MINNEAPOLIS — Napheesa Collier scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds Saturday night to help the Minnesota Lynx beat the Phoenix Mercury 73-60 for their sixth win in a row.
Alanna Smith scored 14 points and Courtney Williams added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Lynx (13-3).
Natasha Cloud led the Mercury (8-8) with 14 points and five assists. Rebecca Allen scored 11 points and Brittney Griner added 10.
Smith hit a 3-pointer to make it 9-6 lead about midway through the first quarter and the Lynx never again trailed. Diana Taurasi hit a pull-up jumper that got Phoenix even at 17-all moments into the second quarter but Collier scored six points in a 12-2 spurt over the next 5 minutes to push the lead into double figures.
Allen hit a 3-pointer and Cloud followed with a layup that cut the Mercury's deficit to 46-39 with 3:52 left in the third, but Collier answered with a 3-pointer 13 seconds later and Phoenix got no closer.
Collier is one of two players in the WNBA averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.
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Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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