Napheesa Collier scored 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, Olivia Miles broke the rookie scoring record and the league-leading Minnesota Lynx held off the Connecticut Sun 101-89 on Sunday in Uncasville, Conn.
Miles, the WNBA Rookie of the Year frontrunner, poured in 21 points and set the record for the most points in a rookie season at 790. She entered the day tied with Caitlin Clark’s record from two years ago (769).
Natasha Howard added a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds while Kayla McBride finished with 14 points. Courtney Williams scored 11 points as the Lynx (32-10) snapped a three-game losing streak.
Connecticut made a season-high 15 3-pointers on 28 attempts, including three apiece from Diamond Miller and Leila Lacan. Both players finished with 15 points but couldn’t help the Sun (10-32) avoid a fifth consecutive loss.
Gianna Kneepkens (15), Aaliyah Edwards (12), Raegan Beers (11) and Charlisse Leger-Walker (10) also reached double figures.
Minnesota held a 55-43 halftime lead and opened the second half on a 6-0 run.
But the Sun hung around and trailed 69-61 with 3:02 to go in the third after Beers scored off a putback and made a free throw.
Minnesota took a 76-67 lead into the fourth and held on from there as it won its 18th road game of the season.
The teams split their first two meetings, with both outcomes decided by six points or fewer.
Collier, who scored 19 of her points in the first half, scored the first four of the game to spark an 11-2 run to open the game. Courtney Williams drilled a 3-pointer for a nine-point advantage with 6:36 to go, forcing the Sun to call a timeout.
Minnesota soon took its first double-digit lead of the day on Collier’s three-point play that made it 16-6 with 4:59 still to play in the first. Minnesota led 27-12 at the end of the first.
Miles set the scoring record with 9:31 left in the half, hitting two free throws to extend the Lynx’s advantage to 29-15.
The Lynx led 37-17 with 7:55 left in the half after Maya Caldwell’s jumper, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Miller and Nell Angloma cut the Sun’s deficit to 39-26 with 5:57 to go.
Connecticut got as close as 49-41 with 43 seconds to go on a long-distance shot from Kneepkens.
–Field Level Media
