Sparks end Minnesota’s 10-game winning streak with late surge

MINNEAPOLIS — Not many in the WNBA saw this one coming.

Rae Burrell scored 17 points, and Erica Wheeler had four during a game-ending 8-0 run as the struggling Sparks ended Minnesota’s 10-game winning streak, beating the team with the league’s best record, 89-82, on Thursday night.

Kayla McBride hit a 3-pointer to give Minnesota an 82-81 lead, but the Lynx (25-7) missed their final seven shots and went scoreless over the final 4:53.

Nneka Ogwumike had a go-ahead layup, Wheeler hit a pull-up 10-foot jumper, and Monique Akoa Makani and Wheeler had the final two baskets in the late run for the Sparks (12-18), who won for just the third time in the past nine games. The Sparks, who traded All-Star guard Kelsey Plum to Phoenix last weekend, beat the Lynx for the first time in three tries this season.

Dearica Hamby had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Sparks, and Ogwumike had 16 points, seven rebounds two steals and a blocked shot. Wheeler had 12 points and nine assists, and Cameron Brink added 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks off the bench.

Rookie Olivia Miles finished with 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Lynx. Napheesa Collier had 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

The Sparks trailed 71-66 at the end of the third quarter, but they outscored the Lynx 23-11 in the fourth to earn the win.

Brink made a jump shot to put the Sparks on top 81-79 with 5:17 to play. McBride answered on the other end with her 3-pointer with 4:53 left, but Minnesota struggled against the Sparks’ defense the rest of the way.

Ogwumike made a running layup for an 83-82 lead with 2:39 left, then Wheeler followed with a jump shot to make it 85-82 with 1:59 to go, and Akoa Makani made a step-back jumper to make it 87-82 with 1:18 to play.

Wheeler finished the scoring with a layup with 37.5 seconds remaining.

Minnesota led by 11 points early before settling for a 22-21 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Lynx used an 11-0 second-quarter run to open a 48-40 lead by halftime, as Miles helped them pull ahead in the final minutes before the break.

The rookie point guard dribbled toward the paint and stepped back for a 3-pointer for a 43-37 lead with 2:07 left in the half. Miles followed that with another highlight-reel play as she showed off her ball-handling skills and elevated for a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

Akoa Makani helped keep the Sparks within striking distance with five points in the final 2:20 of the third. She converted a three-point play with a driving layup to cut the deficit to 67-61 and knocked down a pull-up jump shot from 15 feet to bring the visitors within 69-66 with 20.1 seconds left in the quarter.

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The Sparks hosts Golden State on Sunday at 4 p.m.