Napheesa Collier paired 19 points with 12 rebounds Sunday as the visiting Minnesota Lynx beat the Washington Mystics 78-71.
Courtney Williams scored 12 points, while Bridget Carleton, Kayla McBride and Natisha Hiedeman added 10 apiece as Minnesota (26-9) won for the 10th time in its last 11 games.
The Lynx entered Sunday three games behind the New York Liberty for the No. 1 playoff seed. New York hosts the Las Vegas Aces later Sunday.
Brittney Sykes scored 13 points to lead Washington (11-24), which had won five of its previous six. Ariel Atkins scored 12 and Stefanie Dolson bundled 11 points with seven rebounds.
The Mystics fell 1 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Dream and the Chicago Sky, who both entered Sunday tied for the final playoff spot at 12-22. Atlanta visits the Indiana Fever later Sunday, while Chicago hosts the Dallas Wings.
Minnesota went ahead for good on Collier’s three-point play that made it 70-67 with 2:37 left.
Washington failed to get a shot off two possessions later, and Carleton’s midrange jumper gave the Lynx a five-point cushion with 1:25 to play.
The Mystics twice pulled within a possession but got no closer than three points as Williams, McBride and Myisha Hines-Allen each hit a pair of three throws to seal the win.
Minnesota made all 17 of its free-throw attempts, while Washington hit 2 of 3 from the line.
The teams traded points for most of the first half before the Mystics surged in the final three minutes to lead 39-35 at the break.
Dolson broke a 30-30 tie with a 3-pointer, and Atkins followed with a jumper that made it 35-30 with 2:46 left in the half. Sykes and Aaliyah Edwards added buckets after Alanna Smith’s trey for Minnesota to propel Washington up 39-33.
Collier hit two free throws in the final seconds of the first half for the Lynx. Minnesota shot 6-of-6 at the line in the half, while the Mystics missed their lone free throw attempt.
Carleton’s midrange turnaround at the buzzer pulled Minnesota within 52-51 at the end of the third quarter.
Consecutive 3-pointers from Julie Vanloo and Dolson swung Washington back ahead 63-61 at the 5:26 mark of the fourth.
–Field Level Media