Aces 107, Liberty 101

Kelsey Plum got Las Vegas started and Jackie Young helped the Aces close the door from the free throw line.

Plum scored 27 points, A'ja Wilson and Young each added 23 and the Aces beat the New York Liberty 107-101 on Tuesday night. Young made all eight of her free throws in the final 34 seconds.

Wilson also had 14 rebounds for the Aces, who went 34 for 35 from the foul line. That set the WNBA record for free throw percentage with more than 30 attempts in a game.

“Down the stretch my team executed well. made big free throws on the road. That’s never easy,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “I was pleased how they executed down the stretch offensively.”

The teams played last week before the All-Star break and combined for the highest-scoring regulation game in WNBA history, with New York winning 116-107. This game nearly matched it.

Plum, the MVP of the All-Star Game, and Las Vegas (16-7) jumped all over New York and led by 14 after one and 52-28 at the half. The Aces looked to be cruising in the third quarter before Sami Whitcomb got hot for New York (9-14). She hit five 3-pointers in the period to get the Liberty within 71-63 heading into the fourth quarter.

“Our defense dictated our offense in the second half,” Sabrina Ionescu said.

Las Vegas seemed to be in control behind Plum and Wilson before New York crept within six on Natasha Howard's three-point play with 1:26 left that made it 95-89. That came right after Plum missed the only free throw of the night for the Aces.

Young then worked the shot clock down before hitting a pull-up jumper from the elbow to give the Aces some breathing room.

It nearly wasn't enough as Ionescu got going. She hit three 3-pointers and converted a three-point play in the final 49 seconds, but Las Vegas made all 10 of its free throws, including the ones by Young.

Despite the win, Plum wasn't happy with the Aces' defensive effort in the second half, when they let up after a solid first half.

“We had a big lead and then took our foot of the gas,” Plum said. “They scored 70 points in the second half and that’s embarrassing.”

Ionescu finished with 27 points — 21 in the fourth quarter — and Howard added 20 for New York, which was 15 for 31 from behind the arc.

The game marked the first appearance of Hammon in New York as coach of the Aces. Hammon spent the first eight years of her playing career in New York with the Liberty and is in the team's Ring of Honor. She received a warm ovation from the crowd when she was introduced pregame.

Hammon, who is fourth on New York's career scoring list, said before the game that she was close to taking the vacant Liberty coaching position this offseason, choosing instead to take the job in Las Vegas.

“I had multiple conversations with the Tsais,” Hammon said, referring to the Liberty's owners. “They are hard people to say no to.”

Hammon became the league's first million dollar coach when she accepted the Aces' offer.

The teams will meet again on Thursday in a matinee game.

Sky 90, Dream 75

Candace Parker had 31 points and 11 rebounds, Kahleah Copper scored 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting and Chicago pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Atlanta.

Emma Meesseman added 10 points, six rebounds and a season-high eight assists for Chicago (17-6).

Aari McDonald hit a 3-pointer that gave the Dream a 70-65 lead with 7:50 to play, but Chicago scored the next 15 points. Atlanta went scoreless for nearly five minutes and the Sky never trailed again. Meesseman either scored or assisted on 18 of Chicago's 30 fourth-quarter points.

Cheyenne Parker led Atlanta (10-13) with 14 points. McDonald and Tiffany Hayes scored 12 apiece and Nia Coffey added 11.

The Sky, who have won seven of their last eight games, shot 53% overall, had 24 assists on 35 made field goals and forced 17 turnovers, including 11 Chicago steals.

Lynx 118, Mercury 107 (2OT)

Aerial Powers had career highs of 35 points and 12 rebounds, Rachel Banham added season highs of 25 points and seven assists, and Minnesota beat Phoenix.

Kayla McBride was 9 of 9 from the free throw line and finished with 17 points for Minnesota (9-15). Sylvia Fowles had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Jessica Shepard added 13 points, 12 rebounds and two steals.

McBride made two free throws to give the Lynx a 103-101 lead with 2.1 seconds left in the first overtime. After a timeout, Skylar Diggins-Smith made a driving layup to force a second OT.

Powers made a layup and Banham hit her sixth and final 3-pointer to make it 108-103 with 3:37 to play as Minnesota finally pulled away.

Sophie Cunningham scored 36 points, hit six 3-pointers and had five steals — all career highs — for Phoenix (10-15). Diggins-Smith added a season-high 32 points and 10 assists, and Diana Taurasi scored 17 points.

Taurasi, who shot 5 of 17 from behind the arc and 5 of 23 overall, drove to the basket and initiated contact with Fowles, then attempted a fadeaway as she kicked her right leg into Fowles' midsection. No foul was called but, after Powers secured the rebound, the Lynx called a timeout with Fowles in obvious pain and 33 seconds to play.

Powers muscled her way into the lane for a layup and Banham made a free throw to give the Lynx an 89-86 lead, but Cunningham hit a second-chance 3 with 4.0 seconds left to force overtime.

Storm 83, Wings 74

Breanna Stewart scored 15 of her 19 points in the second half and Ezi Magbegor had 13 points to help Seattle beat Dallas.

Seattle (16-8) has won three games in a row and five of its last six, putting it in a virtual tie with the Las Vegas Aces (15-7) for second in the WNBA standings. That's a game behind the Chicago Sky, the defending league champions.

Magbegor also tallied eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals for Seattle, while Stephanie Talbot added 14 points, Jewell Loyd scored 13 and Tina Charles had 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

Teaira McCowan led Dallas with 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked two shots. The rest of the team combined to shoot 32.8% (19 of 58) from the field. Arike Ogunbowale made finished with 12 points, while Tyasha Harris tied her season-high with 10 points and Satou Sabally also scored 10.

Seattle took the lead for good with 6:51 left in the third quarter following a sequence in which Stewart made a layup, a 3-pointer and a short jumper in a 65-second span and then found Sue Bird for a drive-and-kick 3.

Bird's 3-pointer gave her 2,445 career field goals, the seventh most in WNBA history, passing Cappie Pondexter.

Allisha Gray did not play (personal reasons) for Dallas (10-14). The Wings have lost four of their last five games.

Mystics 94, Sparks 81

Elena Delle Donne tied her season high with 26 points, making four 3-pointers and shooting 10 for 14 overall, and Natasha Cloud added a season-best 21 points and nine assists to lead Washington over Los Angeles.

Cloud was 6 of 10 from the field, 3 of 4 from 3-point range and 6 of 6 from the free throw line. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 12 points and Ariel Atkins added 10 for Washington (15-10).

Katie Lou Samuelson and Brittney Sykes led Los Angeles (10-13) with 16 points apiece. Kristi Tolliver scored 12 points and Chiney Ogwumike finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Nneka Ogwumike (non-COVID illness) did not play for the Sparks.