2016 WNBA season scores: Lynx edge Sparks for 13th straight win

The Minnesota Lynx remained unblemished in the 2016 WNBA regular season after edging the Los Angeles Sparks, 72-69 on Tuesday in a battle of the league's top squads.

Renee Montgomery drained the go-ahead triple with only 2.9 seconds left to push the Lynx up by three. The Lynx then fouled Candace Parker in the next possession to prevent a three-point attempt from the Sparks.

Parker missed the first free throw, and intentionally missed the second attempt. She got her own rebound, and quickly kicked out to Kristi Toliver who was open. However, Toliver had her feet on the three-point line and her shot failed to beat the buzzer, allowing the Lynx to escape.
The Sparks led by as much as 54-47 on a Toliver three-pointer in the third quarter, but the Lynx answered with seven straight to tie things at 54-all. Natasha Howard scored four points in the stretch, moving well without the ball to put herself in open spots around the rim.

Teams went back and forth after that point, but Toliver's top of the key three in the final 2:11 of play gave the Sparks a 69-67 lead. Sylvia Fowles tied the count at 69 apiece, before Alana Beard missed a tough fadeaway off a drive with 7.5 seconds left.

The Lynx then went to Lindsay Whalen in the next play, and the playmaker found an open Montgomery after Essence Carson had took her eyes off her defensive assignment. The Lynx were able to finish strong despite the absence of Maya Moore for most of the fourth period as she injured her left thigh. Moore played less than 20 minutes as she was also hobbled by foul trouble, and finished with just eight points.

With the win, the Lynx improved to 13-0, preserving their record for best start in a WNBA regular season. Seimone Augustus had 13 points in the win, while Howard added 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting off the bench. Rebekkah Brunson contributed 12 points and nine rebounds.

Toliver had 20 points including 4-for-8 from three-point area for the Sparks. Carson had 11 points, while Beard added 10 points. Candace Parker was limited to nine points on 3-for-13 shooting, eight rebounds, and six assists while Nneka Ogwumike only had nine points on 2-for-3 shooting.

Here are some takeaways from this game:

The Lynx's bigs outplayed the Sparks' bigs in this game. The Lynx had a 42-29 edge in rebounding. Fowles and Brunson combined for 20 boards in the win, as the team took advantage of many second chance opportunities. The two also did an impressive job in taking Ogwumike out of her usual game. Ogwumike thrives in moving well without the ball to get scoring opportunities, but the Lynx were able to deny her the touches she normally receives. Brunson was also splendid in taking Parker one-on-one.

The bench may decide future match-ups between these two teams. The Lynx reserves outscored the Sparks bench, 26-10 in this game. Montgomery, Howard, and Jia Perkins all made impact in the game, stepping up while Moore was on the bench and while Whalen wasn't producing that much. The Sparks should get more output from their bench if they want to beat the Lynx in the future; the Lynx is just stacked at this point.

We need five more of this in October. With a new WNBA playoff format, it is possible these two teams meet again in the WNBA Finals. That would be great.

Last night's scores 

 Minnesota Lynx 72, Los Angeles Sparks 69

 Chicago Sky 81, San Antonio Stars 75
Elena Delle Donne had 23 points including 9-for-10 from the line, six rebounds, and three blocks as the Sky snapped a three-game losing streak improved to 6-7 in the season. The Sky are now third overall in the Eastern Conference, and fifth overall in the league standings. Cappie Pondexter added 15 points.

Moriah Jefferson led the Stars with 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting, five rebounds, and four assists. Kayla McBride added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

 Dallas Wings 100, Phoenix Mercury 90
The Wings repeated against the Mercury three days after outlasting the same opponent on the road in a triple-overtime game. Skylar Diggins once again performed well, scoring 20 points on 8-for-12 field goals to lead the Wings. Odyssey Sims added 17 points and nine assists. DeWanna Bonner had 26 points and six rebounds off the bench for Phoenix.

The Wings have won three straight to improve to sixth overall in the league, while the Mercury dropped to ninth spot with a 4-9 record.

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