NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart scored 24 points to lead a balanced New York offense as the Liberty beat Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever 91-80 on Saturday in front of a sellout crowd.
It was the second consecutive meeting between the teams who finished off a home and home set. Indiana lost on Thursday by 36 points, but was more competitive in this one thanks to a strong effort by Clark.
She finished with 22 points — the most in her young pro career — to go with eight assists and six rebounds. She also had eight turnovers.
The No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft came into the game averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds for the Fever.
This was Clark’s first time playing in New York as Iowa never played in the city nor did she when she was in high school or with her AAU team.
Clark brought out a bunch of sports celebrities to the game including Billie Jean King, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Michelle Wie West and Dawn Staley. Actor Jason Sudeikis, who went to a few of Clark’s games in college was also in attendance.
ACES 89, SPARKS 82
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson both scored 22 points and finished with double-doubles to power Las Vegas to a victory over Los Angeles.
Young sank 8 of 18 shots, including 4 of 9 from 3-point range, and added 11 assists and six rebounds for two-time defending champion Las Vegas (2-0). Wilson hit 9 of 20 shots with a 3-pointer, grabbed 10 rebounds and added three steals. Kelsey Plum made three 3-pointers and scored 17 with five assists and three steals. Alysha Clark scored 13 on 5-for-7 shooting with three 3s.
Dearica Hamby finished with 29 points to lead Los Angeles (0-2). Hamby hit 12 of 16 shots from the floor and 5 of 11 from the free-throw line. She added nine rebounds and three steals. Lexie Brown had 16 points. Kia Nurse and reserve Rickea Jackson contributed 13 points apiece.
Nurse scored half of LA’s 18 first-quarter points to lead the Sparks to a two-point lead. Nurse, who scored 23 points in LA’s 92-81 loss to the visiting Atlanta Dream in the season opener, sank all four of her shots with a 3-pointer.
Jackson hit 3-pointers on back-to-back trips down the court and Zia Cooke added a basket to give the Sparks a 32-25 lead with 4:37 left in the second quarter. Young, Clark, Kate Martin and Wilson all hit 3-pointers in a 15-0 run as the Aces took a 40-32 lead with 53 seconds left before halftime and never trailed again.
SKY 84, WINGS 73
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Diamond DeShields led a balanced attack with 16 points and Chicago dominated the fourth quarter to defeat Dallas to split the season-opening series.
Chicago outscored Dallas 28-11 in the fourth quarter to erase an eight-point deficit, getting contributions from a number of players while Arike Ogunbowale had nine of the 11 Wings’ points.
Marina Mabrey, who had all 14 of her points in the second half, got the Sky going with a 3-pointer in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. Elizabeth Williams had back-to-back baskets before Angel Reese had a three-point play for a 67-65 Chicago lead with 6:29 to play.
Reese finished a 14-0 run that made it 72-65 with 4 1/2 minutes left. Ogunbowale had the next nine points for Dallas but Chicago continued to pull away.
On Wednesday in the season opener Ogunbowale scored 14 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter as the Wings, down two with 3:16 to play, scored 14-straight points down the stretch to win 87-79. In that game, Dallas had a 60-42 advantage in points in the paints but in the rematch it was 28-24 for the Sky.
MERCURY 88, DREAM 85
PHOENIX (AP) — Kahleah Copper scored a career-high 38 points and combined with Sophie Cunningham for the last 16 points as Phoenix recovered after losing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to beat Atlanta.
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus had 11 points and Allisha Gray 10 in the fourth quarter as the Dream, down 70-60 with 8:43 to play, charged back to lead 81-74 at the 4:11 mark. A layup by Parker-Tyus produced Atlanta’s first lead of the game at 73-72.
Cunningham answered with a 3-pointer and Copper’s four free throws pulled the Mercury within 83-81 with 1 1/2 minutes to play. Following an offensive foul on Tina Charles, Copper found Cunningham on the left side for a 3-pointer and the lead with 1:11 to play. Natasha Cloud then blocked a Rhyne Howard attempt and Copper converted that into a layup for an 86-83 lead at 28.1 seconds.
Parker-Tyus made it a one-point game again but Copper answered and Howard missed a a 3-point try for the tie.
Diana Taurasi had 15 points and Cunningham 10 for the Mercury (1-1), who gave Nate Tibbetts his first win in the WNBA.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball against New York Liberty forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (44) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
DETROIT (AP) — Byron Buxton hit a home run and a double, Christian Vázquez had a homer and three hits and the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 9-3 on Friday night.
“I think everybody put something on the table to win this game,” said Vázquez, who has three of his five homers this season against the Tigers. “When I swing at pitches at zone, I get different results. I feel good and I have confidence in myself.”
Pablo López (9-7) allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings, striking out seven.
“A lot of my stuff got better toward the end of my outing,” he said.
Tigers starter Keider Montero (1-4) allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings.
With only three healthy starters, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch had to stay with Montero even after he allowed three homers in the first two innings.
“He was going to be out there,” Hinch said. “It's not easy right now — we have been putting together some bullpen games and there are some on the horizon, so Keider had a long leash. With three solo homers, we were still in the game.”
Buxton and Trevor Larnach gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead with back-to-back homers in the first, and Matt Wallner added a home run in the second.
Javier Báez hit his second homer in as many days to make it 3-2 in the third.
“I'm feeling good at the plate,” said Báez, who is hitting .179 with three homers. “I've been working a lot to play better, and if I can stay hot, I can have a big second half.”
The Twins regained control with three runs in the fourth.
Willi Castro knocked in two with a single to left and took a big turn around the bag, prompting second baseman Colt Keith to throw to first. The Tigers were wearing their black City Connect jerseys and the only person wearing that color at first was umpire Mike Muchlinski. Keith's throw sailed into Minnesota's dugout, allowing Castro to take third. He scored on Buxton's double to left.
“That's a tough inning when we've got two out, especially after (Báez) gets us back into the game with the homer,” Hinch said. “I haven't talked to Colt, but I think that's down to inexperience — I don't think Bligh (Madris) needed to travel with the runner. He could have stayed (at first), which is probably why he was trying to get back.”
Vázquez hit a two-run homer off Joey Wentz to make it 8-2 in the sixth.
The Tigers loaded the bases with no one out in the seventh, but Gio Urshela grounded into a force at the plate before Báez and Wenceel Pérez popped out.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: Activated 3B Royce Lewis (adductor strain) from the injured list and optioned C Jair Carmago to Triple-A St. Paul. Lewis came into the game hitting .292 with 10 homers and 18 RBIs in 24 games.
Tigers: Placed All-Star OF Riley Greene (hamstring) on the injured list and recalled UTL Ryan Vilade from Triple-A Toledo. Greene has been injured in each of his first three seasons, limiting him to 293 games.
UP NEXT
The teams play the second game of the series on Saturday, with Tigers ace LHP Tarik Skubal (11-3, 2.34) facing Minnesota RHP Joe Ryan (6-6, 3.65).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton misplays the double hit by Detroit Tigers' Matt Vierling during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Minnesota Twins pitcher Caleb Thielbar throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Minnesota Twins' Christian Vazquez (8) is greeted at home plate after a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Joey Wentz throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Will Vest throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers' Javier Baez is greeted at home plate by Carson Kelly after Baez's two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Joey Wentz throws during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Joey Wentz walks next to the mound as Minnesota Twins' Christian Vazquez rounds the bases after a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Minnesota Twins' Christian Vazquez is greeted in the dugout after a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton misplays the double hit by Detroit Tigers' Matt Vierling during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton approaches home plate after a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
