UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Tyasha Harris scored 15 points, DiJonai Carrington had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and the Connecticut Sun erupted in the third quarter to throttle the Chicago Sky 87-54 on Thursday night.
With the win in their regular-season finale, the Sun (28-12) clinched the No. 3 seed in the playoffs and will face sixth-seed Indiana in the first round starting Sunday.
The loss eliminated Chicago (13-27) from playoff contention. To qualify for the playoffs as the eighth seed, the Sky needed to beat the Sun and also needed the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics to lose. Chicago was winless in four games against Connecticut this season.
DREAM 78, LIBERTY 67
NEW YORK (AP) — Tina Charles had a record night to lift Atlanta into the WNBA playoffs with a win over New York.
Charles finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, breaking the league records for both career rebounds and double-doubles. Rhyne Howard and Naz Hillmon each scored 13 points to lead the Dream.
Atlanta came into the game knowing it could clinch a playoff berth win a victory while the Liberty (32-8) had nothing really to play for having already sewn up the No. 1 seed. The two teams will meet again Sunday in the first round of the postseason in New York.
MYSTICS 92, FEVER 91
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sika Kone scored a career-high 20 points and Washington pulled out a 92-91 win over Caitlin Clark and Indiana before a record crowd of 20,711, the largest in WNBA history.
The Mystics (14-26), who led by 16 points entering the fourth quarter, began the regular season finale with a shot at the final playoff spot but that hope ended when the Atlanta Dream (15-25) won at New York to secure the No. 8 seed.
Ariel Atkins and Emily Engstler scored 17 points apiece for Washington while Brittney Sykes and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough both contributed 12.
Indiana (20-20) had already locked up the No. 6 seed and pulled its starters midway through the second half. Clark, the record-setting rookie, had eight points, eight assists and five rebounds in 20 minutes while Kelsey Mitchell had four points and was pulled after only five minutes. For Clark, it was her first time being held under double figures in scoring since June 13.
