Courtney Williams had 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds as the Minnesota Lynx rallied for a 74-67 win over the visiting Washington Mystics on Saturday night in Minneapolis.
Kayla McBride also scored 17 points for the Lynx (15-6), who snapped a two-game skid. Bridget Carleton chipped in 13 points and Dorka Juhasz pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds.
Ariel Atkins and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 15 points apiece to lead Washington (5-17). Myisha Hines-Allen chipped in 11 points and 11 boards.
Minnesota outscored the Mystics 19-10 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
Washington trailed by three before Carleton drilled a 3-pointer to give the Lynx a 70-64 lead midway through the fourth. That proved to be enough, as Hines-Allen made the Mystics’ only basket over the game’s last 5:04. Washington also got a free throw from Stefanie Dolson during that span.
Minnesota played without its top scorer, Napheesa Collier, who missed the game because of a foot injury. The four-time All-Star and member of Team USA for this summer’s Olympics sustained the injury on Thursday against the Connecticut Sun.
The Mystics led 57-55 at the end of the third quarter.
Dolson made a jump shot to put Washington on top by seven with 8:08 remaining in the third. The Mystics then fell behind 54-49 with 2:55 left before finishing the quarter on an 8-1 run.
Atkins started the run with five straight points on a jump shot and a 3-pointer. Hines-Allen added one free throw and Jade Melbourne made two free throws.
The score was tied 36-36 at the half.
The Lynx jumped ahead 25-14 at the end of the first quarter. Cecilia Zandalasini buried a 3-pointer to put Minnesota on top by 13 with 41.1 seconds left, but DiDi Richards made a pair of free throws for Washington to cut the deficit to 11 heading into the second quarter.
The Mystics doubled up the Lynx 22-11 in the second to pull even.
Washington finished the first half on a 7-0 run behind a pair of buckets from Hines-Allen and a 3-pointer from Atkins.
–Field Level Media
