Storm continue winning ways with victory over Lynx

Natasha Howard scored 19 points and Breanna Stewart added 18 to help the Seattle Storm beat the Minnesota Lynx 103-88 on Sunday.

With one week left in the season, the Storm (16-3) have the best record in the league — a 1 1/2 games in front of Las Vegas. The two teams will meet to close out the regular season next Sunday.

Jewell Loyd scored 16 points and Alysha Clark 15 and Ezi Magbegor 12 for the Storm. Sue Bird distributed seven assists against a single turnover.

Seattle took control with a 15-4 run to start the second quarter and never relinquished it.

Damiris Dantas hit a 3-pointer to bring Minnesota (13-6) within 26-24 to start the second. Shortly thereafter, Epiphanny Prince, who recovered the ball from going into the backcourt, with the shot clock about to expire, buried a 40-footer to ignite the run. The Storm later scored a season-high 31 points in the third.

Dantas led the Lynx with 22 points, Odyssey Sims 14, Crystal Dangerfield 13 and Napheesa Collier 10. Bridget Carleton from Chatham, Ont., scored 7 points.

Wings defeat Mystics in OT

Arike Ogunbowale scored a career-high 39 points, including a tying 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left in regulation, and the Dallas Wings beat the Washington Mystics with a 101-94 overtime win on Sunday.

The victory gave Dallas a two-game lead over Washington for the final playoff spot and the tiebreaker between the teams. Dallas also beat Washington 101-92 in overtime on Aug. 21.

Ogunbowale hit a 3-pointer and followed with a jumper with 3:23 left in overtime and Dallas (7-12) led for the remainder. It was the Wings' first lead since Ogunbowale made a pair of free throws with 6:17 before halftime.

Her 3-pointer with a 0.7 seconds left in regulation tied it at 86 apiece to force the extra session.

The Mystics used a 9-0 run in just less than three minutes for a 42-33 advantage right before halftime. Ariel Atkins scored 12 of Washington's 27 second-quarter points and the Mystics led 44-38 at intermission. Atkins' point total marked her career-high for a single quarter.

Satou Sabally scored 19 points for Dallas, Allisha Gray 14 and Marina Mabrey 12.

Atkins scored 22 for Washington (5-13), Myisha Hines-Allen scored 20 with 13 rebounds and six assists, Emma Meesseman scored 16 and Leilani Mitchell 13.

Parker sparks L.A. to win over Sky

Candace Parker scored 24 points with 15 rebounds and Chelsea Gray added 20 with seven assists to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Chicago Sky.

The Sparks (14-5) are a half-game behind Las Vegas for the second spot in the standings. The two teams meet on Saturday.

Chicago jumped out with a 30-point opening stanza and led by eight after one. Los Angeles tightened its defence from there and largely seized control. The Sky (11-9) managed just 10 points in the fourth quarter.

Brittney Sykes scored 11 for the Sparks before getting hurt in the third quarter. She didn't return. Sydney Wiese injured her ankle in the first quarter and also didn't return. The Sparks did welcome back Nneka Ogwumike after having missed the three games prior due to back issues. She scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds in 29 minutes .

Cheyenne Parker led Chicago with 24 points and 10 rebounds, Allie Quigley scored 22,