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Kelsey Mitchell scores 23 and the Fever beat the Mystics

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kelsey Mitchell had 23 points, Lexie Hull scored all 14 of her points in the second half and the short-handed Indiana Fever, playing without Caitlin Clark, beat the Washington Mystics 85-76 on Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Clark was out with a left quad strain, while veteran guard Sophie Cunningham exited early in Friday’s loss to Connecticut and did not play against the Mystics.

The Fever scored 31 points in the third quarter — after scoring 38 in the entire first half — to take a 69-55 lead. Aari McDonald, making her Indiana debut, made the Fever’s fifth 3-pointer of the third with 2:29 left.

Washington scored the opening 12 points of the fourth quarter to get within 69-67 on layup by Brittney Sykes.

But Indiana scored seven straight points to pull away. Hull made an open layup for a 78-73 lead and she helped force a jump ball at the other end. The Fever won the jump ball and Mitchell completed a three-point play, after a reverse layup, for an eight-point lead at 1:28.

LYNX 88, MERCURY 65

MINNNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Natisha Hiedeman also scored 18 points, and Minnesota beat Phoenix for their second series victory in five days.

Minnesota has started a season 8-0 for the fourth time in franchise history — the same amount as all of the other WNBA teams combined.

After trailing 23-14 with 44.5 seconds left in the first quarter, the Lynx outscored the Mercury 49-23 to take a 63-46 lead with 2:41 remaining in the third.

Minnesota went on a 9-0 run midway through the fourth on a three-point play by Collier and back-to-back 3-pointers by Bridget Carleton and Kayla McBride to make it 80-56.

Smith and McBride each scored 13 points for Minnesota. McBride also had a team-high seven assists. The Lynx finished with a season-high 29 assists on 34 made field goals, but also turned it over 23 times.

Lexi Held scored 16 points and Satou Sabally had 15 points and eight rebounds for Phoenix (5-3). Kitija Laksa added 10 points.

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