Lynx breeze past Mercury, win 6th straight game

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds Saturday night to help the Minnesota Lynx beat the Phoenix Mercury 73-60 for their sixth win in a row.

Alanna Smith scored 14 points and Courtney Williams added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Lynx (13-3).

Natasha Cloud led the Mercury (8-8) with 14 points and five assists. Rebecca Allen scored 11 points and Brittney Griner added 10.

Smith hit a 3-pointer to make it 9-6 lead about midway through the first quarter and the Lynx never again trailed. Diana Taurasi hit a pull-up jumper that got Phoenix even at 17-all moments into the second quarter but Collier scored six points in a 12-2 spurt over the next 5 minutes to push the lead into double figures.

Allen hit a 3-pointer and Cloud followed with a layup that cut the Mercury's deficit to 46-39 with 3:52 left in the third, but Collier answered with a 3-pointer 13 seconds later and Phoenix got no closer.

Collier is one of two players in the WNBA averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball