Las Vegas continues its dominant stretch
Aces have won 5 in a row by 15 or more
MINNEAPOLIS — A’ja Wilson scored 35 points on 14-of-17 shooting and grabbed 14 rebounds to help Las Vegas beat the Minnesota Lynx 98-81 Saturday, the Aces’ WNBA record-tying fifth straight win by at least 15 points.
The Phoenix Mercury won five consecutive games by 15-plus points in 2014 and 2021 and the Seattle Storm accomplished the feat in 2020. The 2021 Mercury team lost in the Finals, the only team of the group that didn’t win the championship that season.
Wilson became just the third player in WNBA history to score at least 35 points, grab 10-plus rebounds and shoot 80% or better from the field.
Jackie Young had 19 points, five rebounds and five assists for Las Vegas (21-2). Kelsey Plum scored 16 points and Alysha Clark 11. Chelsea Gray added 11 points and 11 assists.
Diamond Miller led Minnesota (10-13) with 17 points and Napheesa Collier had 16 and eight rebounds. Kayla McBride scored 10.
The Aces opened the game with an 11-0 run and Wilson and Young combined to outscore the Dream 32-30 in the first half. Wilson scored 19 points, on 8-of-10 shooting, and Young scored 13 as Las Vegas took an 18-point lead into the break. Gray added eight points and seven assists in the first half.
Candace Parker missed her fifth consecutive game for the Aces. The two-time WNBA champion (2016, 2021) and two-time league MVP (2008, 2013) has not played since she suffered an ankle injury in a 80-78 loss to the Dallas Wings on July 7.
SUN 86, DREAM 78: In College Park, Ga., DeWanna Bonner scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Alyssa Thomas almost had another triple-double and Connecticut nearly blew a 20-point lead before the Sun beat Atlanta.
Connecticut (17-6), which beat the Dream 82-71 on the road Thursday to snap their seven-game win streak, has won five of its last six games.
Thomas finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Natasha Heideman, who hit 5 of 8 from 3-point range, also scored 15 points for the Sun and Rebecca Allen added 11.
Bonner hit a free throw with 3:44 left in the second quarter to give Connecticut a 20-point lead but Connecticut went scoreless until Thomas hit a running floater almost two minutes into the second half. The Sun went seven-plus minutes to close the first half and open the second without a made field goal, missing 10 consecutive shots during Atlanta’s run that erased most of its 20-point deficit.
Nia Coffey made a layup with 7:29 left in the third quarter that capped a 22-3 run and trimmed Atlanta’s deficit to 47-46. Allen answered with a 3-pointer 13 seconds later and Bonner followed with a layup and the Dream never again threatened.
Rhyne Howard led Atlanta (1210) with 22 points but made just 5 of 18 from the field. Allisha Gray and Cheyenne Parker scored 17 points apiece and Aari McDonald added 14.
WINGS 98, SPARKS 84: In Arlington, Texas, Arike Ogunbowale scored 12 of her 25 points in the third quarter as Dallas pulled away from Los Angeles as the Wings won their fifth in a row.
Satou Sabally added 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists while Natasha Howard had 28 points and 11 rebounds. She also had four steals for the Wings (13-9), who have won seven of their last eight games.