Weekend Recap: Aces on top after fifth consecutive win

Two of the WNBA’s top teams faced off yet again this past Saturday, and there was no earthquake to interrupt them this time — though they were delayed by a malfunctioning shot clock.

Faulty technology notwithstanding, the Mystics and Aces delivered a close, exciting game, one in which Las Vegas eventually prevailed. The Aces were given an unexpected boost off the bench by Sydney Colson, who scored a career-high 17 points to lead the team’s second unit.

The Mystics were playing without Elena Delle Donne, who missed her second consecutive game with a nasal fracture. They did get Emma Meesseman (who contributed 15 points and 7 rebounds in Delle Donne’s absence) back from EuroBasket, but Washington’s poor outside shooting (7-of-28 from three-point range) ultimately gave the Aces the opportunity they needed to secure the win.

It was the only WNBA game played on Saturday, but we had a full slate on Sunday. Here’s how those games shook out:

Sunday’s scores

Los Angeles Sparks 76, Atlanta Dream 71

The Sparks were dealing with a multitude of injuries — Candace Parker (ankle), Alana Beard (hamstring), Alexis Jones (knee) and Maria Vadeeva (knee) were all out for this one — but they were still able to pull out a close victory in overtime, led by Nneka Ogwumike’s 17 points and 15 rebounds. Tiffany Hayes led Atlanta with 24 points, while Monique Billings grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds.

Connecticut Sun 76, Indiana Fever 63

Jonquel Jones was unstoppable, scoring 26 points. Indiana attempted 12 more free throws than Connecticut, but did not hit a single three-point shot (0-for-16). The Sun knocked down 10 three-pointers, allowing it to put things on cruise control in the second half.

Chicago Sky 89, Dallas Wings 79

The Sky was hot from the field in this one, shooting 50.8 percent overall (55 percent from three). Chicago won the third quarter 31-13 and was led by Diamond DeShields, who scored a season-high 26 points.

Phoenix Mercury 62, Minnesota Lynx 75

The Mercury was without Diana Taurasi and Sancho Lyttle, and while it kept things close in the first half, Minnesota was able to build a comfortable lead in the second. The Lynx dominated the boards (48 total rebounds to Phoenix’s 24) and got double-digit scoring efforts from all of their starters. Sylvia Fowles recorded her 158th career double-double, moving her past Lisa Leslie to become the WNBA’s all-time leader.

New York Liberty 69, Seattle Storm 78

Seattle was able to put this game away early, leading 66-43 after three quarters. New York attempted 20 more free throws than Seattle, but turned the ball over 19 times, and Tina Charles shot just 2-of-15 from the field it what ended up being a sluggish all-around performance by the Liberty. Jordin Canada nearly recorded a triple-double (9 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists) to lead the Storm.

Next up

There will be no games this coming Monday (not unusual) or Tuesday (a little more unusual). Wednesday will feature WNBA games all day: Atlanta at Chicago at 12:00 pm ET (Twitter), Dallas at Phoenix at 3:30 pm ET (NBA TV) and Seattle at Minnesota at 8:00 pm ET (NBA TV).