MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus scored 23 points apiece to lead the Minnesota Lynx to an 88-77 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday night.
Lindsay Whalen added 12 points and Candice Wiggins had 10 for the first-place Lynx, who extended their lead in the Western Conference to three games over the Sparks. With eight games remaining, Minnesota needs only four more victories to clinch the No. 1 seed in the West regardless of what Los Angeles (19-9) and San Antonio (17-9) do the rest of the way.
The Lynx (22-4) won their ninth consecutive game and tied a franchise record with their 14th home win of the season.
Alana Beard scored 17 points and Jenna O'Hea added 15 for the Sparks, who matched a season high with their third straight loss.
Augustus set a career high with six 3-pointers. Her third of the night earned the 2006 No. 1 overall pick the top spot on the Lynx career scoring list, surpassing Katie Smith's 3,605 points with 4:11 left in the second quarter.
SUN 77, MYSTICS 70
WASHINGTON (AP) - Tina Charles scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lift the Connecticut over Washington.
The Sun (20-7) have beaten the Mystics (5-22) nine straight times, including all five matchups this season. Connecticut extended its lead in the East to two games over idle Indiana.
Crystal Langhorne led the Mystics with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting - her highest-scoring game since she had 24 against the New York Liberty on July 13 - and added nine rebounds. But Washington lost its season-worst sixth in a row.
Charles scored with 46 seconds left to give Connecticut a 73-70 lead and grabbed a defensive rebound on the ensuing Washington possession. Mystics guard Noelle Quinn answered with a steal, but Washington turned the ball over and began intentionally fouling.