WNBA roundup: A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray help Las Vegas Aces overturn 21-point deficit against Washington Mystics

nba Monday 16 August 2021 11:43, UK

Chelsea Gray drained a last-gasp winner to cap as the Las Vegas Aces stunned the Washington Mystics with a superb comeback while the Chicago Sky edged out the Seattle Storm in overtime as the WNBA resumed following the Tokyo Olympics.

A'ja Wilson posted 20 points and 14 rebounds before Chelsea Gray hit a game-winning step-back jumper with 4.6 seconds left as the Las Vegas Aces overturned a 21-point deficit to beat the Washington Mystics 84-83 on Sunday.

Wilson set a high screen for Gray, who drove down the left side of the lane, and slid to the right elbow where she hit a jumper to make it 83-82 with 32.9 seconds to play. After Washington's Myisha Hines-Allen was called for traveling on the other end, the Aces once again went to the pick-and-roll with Wilson and Gray, the latter of whom hit her jumper from nearly the same spot.

Liz Cambage finished with 17 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, and Jackie Young added 14 for the Aces. Gray had nine points and 11 assists. Las Vegas (16-6) moved into a tie with the Seattle Storm atop the WNBA standings.

Tina Charles and Ariel Atkins scored 20 points apiece for the Mystics (8-11).

Washington took a 67-46 lead when Hines-Allen scored inside with 1:52 left in the third quarter but Las Vegas scored 17 of the next 19 points over a span of less than four minutes to make it 69-63 when Cambage made a layup with 8:18 left in the fourth. Wilson scored 10 points in the final 5:27 and Gray's winner gave the Aces their first lead since 2-0.

Sylvia Fowles had 20 points, 11 rebounds and three steals while Napheesa Collier added 18 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks as the Minnesota Lynx beat the New York Liberty 88-78.

Natasha Howard made a short jumper to give the Liberty (10-11) a 71-68 with 7:04 to play before Natalie Ochonwa answered with four straight points to spark a 14-2 run that gave the Lynx a nine-point lead when McBride hit a 3-pointer with 90 seconds left.

Howard finished with a season-high 30 points for New York and Sabrina Ionescu had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Sami Whitcomb and Betnijah Laney added 12 points apiece. Kayla McBride scored 16 points for Minnesota (12-7).

Minnesota shot 48 percent from the field and made 18 of 21 free throws. New York went eight for eight from the stripe.

Kahleah Copper scored 19 points and Allie Quigley hit five 3-pointers within her 17 points to help the Chicago Sky beat the Seattle Storm 87-85 in overtime.

Diamond DeShields added 13 points and Candace Parker had 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks for Chicago (11-10).

Copper made two free throws to give the Sky an 85-83 lead with 1:40 to play. After Chicago got a stop on the other end, Ezi Magbegor blocked a layup by Copper. Parker grabbed the offensive rebound and missed a put-back attempt but again secured the rebound before making a short basket to cap the scoring with 1:06 left.

Jewell Loyd led Seattle (16-6) with a season-high 26 points, but missed a good look at a potential tying layup as time expired. Magbegor had a career-best 21 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, Epiphanny Prince scored 13 points and Mercedes Russell added 10 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Quigley hit a 3-pointer to make it 79-79 with 46 seconds left in regulation and, eventually, force OT. Seattle's Jordin Canada missed two free throws with 8.7 seconds left before Quigley missed a 30-foot potential winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Seattle played without 2020 Finals MVP Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird, who both rested after helping the U.S. team to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and then leading the Storm to a 79-57 win over the Connecticut Sun in the Commissioner's Cup title game Thursday night in Phoenix.

Nneka Ogwumike had 12 points in her return from a knee injury to help Los Angeles beat the Indiana Fever 75-70 in the Sparks' first game at Staples Center since September 2019.

Sidelined for two-and-a-half months by a sprained knee, Ogwumike also had seven rebounds and two blocks in 31 minutes. Brittney Sykes led Los Angeles (7-13) with 16 points, Amanda Zahui B had 13, and Erica Wheeler added 12.

Kelsey Mitchell led WNBA-worst Indiana (4-17) with 20 points as both teams returned from the break for the Tokyo Olympics.

The Sparks went 4-11 without Ogwumike, dropping six in a row before the break. Younger sister, Chiney, remained out because of a knee injury. Kristi Toliver returned from an eye injury that sidelined her six games.

Lauren Cox, the former Baylor star cut this year by Indiana after being drafted No. 3 overall last year, had three rebounds in 13 scoreless minutes for Los Angeles.

The Sparks have won 16 consecutive regular-season games at Staples Center.

Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 19 points, Diana Taurasi had 18 and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Atlanta Dream 92-81.

Sophie Cunningham added 17 points for Phoenix (10-10), Brittney Griner had 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks, and Brianna Turner had 10 points and a season-high 17 rebounds.

The Mercury led 20-4, shot 35 of 70 from the field and made 10 3-pointers.

Courtney Williams led Atlanta (6-14) with 30 points, with the Dream shooting 41 percent from the field and going three of 17 from deep.

Jonquel Jones had 19 points and 15 rebounds to help the Connecticut Sun overcome the Dallas Wings 80-59.

Brionna Jones scored 16 points, DeWanna Bonner had 14 points and four steals and Jasmine Thomas added 12 points and four steals for Connecticut (15-6).

The Sun took the lead for good when Jonquel Jones made a layup about three minutes into the game and used an 18-6 run to make it 28-14 early in the second quarter.

Connecticut, who lost in the Commissioner's Cup title game to Seattle on Thursday night in Phoenix, have won three straight WNBA regular-season games.

Arike Ogunbowale led the Wings (9-13) with 20 points as Dallas suffered their fourth straight loss.