UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Tyasha Harris scored 15 points, DiJonai Carrington had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and the Connecticut Sun erupted in the third quarter to throttle the Chicago Sky 87-54 on Thursday night.
With the win in their regular-season finale, the Sun (28-12) clinched the No. 3 seed in the playoffs and will face sixth-seed Indiana in the first round starting Sunday.
The loss eliminated Chicago (13-27) from playoff contention. To qualify for the playoffs as the eighth seed, the Sky needed to beat the Sun and also needed the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics to lose. Chicago was winless in four games against Connecticut this season.
DREAM 78, LIBERTY 67
NEW YORK (AP) — Tina Charles had a record night to lift Atlanta into the WNBA playoffs with a win over New York.
Charles finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, breaking the league records for both career rebounds and double-doubles. Rhyne Howard and Naz Hillmon each scored 13 points to lead the Dream.
Atlanta came into the game knowing it could clinch a playoff berth win a victory while the Liberty (32-8) had nothing really to play for having already sewn up the No. 1 seed. The two teams will meet again Sunday in the first round of the postseason in New York.
MYSTICS 92, FEVER 91
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sika Kone scored a career-high 20 points and Washington pulled out a 92-91 win over Caitlin Clark and Indiana before a record crowd of 20,711, the largest in WNBA history.
The Mystics (14-26), who led by 16 points entering the fourth quarter, began the regular season finale with a shot at the final playoff spot but that hope ended when the Atlanta Dream (15-25) won at New York to secure the No. 8 seed.
Ariel Atkins and Emily Engstler scored 17 points apiece for Washington while Brittney Sykes and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough both contributed 12.
Indiana (20-20) had already locked up the No. 6 seed and pulled its starters midway through the second half. Clark, the record-setting rookie, had eight points, eight assists and five rebounds in 20 minutes while Kelsey Mitchell had four points and was pulled after only five minutes. For Clark, it was her first time being held under double figures in scoring since June 13.
SPARKS 68, LYNX 51
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dearica Hamby scored 20 points, Rickea Jackson added 19 and last-place Los Angeles closed the WNBA season with a win over playoff-bound Minnesota.
The Sparks (8-32) ended an eight-game losing streak and stopped Minnesota’s seven-game winning streak.
The second-seeded Lynx (30-10) are home against seventh-seeded Phoenix in the best-of-three opening round on Sunday afternoon.
Kia Nurse added 12 points for the Sparks.
Resting All-Star and Olympian Napheesa Collier and 3-point sharpshooter Kayla McBride, the Lynx had their worst offensive output of the season.
ACES 98, WINGS 84
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Megan Gustafson scored a career-high 24 points and two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces to a win over Dallas despite resting four starters.
The fourth-seeded Aces (27-13) open their best-of-three first-round series at home on Sunday against the fifth-seeded Seattle Storm.
Tiffany Hayes added 21 points for the Aces, who rested MVP favorite A’ja Wilson, as well as fellow Olympians Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. Sydney Colson scored 13 points, Kierstan Bell had 12 and Alysha Clark contributed 10.
Satou Sabally scored 25 to lead the Wings (9-31), who were without top scorer Arike Ogunbowale because of illness. Jaelyn Brown added 15 points, Kalani Brown and Natasha Howard had 13 apiece and Maddy Siegrist had 12.
STORM 89, MERCURY 70
PHOENIX (AP) — Nneka Ogwumike scored 17 points and Seattle spoiled what could be the final home game of Diana Taurasi’s 20-year career with a win over Phoenix.
Taurasi had nine points on 3-of-9 shooting in 18 minutes, returning after the crowd started a chant of “We want DT!” in the closing minutes. She returned less than a minute later to another chant — “One more year!” — and addressed the crowd following a tribute video.
Brittney Griner led the Mercury with 11 points.
The Storm (25-15) were already locked in the WNBA’s No. 5 playoff seed and will open the first round Sunday at the Las Vegas Aces in a best-of-three series.
The Associated Press