Toliver scores 32 as Mystics beat Lynx

MINNEAPOLIS — Kristi Toliver scored 20 of her season-high 32 points in the first half, Elena Delle Donne reached 3,500 career points and the Washington Mystics beat the Minnesota Lynx 79-71 on Wednesday.

Toliver scored 14 points in the first quarter by making her first six shots and topped her previous season high of 19 in the first half to help Washington build a 44-32 lead. Delle Donne became the second-fastest player in league history to reach the career mark behind Diana Taurasi.

Delle Donne, wearing a protective mask after fracturing her nose earlier this month, finished with 11 points as Washington (12-6) won for the third straight time.

Lexie Brown scored 19 points and Sylvia Fowles had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota (10-10), which has lost three in a row.

Minnesota trailed by as many as 20 points in the second half but Brown banked in her fifth 3-pointer just before the third-quarter buzzer to cap an 8-0 run, getting the Lynx within 65-53. The lead remained in double figures until the 2:34 mark.

Sun 70, Liberty 63

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Jasmine Thomas had 18 points and seven assists, Courtney Williams added 13 points and eight rebounds and the Connecticut Sun beat the New York Liberty for their fourth straight victory.

Connecticut held New York scoreless for nearly the first five minutes of the second half, and the Liberty finished the quarter with just seven points. It was the fourth straight game Connecticut has held an opponent to under 70 points.

Jonquel Jones added 12 points and 10 rebounds for Connecticut (13-6), which is tied with the Las Vegas Aces for the best record in the WNBA at the All-Star break. The Sun shot just 36% on 27-of-76 shooting.

Tina Charles led New York (8-11) with 13 points and 11 rebounds. She had nine points before halftime and scored her first points of the second half with 5:11 remaining in the fourth.

Tuesday Aces 79, Storm 62

LAS VEGAS — Dearica Hamby scored 24 points to lead five Las Vegas starters in double figures and Las Vegas beat Seattle for its sixth straight home win.

Las Vegas had its lead trimmed to 57-51 early in the fourth quarter until going on a 17-5 run — with 3-pointers by Hamby, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. The Aces finished 9 of 20 from long distance.

Liz Cambage had 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for Las Vegas

(13-6). Young added 13 points, Plum had 12 and Kayla McBride 11. Aces star A’ja Wilson, averaging 15.4 points, did not play after suffering an ankle injury last week in a 69-66 loss to Seattle.

Las Vegas shot just 35% from the field in the first half, but led 36-35. Natasha Howard and Alysha Clark each scored 13 points for Seattle

(12-9), which had its four-game winning streak snapped.

Mercury 95, Fever 77

PHOENIX — Brittney Griner and DeWanna Bonner each scored 22 points and Phoenix handed Indiana its sixth straight loss.

Phoenix missed its first six shots of the game, but Bonner took over with 12 first-quarter points. Camille Little sparked the third quarter with nine points after Indiana scored the first six points of the half, and the Mercury sealed it by making 17 of 17 free throws.

Leilani Mitchell added 14 points for Phoenix (10-8), which had 28 assists on 33 field goals. The Mercury made 53% of their shots, including 12 of 21 from 3-point range.

Bonner and Griner combined to score 23 of Phoenix’s 44 first-half points.

Erica Wheeler scored 18 points, Tiffany Mitchell had 15 and Teaira McCowan added 14 for Indiana (6-15).

Sparks 78, Dream 66

ATLANTA — Nneka Ogwumike had 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt made six of Los Angeles’ nine 3-pointers, and the Sparks closed on a 15-1 run to beat Atlanta.

Atlanta was just one for its first 17 from 3-point range until Tiffany Hayes sank one from the corner for a 65-63 lead with 3:14 to go. But Chelsea Gray answered at the other end with a 3-pointer and the Dream didn’t score in the final 1:50.

Ruffin-Pratt finished with 23 points for Los Angeles (11-8). Chiney Ogwumike had 15 points and 12 rebounds and Gray added 10 points with six assists.

Monique Billings scored a career-high 16 points for Atlanta (5-15), which has lost five straight games. Hayes returned after missing two games with a hamstring injury and scored 15 points.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Kent Bazemore, who spent five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, sat courtside.