WNBA Roundup: Liberty Outgun Fever, Dream Top Mercury and Sparks Stop Slide

LIBERTY 109, FEVER 102

NEW YORK — New York survived a furious Indiana comeback and earned a 109-102 victory over the Fever at Barclays Center, avenging two earlier losses in the season series. The Liberty jumped ahead 33-26 after the opening quarter and carried a 56-52 advantage into halftime. Indiana kept coming and eventually pulled even with 1:45 remaining, but New York responded down the stretch to secure the win. Jonquel Jones finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Liberty. Indiana received 20-plus points from Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, with Mitchell scoring 25 and extending her WNBA-record streak to 22 consecutive 20-point games. Indiana fell to 24-14.

Turning Point: Indiana erased New York’s advantage and tied the game with 1:45 left, but the Liberty steadied themselves in the final possessions and prevented the Fever from completing the comeback.

Star of the Game: Jonquel Jones, New York — 19 points, 10 rebounds. Her double-double helped New York withstand Indiana’s late charge.

DREAM 99, MERCURY 89

PHOENIX — Atlanta continued its late-season push with a 99-89 road victory over Phoenix, giving the Dream another important win in the playoff race. The Dream entered the night coming off a 124-point offensive explosion against Los Angeles and again found enough scoring to break the 90-point barrier. Atlanta’s ability to maintain its offensive pressure ultimately separated the teams, while Phoenix was unable to generate enough defensive stops to turn the game around. The victory improved Atlanta’s record and kept the Dream among the league’s leading contenders as the regular season entered its closing stretch.

Turning Point: Atlanta’s sustained offensive production prevented Phoenix from putting together the extended run it needed to seize control.

Star of the Game: Atlanta’s offense. After scoring 124 against Los Angeles two nights earlier, the Dream followed with another 99 points on the road.

SPARKS 77, SUN 68

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles finally returned to the win column, defeating Connecticut 77-68 despite going scoreless over the final 6:12. Rae Burrell scored 20 points to lead the Sparks, who shot approximately 51 percent from the field and built an advantage that reached 22 points in the fourth quarter. Connecticut refused to disappear, responding with a 13-0 run that trimmed the deficit to single digits, but the Sun simply ran out of time. Los Angeles controlled the transition game as well, holding a 13-2 advantage in fast-break points. The victory snapped the Sparks’ losing streak after they had been eliminated from playoff contention two nights earlier.

Turning Point: Los Angeles built such a large fourth-quarter cushion that even a prolonged scoring drought couldn’t undo it. Connecticut’s 13-0 rally made things interesting but came too late.

Star of the Game: Rae Burrell, Los Angeles — 20 points. Burrell supplied the scoring punch that helped the Sparks build their decisive advantage.

August 22 Scoreboard

New York Liberty 109, Indiana Fever 102
Atlanta Dream 99, Phoenix Mercury 89
Los Angeles Sparks 77, Connecticut Sun 68

WNBA Standings Through August 22

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Standings reflect games completed through Saturday, August 22.

A couple of notable storylines are worth emphasizing. Mitchell’s 25 points tied A’ja Wilson for the third-most points in a single WNBA season at 937, while Indiana’s Mitchell-Clark-Boston trio recorded its ninth game with all three scoring at least 20 points, extending its WNBA record. (Indiana Fever)

For Los Angeles, the win was unusual because the Sparks didn’t score at all over the final 6:12 yet still held on after having built a 22-point fourth-quarter lead. (Silver Screen and Roll) Atlanta, meanwhile, followed Thursday’s 124-point eruption against Los Angeles with a 99-89 victory over Phoenix. (Yahoo Sports)