UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) – Alyssa Thomas scored 16 points and her key and rebound helped Connecticut hold off Minnesota 90-83 on Sunday in the final WNBA game for the Lynx and league legend Sylvia Fowles.
Fowles, the 2017 league MVP and four-time Defensive Player of the Year, had a career-best double-double at 192 with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
She is the only player to lead two franchises (Minnesota and Chicago) in career rebounds and is the only player in the WNBA to reach 6,000 career rebounds (6,006 total). Fowles left the game for the final time to a standing ovation and hugged his coaches and teammates.
The Sun led 78-62 with 7:08 left before Minnesota went on a 14-2 run during which Fowles and Aerial Powers each scored five points. Leading 80-76, Thomas hit a jumper in the lane for Connecticut and his rebound at the other end helped set up Courtney Williams’ 15-footer for an eight-point lead.
Natisha Hiedeman and Brionna Jones each scored 15 points for Connecticut. Jonquel Jones scored 12 points and Williams 10. Thomas added seven rebounds and five assists.
Lindsay Allen, who came into the game averaging 4.3 points, made 6 of 7 3-pointers and led the Lynx with 26 points. He added six assists. Powers had 22 points and eight rebounds.
A 9-0 run late in the first quarter helped the Sun take a 28-14 lead into the second period and trail 71-54 heading into the quarter.
Connecticut was already clinched the third seed in the playoffs and will open at home against No. 6 Dallas on Thursday. Minnesota missed the playoffs.
___
More AP Women’s Basketball: i