WNBA ROUNDUP
Storm 81, Lynx 72
Natasha Howard scored 21 points, Breanna Stewart had 17 points and a season-high 17 rebounds and Seattle beat Minnesota on Sunday night. Seattle maintained its two-game lead over second-place Atlanta and reduced its magic number for the top seed in the playoffs to one. Seattle and Atlanta each have two games remaining. Stewart scored eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, during an 11-0 run that gave the Storm (24-8) a 73-58 lead with 4:54 left. Jewell Loyd added 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Storm, who never trailed. Sylvia Fowles had 28 points and 13 rebounds for the Lynx (17-14).
Dream 86, Liberty 77
Renee Montgomery hit eight 3-pointers to match to WNBA regular-season record and scored a season-high 30 points to help Atlanta beat the New York for its sixth straight victory. Diana Taurasi, Riquna Williams and Shekinna Stricklen also have hit eight 3-pointers in a game. Montgomery had 25 points in the second half, hitting seven 3-pointers to break the WNBA record for a half — one more than Taurasi, Sue Bird and Sami Whitcomb. The Dream (22-10) erased a 16-point, first-half deficit by scoring 21 straight points early in the third quarter and outscoring the Liberty 32-10 in the period. Atlanta had its largest lead at 72-58 on Montgomery's 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter. Brittney Sykes added 17 points, Jessica Breland had 16 and Tiffany Hayes 10 for Atlanta, which has won 14 of its last 15. Tina Charles had 20 of her 26 points in the first half, helping the Liberty (7-23) go into the break with a 48-37 lead. Rebecca Allen added 16 points and Bria Hartley had 12.
Mystics 93, Wings 80
Ariel Atkins scored 26 points, Elena Delle Donne added 23 and Washington won its sixth straight, beating Dallas. The Mystics (20-11) pulled away to a 51-37 halftime lead with a 25-9 run to close the second quarter and extended the advantage to 70-46 on Atkins' 3-pointer with 3:18 left in the third. The Wings (14-17) rallied to 77-71 on Kayla Thornton's 3-pointer with 7:20 left in the game but got no closer. Kristi Toliver added 17 points with a trio of 3s for Washington. Atkins hit all five of her 3-point attempts and Delle Donne was 3 of 5. Skylar Diggins-Smith had 17 points and Allisha Gray added 12 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas. Azura Stevens had 15 points, and Thornton 14.
Mercury 86, Sparks 78
DeWanna Bonner had a season-high 31 points, Diana Taurasi had 20 points and a career-best 14 assists and Phoenix beat Los Angeles. Brittney Griner added 20 points and 13 rebounds to help the Mercury (18-14) move a half-game ahead of the Minnesota Lynx fox sixth place in the WNBA standings. Candace Parker scored the Sparks' first 12 points and had 15 points and five rebounds in the first quarter. Parker finished with 23 points.