UNCASVILLE, Conn. — \u2014 Alanna Smith and reserve DiJonai Carrington scored 18 points apiece and the Minnesota Lynx clinched the regular-season title with a 94-70 win over the Connecticut Sun on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
Minnesota (31-8) also set a franchise record for wins. The Lynx won 30 games last season in a 40-game schedule \u2014 four fewer than this year.<\/p>\n
Napheesa Collier added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Lynx, Courtney Williams had 15 points and eight boards and Kayla McBride had 15 points and six assists.<\/p>\n
Minnesota was 15 for 28 on 3-pointers with McBride hitting five and Smith four. The Lynx had 27 assists on 34 baskets with 10 different players getting at least one.<\/p>\n
Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey had 14 points apiece for the Sun (10-28) and Aaliyah Edwards 11. <\/p>\n
Natisha Hiedemann hit a jumper to give the Lynx a 21-19 lead after one quarter and they dominated the second quarter to take a 42-29 lead at the half. <\/p>\n
Williams reached 4,000 career points as she had 11 in the half, hitting all three of her 3s.<\/p>\n
Minnesota got off to a 9-2 start in the second half, taking a 51-31 lead on Collier’s layup. The Sun kept battling back, the closest was 11 when Lindsay Allen found Edwards alone under the basket to cut it to 61-50. Then Carrington drained a buzzer-beating 3 and the Lynx were up 66-54 entering the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
The Sun never got closer than 12 and the Lynx hit four 3s to pull away down the stretch.<\/p>\n
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