Napheesa Collier recorded 20 points and eight rebounds to help the Minnesota Lynx post an 83-66 victory over the Chicago Sky on Friday night in Minneapolis.
Chicago (13-24) dropped into a tie with Washington (13-24) for the final playoff spot after the Mystics beat the Atlanta Dream 72-69 later Friday night. The Mystics hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Sky.
The Dream (12-25) are one game back as all three teams head into the final three games of the regular season.
Courtney Williams added 14 points and 10 assists and Alanna Smith registered 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Lynx (28-9). Myisha Hines-Allen had 11 points off the bench as Minnesota led by as many 20 while winning its fifth straight game and 12th in its past 13.
Chennedy Carter scored 17 points and Kamilla Cardoso added 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots for Chicago (13-24), which has dropped nine of its last 11 games. Lindsay Allen and Rachel Banham added 10 points for the Sky, who played without star rookie Angel Reese (season-ending wrist injury) for the third straight game.
The Lynx shot 45.2 percent from the field and made 8 of 26 shots from 3-point range.
Chicago connected on 36.8 percent of its shots, including 4 of 17 from behind the arc.
Minnesota led by five at the break before outscoring Chicago 24-9 in the third quarter. The Lynx made 11 of 19 shots in the quarter while the Sky hit only 3 of 19.
Williams scored six points during a quarter-opening 11-0 burst as Minnesota took a 51-35 lead.
Collier later buried a 3-pointer to give the Lynx a 58-41 advantage with 2:41 remaining. Hines-Allen made a pair of baskets in the final minute as Minnesota led 64-44 entering the fourth.
Chicago experienced a revival in the final stanza by scoring the first 11 points, the last four coming from Michaela Onyenwere.
The margin was later 12 before McBride made two free throws, Collier added a basket and Smith drained a 3-pointer to push the Minnesota lead to 78-59 with 2:27 remaining en route to closing it out.
Chicago led 18-9 late in the first quarter before the Lynx rallied. Minnesota used a 19-5 burst in the second quarter to move ahead 40-31 with 2:17 remaining in the half.
The Lynx led 40-35 at the break behind 10 points from Collier. Carter had 11 in the half for the Sky.
–Field Level Media
