NEW YORK (AP) — Jordin Canada scored 19 points, Angel Reese added 18 points and 10 rebounds, and the Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 95-84 on Monday night.
DeWanna Bonner had 17 points and Rhyne Howard 16 for the Dream (29-14), who moved closer to clinching a top-four seed in the WNBA playoffs. A win against New York on Wednesday or a loss by Indiana in one of its final two games would give the Dream home court in the opening round of the postseason.
The Liberty (26-17) had their three-game winning streak end and now will be on the road in the opening round of the playoffs.
Atlanta led by three at the half and extended the lead to 73-62 after three quarters thanks to Allisha Gray and Howard. After a scoreless first half, Gray had 12 points in the period, including seven during a 9-2 run to start it. Howard then took over with 10 points in the quarter.
New York, which played in Toronto on Sunday, got within eight a few times, but could get no closer.
Breanna Stewart had 27 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Liberty. Jonquel Jones added 18 points and 12 rebounds.
MERCURY 87, WINGS 86
PHOENIX (AP) — Kahleah Copper scored 16 of her 31 points in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead layup with 2.4 seconds left, and Phoenix rallied to beat Dallas.
A foul call against Phoenix was overturned with 13.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and the Mercury secured the jump ball. Then, Alyssa Thomas found Copper on a backdoor cut along the baseline to take the lead. Phoenix forced a difficult shot at the buzzer as Paige Bueckers’ 3-point attempt did not hit the rim.
Thomas finished with 15 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for her fifth triple-double of the season for Phoenix (16-27), which trailed 74-63 early in the fourth.
Dallas (26-17), which led by as many as 14 points, had a six-game winning streak snapped with its first loss since Aug. 17. The Wings remain tied for sixth place in the WNBA standings.
Bueckers scored 30 points to go with seven assists, and Jessica Shepard had 17 points and 19 rebounds for Dallas. Bueckers, who reached 30 points for the fourth time this season, set a Dallas record for points in a season with 853.
