Mystics blow 30-point lead, rally past Sun

Las Vegas routs New York 78-63 in Laimbeer’s return

UNCASVILLE, Connecticut, June 14, (AP): Elena Delle Donne scored 36 points, Kristi Toliver added 25 and the Washington Mystics blew a 30-point lead before rallying past the Connecticut Sun, 95-91 on Wednesday night.

Washington led 31-15 at the end of the first quarter and extended it to 57-27 late in the second on Toliver’s 3-pointer.

Connecticut rallied in the second half, and Courtney Williams gave the Sun their first lead of the game at 77-76 with 6:58 remaining. But Delle Donne scored Washington’s next 10 points for an 86-83 lead.

Chiney Ogwumike’s steal and fast-break layup gave Connecticut an 87-86 lead, but Toliver answered at the other end with a long 3-pointer for her first points of the second half.

Jasmine Thomas sank a baseline jumper to pull Connecticut to 93-91 with 12 seconds left. Toliver sealed it with two free throws to snap a threegame losing streak for Washington (6-4).

Delle Donne had 22 points and Toliver scored 20 in the first half as the Mystics led 65-37.

Williams scored a career-high 34 points for Connecticut (7-2).

It was the largest halftime deficit overcome in league history, topping 22 points by Washington on July 17, 2011.

In White Plains, NY, Dearica Hamby scored 17 points and Kayla McBride added 16 to lead a balanced offense in the Las Vegas Aces’ 78-63 victory over the New York Libertyon Wednesday night.

The game marked the return of Bill Laimbeer, who coached the Liberty for five years before heading to Las Vegas in the offseason. Laimbeer joked before the game that the teams ran the same plays and that they could call each other’s sets.

The familiarity certainly helped Las Vegas, which was playing the second half of a back-to-back. The Aces won in overtime in Indiana on Tuesday night before flying to New York on Wednesday

Donne

morning.

They led 37-33 at the half behind a balanced effort. Wilson had nine points in the first half as the Aces were able to overcome a 17-point first half by Tina Charles.

Las Vegas (3-7) extended the lead to a double-digit advantage behind Hamby after three quarters. The Liberty couldn’t get within single digits the rest of the way. New York’s frustrations boiled over with 6:03 left in the fourth when Shavonte Zellous was whistled for a foul. Zellous disagreed with the call and was ejected after receiving two technical from official Tiffany Bird.

Charles led New York (3-5) with 19 points.

The Liberty had an off shooting night, going 4 for 24 from the 3-point line.