MINNEAPOLIS — Napheesa Collier scored 20 points, helping the Minnesota Lynx beat the Chicago Sky 83-66 on Friday night for their fifth straight victory.
Chennedy Carter scored 17 points for the Sky (13-24), who dropped into a tie with the Washington Mystics for the final playoff spot after losing for the ninth time in 11 games. But the Mystics — who beat the Atlanta Dream 72-69 — took hold of the No. 8 seed with three games remaining because they own the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Sky after winning the season series 3-1.
Collier also grabbed eight rebounds for the Lynx (28-9), who have won 12 of 13. Courtney Williams had 14 points and 10 assists, and Alanna Smith finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Kamilla Cardoso finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Sky, and Lindsay Allen and reserve Rachel Banham both scored 10.
Dana Evans’ 3-pointer gave Chicago a 29-23 lead with 6:34 left in the first half. Kayla McBride answered with a 3-pointer and added a pair of free throws in an 11-0 run as Minnesota took a five-point lead.
Collier opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer and Williams followed with three baskets in another 11-0 run for Minnesota.
Chicago fell to 0-3 since losing rookie Angel Reese to a broken left wrist. Reese set a rookie record for double-doubles and is averaging a league-leading 13.1 rebounds per game.
Up next
Sky: Host the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.
Lynx: Travel to play the New York Liberty on Sunday.
