A’ja Wilson scores 45 points as Aces beat Sun

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — A’ja Wilson scored 45 points to help the Las Vegas Aces beat the short-handed Connecticut Sun 101-94 on Friday night.

Wilson was 15 for 18 from the field and made all 13 of her free-throw attempts for the Aces, who have responded well since their opening-night loss to Phoenix, winning the next three games.

Chennedy Carter added 18 points for the Aces, continuing her stellar start to the season. She returned to the league this year after not signing with a team last season. She did play overseas. Coming into Friday’s game, she was averaging 19.7 points in 21 minutes while shooting 73% from the field.

Hailey Van Lith scored 17 points to lead Connecticut.

MYSTICS 104, FEVER 102, OT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Sonia Citron scored 30 points, Kiki Iriafen had 25 points and 13 rebounds, and Washington edged Indiana after Caitlin Clark forced overtime with a dramatic 3-pointer and 17 points in the fourth quarter.

Clark hit a 3 from the left wing with 1.7 seconds left in regulation, tying the game at 89-all. Citron swished a shot from half-court but didn’t release the ball before the buzzer. Then Citron had five points and two assists in the extra period.

Iriafen and Citron, who combined for 44 points after halftime, were 21 of 31 from the field as the Mystics (2-1) shot 56%. Shakira Austin added 19 points and rookie Cotie McMahon, in her first game, contributed 13, five in overtime.

Clark finished with 32 points and seven 3s. Kelsey Mitchell added 24 points for the Fever (1-2) but missed two free throws in the last minute of overtime and a contested 2 from the left corner as time expired. Monique Billings had 10 points.

SPARKS 99, TEMPO 95

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kelsey Plum scored 18 of her 25 points in the second half and Los Angeles had a fast start before holding off Toronto.

The teams will meet against Sunday in Los Angeles.

The expansion Tempo (1-2), in their first road game, trailed by 20 in the second half before getting within two points with 2:23 to play. Plum and Nneka Ogwumike combined for the next six points. Toronto was within three with just under a minute to go but Plum made a pair of free throws with 13.8 seconds to left and Cameron Brink added two more with 8.9 left to make it 99-93.

Ogwumike added 20 points for the Sparks (1-2), Dearica Hamby had 19, Rae Burrell 13 and Eric Wheeler 10.

Brittney Sykes scored 27 points for Toronto, reserve Laura Juskaite had 16 and Nyara Sabally added 14. With Kiki Rice adding 11 off the bench the Tempo reserves had 42 points to just Brink’s 10 points for the Sparks.

MERCURY 91, SKY 83

PHOENIX (AP) — Jovana Nogic scored 27 points and Phoenix topped Chicago after blowing a 17-point lead in the second half.

Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper both had 17 points for the Mercury (2-2). They combined with Nogic, a 28-year-old rookie from Serbia, for the final seven points, four rebounds and two steals after the Sky (2-1) pulled within one point at 84-83 with 2:09 to play.

Natasha Mack had 10 points for Phoenix, which went 37 of 41 from the foul line on coach Nate Tibbetts’ 49th birthday.

Rickea Jackson scored 29 points for Chicago, which was 19 of 23 from the foul line. Rookie Gabriela Jaquez had 13 points, but Kamilla Cardoso was held to seven. Skylar Diggins, who was averaging 18 points, failed to score before an eye injury ended her night in second quarter.