Williams scores 23 as Lynx win Game 1 of semifinals over Mercury 82-69

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Courtney Williams scored a game-high 23 points, Kayla McBride scored 21, and Napheesa Collier added 18 points and nine rebounds as the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx defeated the Phoenix Mercury 82-69 on Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-five semifinal series.

The Lynx trailed by as many as nine and faced a seven-point deficit at halftime. As Phoenix threatened to even the game down the stretch, it was Williams and McBride making big shots to keep the Mercury at bay. McBride drilled a shot from deep to put the Lynx up 73-67 with under four minutes to play, and Minnesota never looked back.

Game 2 is Tuesday in Minneapolis before the teams head to Phoenix for Game 3 on Friday.

After surrendering 47 points in the first half, Minnesota's players came together at halftime to brainstorm ways to slow Phoenix down. The veteran Williams was a vocal voice in that conversation, according to head coach Cheryl Reeve.

Williams then went out and provided a spark for the Lynx in the second half, recording a career-high five steals while scoring 12 of her points after halftime.

“When she's out there hooping and confident, it's contagious," McBride said of Williams. “It just becomes a lot of fun out there playing the game within the game.”

Kahleah Copper led Phoenix with 22 points and Alyssa Thomas had 18. Mercury leading scorer Satou Sabally (16.3 ppg) was held to just 10 points.

Collier, who finished second to Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson in the WNBA MVP voting announced earlier in the day, had 10 first-quarter points but didn’t score at all in the second quarter. She scored eight points in the third as the Lynx evened the game at 59 heading to the final quarter.

Phoenix did its damage almost solely in the paint in the first half. Of the Mercury’s 47 first-half points, 42 came in the paint as Minnesota couldn’t find an answer defensively.

The Mercury scored just seven points in the paint after halftime and had only 22 total second-half points.

“They really did a good job defensively in the second half,” said Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts. “They turned it up at that end.”

Sunday’s game was a quick turnaround for fourth-seeded Phoenix. After beating the defending champion New York Liberty on Friday night, the Mercury flew to Minnesota on Saturday.

The same two teams faced each other four times during the regular season, with Minnesota winning three of those matchups. But the Lynx hadn't seen a healthy Mercury lineup before Sunday. Copper didn’t play in any of those four games, and Thomas and Sabally each missed at least one game against Minnesota.

“The other (Mercury) teams that we saw didn't look anything like this, so we knew it would be a learning experience for us," said Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton, right, collides with Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) during the second half of Game 1 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (0) is boxed in by Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams, left, and forward Napheesa Collier (24) during the first half of Game 1 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams, left, directs traffic as Phoenix Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani (8) defends during the first half of Game 1 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) drives to the basket past a group of Phoenix Mercury defenders during the second half of Game 1 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, right, tries to drive past Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, left, during the first half of Game 1 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for hours without explanation early Thursday as tensions remained high with the United States over Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

The closure ran for over four hours, according to pilot guidance issued by Iran, which lies on a key East-West flight route. International carriers diverted north and south around Iran, but after one extension, the closure appeared to have expired and several domestic flights were in the air just after 7 a.m.

Iran previously shut its airspace during the 12-day war against Israel in June and when it exchanged fire with Israel during the Israel-Hamas war. However, there were no signs of current hostilities though the closure immediately rippled through global aviation because Iran is located on a key East-West route for airlines.

“Several airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace,” said the website SafeAirspace, which provides information on conflict areas and air travel. “The situation may signal further security or military activity, including the risk of missile launches or heightened air defense, increasing the risk of misidentification of civil traffic.”

Iran in the past has misidentified a commercial aircraft as a hostile target. In 2020, Iranian air defense shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 with two surface-to-air missiles, killing all 176 people on board. Iran for days adamantly dismissed allegations of downing the plane as Western propaganda before finally acknowledging it.

The airspace closure came as some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait also ordered its personnel to “temporary halt” going to the multiple military bases in the small Gulf Arab country.

U.S. President Donald Trump made a series of vague statements Wednesday that left unclear what American action, if any, would take place against Iran.

In comments to reporters, Trump said he had been told that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, without providing many details. The shift comes a day after Trump told protesters in Iran that “help is on the way” and that his administration would “act accordingly” to respond to the Islamic Republic’s deadly crackdown.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also sought to tone down the rhetoric, urging the U.S. to find a solution through negotiation.

Asked by Fox News what he would say to Trump, Araghchi said: “My message is: Between war and diplomacy, diplomacy is a better way, although we don’t have any positive experience from the United States. But still diplomacy is much better than war.”

The change in tone by the U.S. and Iran came hours after the chief of the Iranian judiciary said the government must act quickly to punish the thousands who have been detained.

Activists warned that hangings of detainees could come soon. The security forces’ crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,615, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Demonstrators burn a poster depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, in Holon, Israel Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A woman mourns next to the flag-draped coffins of a group of security forces, who were killed during anti-government protests, during their funeral ceremony, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A man hands out posters of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a funeral ceremony for a group of security forces, who were killed during anti-government protests, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

People take part in a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, Berlin Germany, Wednesday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Policemen protect the British Embassy during a protest by hardline supporters of the Iranian government, as people ride on their motorbike in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)