Napheesa Collier scores 25 points, Cheryl Reeve gets win No. 307 and the Lynx beat the Sparks 86-62
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Napheesa Collier had 25 points and nine rebounds, and the Minnesota Lynx eased by the Los Angeles Sparks 86-62 on Wednesday night for coach Cheryl Reeve’s 307th regular-season victory.
Reeve moved past Bill Laimbeer (306) for second on the WNBA list, trailing just Mike Thibault with 379.
Collier scored 11 points in the first quarter to help Minnesota build a 27-12 lead. The Lynx led 45-26 at the break as Los Angeles made just 10 of 44 shots from the field (23%).
Kayla McBride scored eight straight Minnesota points in the third quarter to make it 58-34 before the Lynx extended it to a 28-point advantage less than a minute later. Collier banked in a jumper just before the shot clock for a 70-56 lead with 6:01 left.
Bridget Carleton added 15 points, hitting all four of her 3-point attempts, and McBride finished with 13 points for Minnesota (7-2).
Dearica Hamby had 17 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles (2-7). Rookie Cameron Brink fouled out at the 2:24 mark of the fourth quarter with two points and two blocks. Brink was named to the U.S. Olympic 3×3 team earlier in the day.
Rae Burrell, the No. 9 overall selection in the 2022 draft, set season-highs with nine points and 22 minutes.
The Sparks were just 4 of 28 (14%) from 3-point range and 18 of 18 at the free-throw line.
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