Fever top Sparks to earn 1st win for interim coach Carlos Knox
Storm send Liberty spiraling to 6th straight loss
Kelsey Mitchell scored 22 points, Danielle Robinson had 10 points and 11 assists and the Indiana Fever held off the Los Angeles Sparks 101-96 on Friday night for interim coach Carlos Knox's first victory.
Indiana led by as many as 18 points in the second half, but Los Angeles battled back and Brittney Sykes' jumper at the free-throw line pulled the Sparks within 95-93. It was the closest Los Angeles had been since the first quarter. Robinson made two free throws with a minute left to give Indiana a two-possession lead and she added two more at 20.1.
After the final whistle, the Indiana players surrounded Knox for a celebration embrace.
NaLyssa Smith and Victoria Vivians each scored 17 points for Indiana. Emily Engstler added 13 points and nine rebounds.
Nneka Ogwumike scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Los Angeles (3-6). Katie Lou Samuelson scored a career-high 19 points and Liz Cambage was held to 13 points on 2-of-11 shooting.
Kelsey3Pointer(3).mp4<a href="https://twitter.com/Kelz_Hoop?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kelz_Hoop</a> 🪣 <a href="https://t.co/CDEhLKBsqD">pic.twitter.com/CDEhLKBsqD</a>
—@IndianaFeverStorm defeat Liberty in OT
Breanna Stewart scored 13 of her 29 points after the third quarter, Jewell Loyd finished with 21 points and the Seattle Storm gave up a 16-point second-half lead before beating the New York Liberty 79-71 in overtime on Friday night.
Sue Bird, Ezi Magbegor and Stephanie Talbot missed the game due to health and safety protocols. Magbegor moved into the starting lineup this season in the place of Mercedes Russell, who hasn't played since suffering a non-basketball related injury in April.
Stewart made 6 of 8 from the free-throw line in the final 2 minutes of the fourth quarter and then hit a 3-pointer to give Seattle (4-3) the lead for good at 70-67 just 35 seconds into overtime.
Briann January added 11 points for the Storm, including a 3-pointer that made it 73-69 with just over two minutes remaining.
THREE FOR BRI 👌<a href="https://twitter.com/BriannJanuary?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BriannJanuary</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeCover?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TakeCover</a> <a href="https://t.co/AbUjmuosDl">pic.twitter.com/AbUjmuosDl</a>
—@seattlestormNatasha Howard led New York (1-6) with 17 points and nine rebounds. Han Xu added 12 points, while Rebecca Allen and Stefanie Dolson each scored 11.
Seattle scored the first 10 points in a 17-4 run that pushed the Storm's lead to 14 points before going into halftime leading 34-24. Chantel Lavender made back-to-back baskets before Loyd hit a step-back 3-pointer midway through the third quarter that gave Seattle its biggest lead of the game at 43-27.
New York has lost six games in a row.
