Kayla McBride drops 24 to lead Lynx past Mercury

Kayla McBride scored 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Phoenix Mercury 99-68 on Saturday night.

The Lynx (9-7) shot 55% from the field en route to heir fourth straight victory and fifth in six games. McBride was 4 of 6 from 3-point range.

Bridget Carleton of Chatham, Ont., scored three points, collected three rebounds and added three assists for the Lynx.

Napheesa Collier added 19 points, Layshia Clarendon had 17, Damiris Dantas 14 and Crystal Dangerfield 12.

Hamilton, Ont., native Kia Nurse collected five rebounds while adding two points and an assist for Phoenix.

Skylar Diggins-Smith had 12 points for the Mercury (7-9). Diana Taurasi added 11.

Taurasi's 10-foot floater opened the scoring in the second quarter and cut Phoenix's deficit to 22-20, but the Lynx led 38-25 before the seven-minute mark and had 37 points in the quarter for 59-41 halftime lead.

Liberty complete comeback against Mystics

Betnijah Laney scored 19 points and Jazmine Jones had 12 of her 17 points in the second half to help the New York Liberty rally from an 18-point deficit and beat the Washington Mystics 82-79 on Saturday, spoiling the homecoming of Tina Charles.

The former Liberty star and native New Yorker was traded to Washington as part of a three-team deal before the 2020 season. The Liberty used the picks they got from the Mystics to draft Jones and Leaonna Odom.

Charles helped Washington build an 18-point halftime advantage before New York rallied behind Jones to take an 80-79 lead with 52.1 seconds left on Reshanda Gray's layup.

Charles then corralled one more board before she was called for an offensive foul with 2.3 seconds left.

Laney hit two free throws to seal the win for New York (9-9).

Charles finished with 31 points and 16 rebounds. She is having an MVP-type season for Washington (7-10) after getting medical exemption last year because of the risk of severe complications from contracting COVID-19. She came into the game averaging a career-best 25.5 points and 9.1 rebounds.

Rebecca Allen and Reshanda Gray are the only players left from Charles' time in New York. Allen was in a walking boot on her right foot and missed her third straight game.

Charles helped the Liberty to the best record in the Eastern Conference from 2015-17, but the team couldn't get to the WNBA Finals.

After the first quarter, which saw Charles have six points, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal, the Liberty played a video tribute to the franchise's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. She got a nice ovation from the crowd, which she stood and waved to.

Washington led 28-15 after one quarter.

Fever snap 12-game skid with win over Sun

Danielle Robinson tied her career high with 19 points, Teaira McCowan had 13 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, and the Indiana Fever beat the Connecticut Sun 73-67 on Saturday to snap a franchise single-season record 12-game losing streak.

Kelsey Mitchell added 14 points for Indiana (2-16), which won for the first time since beating the Washington Mystics 89-77 on May 23.

Connecticut, which beat the Fever 86-80 on Thursday, played its fourth game — the last three on the road — in seven days. The Sun's four-game winning streak ended.

Jonquel Jones led Connecticut (12-6) with 16 points and nine rebounds but was just 5-of-17 shooting. DeWanna Bonner made 8 of 8 from the foul line and finished with 14 points and Brionna Jones scored 13 with eight rebounds. Heideman hit 4 of 8 from 3-point range — while the rest of the Sun players were 0 for 9 — and scored 12 points.

With the Sun trailing by four, Jones was called for traveling in the lane with 92 seconds left and Danielle Robinson made a driving left-handed layup on the other end. Natisha Heideman sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a runner off the glass by Robinson to trim Connecticut's deficit to 69-67 with 47.8 seconds to go.

McCowan made a baby hook in the lane and then, on the defensive end, forced a tough shot by Jones. Mitchell grabbed the rebound, was immediately fouled, and then made two free throws to cap the scoring with 17.4 seconds remaining.

WATCH | How the Aboriginal Sport Circle is helping empower Indigenous people through sport:

How the Aboriginal Sport Circle is helping empower through sport

3 years ago

Duration 5:48

CBC Sports’ Jacqueline Doorey sits down with ASC Vice President Janice Forsyth to discuss the not-for-profit organization that exists to support the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people and communities through participation in sport, physical activity, and recreation.