Fever open Commissioner’s Cup defense as Caitlin Clark tries to end a 2-game shooting slump

NEW YORK (AP) — Pauline Astier scored 16 points and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton added 13 to help the New York Liberty hold on to beat the Phoenix Mercury 75-68 on Friday night.The teams played two days earlier and the Liberty used a 23-0 run to close out the third quarter and take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.On Friday, the Liberty (5-4) led 54-52 with a minute left in the third quarter before using a 13-5 run over the next four minutes to go up 67-57 with 6:59 left in the game. The final play of the spurt saw Jonquel Jones block Kahleah Copper and then Astier threw the ball down the court to a streaking Rebekah Gardner for a layup.Phoenix (2-7) which has lost five straight for the first time since 2023, answered with an 8-0 run to get within 67-65 with 3:16 left. Astier ended New York’s drought with a driving layup to restore the two-score advantage.The Mercury trailed 71-65 with 46 seconds left when Monique Akoa Makani hit a 3-pointer. Alyssa Thomas then got a steal on the next possession and Phoenix had a chance to tie it, but DeWanna Bonner’s 30-footer was off. Astier hit two free throws with 8.8 seconds left to seal the win.Kahleah Copper did what she could to keep the Mercury in the game in the second half. After missing her first seven shots from the field, she had 14 of her 16 points in the third and fourth quarters.LYNX 79, SKY 58CHICAGO (AP) — Nia Coffey scored 20 points and made six 3-pointers, rookie Olivia Miles had 17 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Minnesota beat Chicago.Coffey was 6 of 9 from behind the arc to finish with her most points since dropping 23 against Seattle on May 27, 2018. Coffey also grabbed eight rebounds.Minnesota took over in the third quarter, outscoring the Sky 31-16 to take a 64-46 lead. Natasha Howard scored the opening six points of the third before Coffey made back-to-back 3-pointers to cap a 12-0 run for a 45-30 lead.Miles scored eight points in the third, with six coming at the free-throw line.Howard finished with 14 points for Minnesota (6-2), which improved to 4-0 on the road this season. Courtney Williams added 10 points, and Kayla McBride missed her first six 3-pointers and scored nine points on 3-of-13 shooting.Kamilla Cardoso had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Skylar Diggins also scored 12 points for Chicago (3-5), which is winless in four home games this season.SPARKS 92, MYSTICS 87WASHINGTON (AP) — Erica Wheeler scored eight of her 21 points in the final 70 seconds, Nneka Ogwumike had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Los Angeles beat Washington.Ogwumike moved into sixth place on the WNBA’s career rebounding list with 3,312 and now has a franchise-record 2,339 made field goals for the Sparks. Ogwumike moved past Lisa Leslie, who had 2,332 field goals for Los Angeles and 3,307 career rebounds. Cameron Brink tied her season high with 16 points, 14 in the first half, including a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left to give Los Angeles (4-3) a 42-37 lead at the intermission. Dearica Hamby added 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Kelsey Plum (illness/right ankle), the WNBA’s leading scorer at 26.8 per game, did not play for the Sparks. Shakira Austin made two free throws that tied it at 81-all with 2:07 to play but Ogwumike answered with a 3-pointer before Wheeler sealed it. Austin led Washington (3-4) with 25 points and 10 rebounds, her fourth double-double this season. Sonia Citron scored 15 of her 21 in the second half and had eight assists, and Kiki Iriafen had 13 points and nine rebounds. DREAM 86, FIRE 66PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Angel Reese had 18 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, Rhyne Howard added 14 points and six steals, and Atlanta beat Portland.Atlanta’s lead was trimmed to 59-53 after Portland closed the third quarter on a 14-5 run, capped by Sarah Ashlee Barker’s 3-pointer with 20.1 seconds left. But the Dream outscored the Fire 27-13 in the fourth. Atlanta started the fourth on a 9-0 run to regain control. Then, Naz Hillmon grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back while being fouled with 4:49 to play. She made the free throw for a 20-point lead at 77-57.Hillmon also finished with 14 points to go with five steals, and Allisha Gray added 13 for Atlanta (5-2). Gray surpassed 1,000 career made free throws and the Dream went 17 of 20 at the line compared to eight attempts for the Fire.Barker led Portland (5-4) with 14 points. Carla Leite added 11, and Emily Engstler and Megan Gustafson each scored 10. Holly Winterburn made her first career WNBA start in place of Bridget Carleton (back) and had six points and seven assists. Carleton is second on the team in scoring (15.3 per game) and averages 2.1 steals, second in the WNBA behind Atlanta’s Jordin Canada (2.3).