allen hit 3-pointers and Thomas had a three-point play.

Thomas had 13 points and five assists in the half and Connecticut led 45-40. Mabrey led Chicago with 11 points in the half but did not score after halftime.

Chicago (12-20) has lost five straight, falling behind No. 8 Los Angeles (13-18) in the playoff race. The regular season ends on Sept. 10.

WINGS 97, MYSTICS 84

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WASHINGTON — Arike Ogunbowale scored 17 points, Teaira McCowan added 15 points and 13 rebounds, and the Dallas Wings defeated the Washington Mystics 97-84 on Sunday.

The Wings had six players in double figures. Natasha Howard scored 15 points, Crystal Dangerfield 14, Maddy Siegrist 11 and Kalani Brown 10. Satou Sabally added nine points and 10 assists.

Brown made a pair of free throws for Dallas early in the fourth quarter, then the Wings went the next 5:06 without a point, seeing their lead that was once 20 points cut to 13. Ogunbowale hit a pair of free throws and Veronica Burton added a 3-pointer to get Dallas moving again. Natasha Cloud and Tianna Hawkins hit 3-pointers for Washington near the 3-minute mark, but Dallas maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.

Cloud scored 22 points for Washington, Brittney Sykes added 16 and Ariel Atkins finished with 13.

After trailing 56-46 at halftime, Washington got as close as 65-61 before Dallas scored the next 11 points, with McCowan scoring six points in the run. The Wings went on to lead by 20 heading into the fourth.

Dallas led for nearly all of the first half and a 12-4 run in which Siegrist scored the first five points and Dangerfield hit the last five to give the Wings a 45-32 lead midway through the second quarter.

Later in the half, Dallas led by 16 before Atkins hit a 3-pointer to start a 10-4 Mystics run to close out the half, leaving the Wings with a 10-point lead.

For Atkins, it was her second game after being sidelined with an ankle sprain since early July. Elena Delle Donne, who saw limited action on Friday after also missing several weeks with an ankle sprain, did not play on Sunday.

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