October 10, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; A view of the official game ball during the second half of Game 1 of the 2021 WNBA Finals between the Phoenix Mercury and the Chicago Sky at Footprint Center. Mandatory Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Dearica Hamby had 20 points and seven rebounds and Rickea Jackson scored 19 points with eight rebounds as the Los Angeles Sparks ended an eight-game losing streak with a 68-51 victory over the playoff-seeded Minnesota Lynx on Thursday in Minneapolis in the final game of the regular season for both teams.
Kia Nurse contributed 12 points in the fourth quarter as a substitute, with three 3-pointers providing the decisive points for the Sparks (8-32), who finished the season with their second win in the last 17 games. Los Angeles finished with the worst record in the WNBA.
Hamby set the Los Angeles record for most points scored in a season with 691 points, surpassing Nneka Ogwumike’s record of 689 points from last season.
The Lynx (30-10) have already secured second place in the playoffs, which begin on Sunday. They rested forward Napheesa Collier, who is the team’s leading scorer with 20.4 points per game and the team’s leading rebounder with 9.7. Minnesota defender Kayla McBride was also rested.
Diamond Miller and Alissa Pili each scored eight points for the Lynx, whose seven-game winning streak ended and who finished the season 16-4 at home. Alanna Smith had six points and eight rebounds for Minnesota.
The Sparks led 53-44 at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Lynx were able to close the gap to 53-48 on a four-point play by Williams with 7:29 left. Los Angeles took control with a 13-0 run when Nurse made three 3-pointers in the closing stages to extend the lead to 66-48 with 2:47 left.
The Sparks started fast and led 17-8 after just over seven minutes. Los Angeles had a 19-13 lead after the first quarter and led 38-30 at halftime while forcing Minnesota into 12 turnovers in the first two quarters.
The Sparks led by as many as 16 points in the first half.
Minnesota will open its best-of-three first-round playoff series at home against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.
–Field level media
