Napheesa Collier stars as the Lynx beat the Sky 83-66 for their 5th straight victory

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier scored 20 points, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Chicago Sky 83-66 on Friday night for their fifth straight victory.

Collier also grabbed eight rebounds for Minnesota (28-9), which has won 12 of 13 overall. Courtney Williams had 14 points and 10 assists, and Alanna Smith finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Chennedy Carter scored 17 points for Chicago (13-24), which dropped into a tie with Washington for the final playoff spot after losing for the ninth time in 11 games. Kamilla Cardoso finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Lindsay Allen and reserve Rachel Banham both scored 10.

Dana Evans’ 3-pointer gave Chicago a 29-23 lead with 6:34 left in the first half. Kayla McBride answered with a 3-pointer and added a pair of free throws in an 11-0 run as Minnesota took a five-point lead.

Collier opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer and Williams followed with three baskets in another 11-0 run for Minnesota.

Chicago fell to 0-3 since losing rookie Angel Reese to a broken left wrist. Reese set a rookie record for double-doubles and is averaging a league-leading 13.1 rebounds per game.

Sky: Host the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.

Lynx: Travel to play the New York Liberty on Sunday.

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