LOS ANGELES (AP) — Natisha Hiedeman came off the bench to score 18 points, Napheesa Collier added 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks 91-82 on Thursday.
Collier made a step-back jumper in the lane with 1.7 seconds left in the first half to give Minnesota a 50-40 lead. The Lynx bench scored 30 points in the first half, led by Hiedeman’s 16 on 6-of-9 shooting.
Minnesota dominated the third quarter by shooting 56.5% (13 of 23) from the floor and outscored Los Angeles 30-19.
Collier’s basket with 44 seconds remaining in the third gave the Lynx a 27-point lead at 80-53. But the Sparks scored the final six points of the third and the opening 11 points of the fourth to close within 80-70.
The Lynx kept a double-digit lead in the fourth until Emma Cannon’s 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining.
Alanna Smith and Courtney Williams scored on back-to-back possessions to put Minnesota ahead 84-70. Smith added a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 87-73 with 3:42 left.
Williams added 16 points and seven assists and Smith scored 15 for Minnesota (18-3), which lost at Phoenix 79-71 on Wednesday to end a five-game win streak.
Kelsey Plum led Los Angeles (6-14) with 17 points and a season-high 12 assists. Julie Vanloo finished with 15 points on five 3-pointers, Rickea Jackson added 14 and Dearica Hamby 12.
Los Angeles turned it over 22 times, leading to 23 Minnesota points.
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