INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Azura Stevens scored 21 points and added 12 rebounds, Kelsey Plum added 20 points and the Los Angeles Sparks won at Indianapolis for the second time in nine days, defeating the Fever, minus Caitlin Clark, 89-87 on Saturday night.
Since dominating the fourth quarter en route to an 85-75 win, the Sparks had lost two straight. The Fever had won three, including the Commissioner’s Cup, without Clark. She missed her fifth consecutive game with a groin injury.
This game was close throughout. The Sparks’ biggest lead was three points in the first quarter, and the Fever went up by eight midway through the third.
Dearica Hamby scored 18 points for the Sparks (6-13) and Rickea Jackson added 15, including the go-ahead basket that made it 88-87 with 57.4 seconds left.
Indiana missed its last five shots, four in the final minute. Stevens rebounded a miss and was fouled, making a free throw with 3.3 seconds to go. The Fever used their reset timeout but Aliyah Boston missed a shot from the top of the key.
LYNX 82, VALKYRIES 71
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier scored 22 points and Minnesota topped Golden State.
The Valkyrie took a 56-54 lead in the middle of the third quarter with a 10-0 run that started with a pair of 3-pointers by Tiffany Hayes but the Lynx closed with a 15-4 run to take a 69-60 lead into the fourth quarter.
Minnesota pushed the lead to 78-63 on Kayla McBride’s 3-pointer with 4:16 to play.
Courtney Williams scored 15 points for the Lynx (16-2) and McBride added 12.
Hayes had a season-high 23 points for Golden State (9-8), which had won two straight and four of five. Kayla Thornton scored 13 points, but only two after the first quarter. Stephanie Talbot added 10.
The Associated Press
