Courtney Williams barely missed a triple-double, and the Minnesota Lynx used a late 12-0 run to take Game 1 of its WNBA semifinal series against the Phoenix Mercury, winning 82-69 in Minneapolis on Sunday.
Williams scored a game-high 23 points while adding eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Kayla McBride added 21 points and Napheesa Collier hit for 18 to go along with a game-high nine rebounds.
Kahleah Copper scored 22 points for Phoenix but went just 10-for-23 from the floor. Alyssa Thomas added 18 to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists. Satou Sabally tallied 10 points but made only 3 of 11 shots.
The Mercury trailed 68-67 after Sami Whitcomb drained a 3-pointer with 5:13 left, but Williams started the game-breaking run with a floater on the next trip. McBride an