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Sports
The Associated Press

Bonner scores 24 to lift Connecticut Sun past Minnesota Lynx 78-73

two female basketball players go after the ball
Minnesota Lynx center Alanna Smith (8) defends against Connecticut Sun center Brionna Jones (42) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Thursday in Minneapolis.
Aaron Lavinsky | Star Tribune via AP

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DeWanna Bonner scored 24 points, Alyssa Thomas had 14 assists, 13 points and 10 rebounds, while DiJonai Carrington made big plays down the stretch to help the Connecticut Sun hold off the Minnesota Lynx 78-73 on Thursday night.

Lynx star Napheesa Collier left late in the third quarter because of a foot injury. Selected to the U.S. Olympic team, Collier scored nine points, ending her double-figure scoring streak at 29 games.

Bonner made 10 of 16 shots with two 3-pointers and added nine rebounds for the Sun (16-4), who have posted back-to-back wins after losing three of their previous four.

Thomas matched her season high for assists and Carrington finished with 17 points including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc.

Alanna Smith scored 14 before fouling out to lead the Lynx (14-6). Kayla McBride had 13 points and eight rebounds.

Bridget Carleton connected on a 3-pointer and Diamond Miller followed with a three-point play as the Lynx scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to knot the score at 64. Bonner answered with a 3-pointer and a three-point play for a 70-64 lead and the Sun never trailed again.

Carrington blocked McBride's layup attempt with 28 seconds left that would have pulled the Lynx within two and added two free throws with 16 seconds remaining to push the lead to six. McBride sank a 3-pointer, but Carrington answered with a layup to wrap up the victory.

Bonner scored 11 on 5-for-7 shooting to lead Connecticut to a 20-17 lead after the first quarter.

Veronica Burton sank a 3-pointer to give the Sun a 32-24 lead with 4:42 left in the first half. McBride hit two 3-pointers and Carleton and Smith both made one in a 16-4 run to end the period and the Lynx took a 40-36 lead into halftime.

Smith had a 3-pointer and a layup in an 8-2 spurt to begin the third quarter to give Minnesota its largest lead at 48-38. Carrington made back-to-back 3-pointers to cap a 10-0 run and Connecticut evened the score at 48. Thomas followed her three-point play with six straight free throws and a layup, scoring 11 of the Sun's final 14 points for a 64-58 advantage heading to the final quarter.

Connecticut has won five in a row against Minnesota in Minneapolis and improves to 2-0 against the Lynx this season.

Up next

Minnesota will host the Washington Mystics on Saturday. Connecticut returns home to play the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.