Minnesota
Bonner scores 24 to lift Connecticut Sun past Minnesota Lynx 78-73
DeWanna Bonner scored 24 points, Alyssa Thomas had 14 assists, 13 points and 10 rebounds, while DiJonai Carrington made big plays down the stretch to help the Connecticut Sun hold off the Minnesota Lynx 78-73 on Thursday night.
Lynx star Napheesa Collier left late in the third quarter because of a foot injury. Selected to the U.S. Olympic team, Collier scored nine points, ending her double-figure scoring streak at 29 games.
Bonner made 10 of 16 shots with two 3-pointers and added nine rebounds for the Sun (16-4), who have posted back-to-back wins after losing three of their previous four.
Thomas matched her season high for assists and Carrington finished with 17 points including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc.
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Alanna Smith scored 14 before fouling out to lead the Lynx (14-6). Kayla McBride had 13 points and eight rebounds.
Bridget Carleton connected on a 3-pointer and Diamond Miller followed with a three-point play as the Lynx scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to knot the score at 64. Bonner answered with a 3-pointer and a three-point play for a 70-64 lead and the Sun never trailed again.
Carrington blocked McBride’s layup attempt with 28 seconds left that would have pulled the Lynx within two and added two free throws with 16 seconds remaining to push the lead to six. McBride sank a 3-pointer, but Carrington answered with a layup to wrap up the victory.
Bonner scored 11 on 5-for-7 shooting to lead Connecticut to a 20-17 lead after the first quarter.
Veronica Burton sank a 3-pointer to give the Sun a 32-24 lead with 4:42 left in the first half. McBride hit two 3-pointers and Carleton and Smith both made one in a 16-4 run to end the period and the Lynx took a 40-36 lead into halftime.
Smith had a 3-pointer and a layup in an 8-2 spurt to begin the third quarter to give Minnesota its largest lead at 48-38. Carrington made back-to-back 3-pointers to cap a 10-0 run and Connecticut evened the score at 48. Thomas followed her three-point play with six straight free throws and a layup, scoring 11 of the Sun’s final 14 points for a 64-58 advantage heading to the final quarter.
Connecticut has won five in a row against Minnesota in Minneapolis and improves to 2-0 against the Lynx this season.
Up next
Minnesota will host the Washington Mystics on Saturday. Connecticut returns home to play the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.
It’s the kickoff to summer, known as the Midwest’s largest one-day free street festival.
The event brings more than 200,000 people to 30 blocks of St. Paul’s historic Grand Avenue, organizers said.
“It’s a way for us to highlight Grand Avenue and all that makes it special year-round,” said Holly Weinkauf, board president for the Grand Avenue Business Association.
A 5K run and parade kicked off the Sunday tradition that’s gone on more years than not for more than half a century.
“It’s a great community celebration, just seeing everybody come together for a day of joy,” said Weinkauf.
Not only does the event bring people together, but Weinkauf said it’s also a boost for business, in an area that’s faced an exodus in recent years, from Salut to Pottery Barn.
Weinkauf is the owner of Grand Avenue business Red Balloon Bookshop, which was busy with customers Sunday.
“Grand Old Day may be the first time they find our store and they come in and… they come back,” said Weinkauf.
Sharon Lane recently moved to St. Paul from Seattle and shares her new resident’s perspective.
“I like the fact that the community has come together as a whole. I like all the different foods that you can taste and it gives me the opportunity to meet people,” said Lane.
Minnesota
Mille Lacs’ walleye return to same ‘hot spots’ to spawn, protections could be key to their success
Natasha Howard had a season-high 27 points on 12-of-16 shooting, Olivia Miles added 19 points, six assists and six rebounds, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Seattle Storm 88-68 on Saturday for their seventh win in a row — the last six by double figures.
Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride scored 11 points apiece for the Lynx (9-2). Howard and Nia Coffey each had three of Minnesota’s season-high-tying 13 steals.
The Storm (3-9), who have lost five in a row, committed a season-high 21 turnovers and shot just 35% (22 of 63) from the field.
Coffey hit a 3-pointer with 3:09 remaining in the second quarter that gave Minnesota the lead for good at 39-38. Howard made two layups while Coffey and Maya Caldwell each hit a 3 in a 10-0 run that made it 55-43 less than three minutes into the third, and it was at least a nine-point game the rest of the way.
Natisha Hiedeman and Jade Melbourne led Seattle with 14 points apiece. Flau’jae Johnson added 10 points.
Dominique Malonga (concussion protocol) returned from an eight-game absence and finished with seven points in 14 minutes off the bench for the Storm.
Storm: Play Monday at Las Vegas.
Lynx: Host Dallas on Tuesday.
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