Napheesa Collier leads Lynx with decisive free throws to down Dream
Jewell Loyd's OT buzzer-beating 3-pointer sends Storm past Wings
Napheesa Collier scored 26 points, including two decisive free throws with 1.5 seconds left, as the host Minnesota Lynx defeated the Atlanta Dream 86-84 on Friday night in Minneapolis.
Kayla McBride added 17 points, Layshia Clarendon scored 14 and Crystal Dangerfield had 13 as the Lynx won their second straight after an 0-4 start.
Tiffany Hayes, whose layup tied the score with 5.2 seconds left, posted 23 points and eight rebounds, Courtney Williams had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Aari McDonald scored 15 and Crystal Bradford 12 to lead the Dream (4-3), who saw their four-game winning streak end.
Hayes scored eight points as Atlanta extended its one-point halftime lead to 57-48 midway through the third quarter.
Clarendon scored the Lynx's final eight points as they pulled within 68-63 at the end of the third quarter.
Atlanta extended the lead to seven points before Dangerfield scored seven straight Minnesota points to help it take a 79-76 lead with 3:28 remaining in the fourth quarter.
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Williams made two free throws and a basket to give the Dream an 80-79 lead with 1:51 left.
Collier and Clarendon made two free throws each to give the Lynx an 83-80 lead with 1:04 remaining.
Tianna Hawkins' layup pulled Atlanta within one point before Collier made one of two free throws for an 84-82 lead with 12.9 seconds left.
Sylvia Fowles made consecutive layups to start a 9-0 run that gave Minnesota a 13-5 lead.
The Dream pulled even at 21 at the end of a 7-0 run before Achonwa's layup gave the Lynx a 23-21 at the end of the first quarter.
Bradford's 3-pointer gave Atlanta a 28-25 lead, which grew to six points before the Lynx made a push.
Collier had five points during an 8-0 run that put Minnesota back on top before Hawkins' 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining gave the Dream a 42-41 halftime lead.
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Loyd beats buzzer to lift Storm
Jewell Loyd made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in overtime to give the Seattle Storm a 105-102 victory over the Dallas Wings on Friday night.
Seattle's Stephanie Talbot inbounded from the sideline with 0.8 seconds left and Loyd scored on the catch-and-shoot. Loyd scored 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and had seven assists for the Storm (7-1). Breanna Stewart added 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Talbot scored 21 points.
The Wings (2-5) erased 10-point deficits in the third and fourth quarters. Satou Sabally had a basket with 7.9 seconds left in regulation that was initially ruled a 3-pointer, giving Dallas a 97-96 lead, but was changed to a two-point basket after video review.
Neither team led by more than two points in the extra period until Loyd's winner. Allisha Gray gave the Wings a 102-100 lead on a driving layup with two minutes left. Loyd tied it on a layup with 38.7 seconds left.
Marina Mabrey had 24 points for Dallas. Arike Ogunbowale added 22.
With files from CBC Sports and The Associated Press
