Alyssa Thomas' double-double propels Sun past Mystics
Dream rally from 19 points down to defeat Lynx
Alyssa Thomas had 22 points and 10 rebounds while DeWanna Bonner added 15 points to help the Connecticut Sun beat the Mystics 88-81 in Washington on Tuesday night.
Elena Delle Donne made a putback to get Washington within 81-79 but Bonner answered at the other end with a layup in traffic for a four-point lead with 52 seconds left. The Mystics turned it over on their next possession and Hayes made one of two free throws.
All five starters for Connecticut (3-0) scored in double figures. Hayes and Natisha Hiedeman each scored 13 points and Jones finished with 12.
Thomas made all four of her field goals in the first half and 6 of 8 free throws to total 14 points in leading Connecticut to a 43-42 lead. Delle Donne also scored 14 points in the opening half for Washington as both teams shot at least 46 per cent from the field.
Ain't no letting up 🫡<br><br>The Engine is off to an incredible start to the season<a href="https://twitter.com/athomas_25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@athomas_25</a> has notched 3 straight double-doubles while leading the <a href="https://twitter.com/ConnecticutSun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ConnecticutSun</a> to a 3-0 start ✅ <a href="https://t.co/MDrD0yBUyR">pic.twitter.com/MDrD0yBUyR</a>
—@WNBADelle Donne led Washington (1-2) with 27 points. Brittney Sykes added 17 and Shakira Austin had 14 points and eight rebounds.
Connecticut beat Washington two days earlier in Connecticut 80-74.
Gray, McDonald lead Dream comeback over Lynx
Allisha Gray scored 26 points, Aari McDonald gave Atlanta it's first lead of the game in the final minute and the visiting Dream scored the last 11 points of the game to rally past the Minnesota Lynx 83-77 on Tuesday night.
Atlanta - which trailed by 19 midway through the third quarter - outscored the Lynx, who had one basket in the last 6-plus minutes, 24-10 in the fourth quarter, and 14-2 in the last 3:33.
Napheesa Collier scored 20 points for Minnesota (0-2) before she fouled out with 2:23 to play. Aerial Powers and Tiffany Mitchell both had 10 off the bench.
Collier scored the first 10 points of the third quarter for a 57-40 Lynx advantage and it was a 19-point lead at the midway mark before the Dream reeled off 14-straight to get back in the game. Kayla McBride ended Minnesota's drought with a 3-pointer in the final minute and the Lynx led 67-59 entering the fourth quarter.
Rhyne Howard and Gray sandwiched 3-pointers around a Collier layup — Minnesota's last points — to pull within two with just under three minutes to go. Monique Billings made two free throws at 2:34 to tie it. After the teams combined for seven empty possessions, McDonald capitalized on a Lynx turnover for Atlanta's first lead with 42.5 seconds to go. The Dream added three free throws from there.