WNBA: Charles scores 31, Mystics holds off Lynx 85-81

Tina Charles scored 31, Myisha Hines-Allen added 19 points, Ariel Atkins scored 17, and Natasha Cloud had 11 points, eight assists and a career-high six steals.

Published : Jun 09, 2021 14:06 IST

Washington Mystics center Tina Charles (31) scores and is fouled by Minnesota Lynx forward Natalie Achonwa (11), left, during a WNBA basketball game on Tuesday.

Tina Charles scored 31 points and the Washington Mystics held off the Minnesota Lynx for an 85-81 win on Tuesday night.

Charles had four points in the final minute for the Mystics (3-5), a wide-open layup off a midcourt inbounds play at 22.3 seconds and a pair of free throws with 6.4 seconds left.

Myisha Hines-Allen added 19 points, Ariel Atkins scored 17, and Natasha Cloud had 11 points, eight assists and a career-high six steals.

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Washington took the lead for good on a run of 12 straight points capped by Charles’ three-point play and Hines-Allen’s 11-foot jumper to make it 59-48. The Mystics extended to its largest lead at 68-50 late in the third quarter.

Napheesa Collier had 22 points and nine rebounds for the Lynx (3-5). Sylvia Fowles scored 15 points, and Layshia Clarendon had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Dangerfield, who scored 10 points, hit a half court shot for the Lynx at the third-quarter buzzer.

Ogunbowale scores 22, Wings beats Mercury 85-81

Arike Ogunbowale scored 22 points, Marina Mabrey added 14 and the Dallas Wings beat the Phoenix Mercury 85-81 on Tuesday night.

Mabrey scored on a driving layup with 11.1 seconds left and Ogunbowale added a pair of free throws with 6.9 seconds, each time extending the Wings (4-5) to a four-point lead.

Satou Sabally added 11 points and capped an 11-2 Dallas run with a 3-pointer that made it 81-70 with 1:41 left. But the Mercury (5-4) scored nine straight over the next 1:11 with Skylar Diggins-Smith scoring five and Brittney Griner adding four during the run.

Griner tied her season highs with 27 points and 16 rebounds, Diggins-Smith scored 22 for her fourth straight 20-point game, and Megan Walker added 10 points.

The Dallas reserves outscored Phoenix's bench 41-10.

Dallas will stay in Phoenix for a rematch with the Mercury on Friday night.