Seattle Storm edged past Washington Mystics 84-82 on Sunday
Nneka Ogwumike capped a 30-point performance
Napheesa Collier finished with 32 points and nine rebounds
Nneka Ogwumike capped a 30-point performance by hitting a turnaround, fadeaway jumper from just inside the free-throw line as time expired, and the Seattle Storm edged the Washington Mystics 84-82 on Sunday.
Ogwumike’s game-winner was the exclamation point on a wild ending in which both teams combined to shoot 5 for 5 on go-ahead or game-tying shots in the last minute.
Dominique Malonga’s layup gave Seattle a 79-77 edge with 55.8 seconds remaining, only to have Washington’s Kiki Iriafen tie the game about 20 seconds later.
Brittney Sykes put the Storm back in the lead with a 3-pointer with 16.2 seconds remaining, only to have Sug Sutton answer with a 3-ball at the other end, setting the stage for Ogwumike’s winner.
Ogwumike finished with 30 points and six rebounds, shooting 11 for 15 from the field. Malonga added 17 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Seattle (20-18), who won their third consecutive game.
Shakira Austin had 30 points of her own and added four blocked shots for the Mystics (16-22), who have lost four straight games as they fight to stay in playoff contention.
Collier scores 32 in return from injury
The WNBA’s leading scorer returned from a seven-game absence and picked up right where she left off.
Napheesa Collier finished with 32 points and nine rebounds, and the hot-shooting Minnesota Lynx beat the Indiana Fever 97-84.
Collier missed three weeks with a right ankle sprain but provided a big lift in returning to the league-leading Lynx (30-7) in top form.
With Minnesota six games better than any other team and with Collier leading the league in scoring, she had been a strong favorite to win her first MVP trophy this season.
With Collier’s injury, however, and with the stellar play of Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, the race has tightened.
Collier was 11 for 16 on Sunday and increased her scoring average to 23.5 points per game.
Courtney Williams had 14 points and 10 assists, leading a Minnesota offence that shot 57.1 percent from 3-point range.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 26 points to lead the Fever (19-18), who continue to play without Caitlin Clark due to a groin injury.
Burton helps lift Valkyries
Veronica Burton stuffed the stat sheet, Iliana Rupert made five 3-pointers, and the Golden State Valkyries beat the Dallas Wings 90-81.
Burton had 25 points, five rebounds, 13 assists and four blocked shots while playing 39 minutes, while Rupert made all of her field goals from 3-point range.
Janelle Salaun and Temi Fagbenle each had nine points and nine rebounds as the expansion Valkyries (19-18) pulled into a tie for the seventh seed with the Indiana Fever.
Maddy Siegrist led the way for Dallas (9-29) with 16 points. Haley Jones, Myisha Hines-Allen and Grace Berger also scored in double figures.
Top pick Paige Bueckers, who is two games removed from scoring a rookie-record 44 points, had nine points and nine assists.
