LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — Olivia Miles scored 31 points and dished four assists to lead the Minnesota Lynx to a 99-83 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday, June 17, at Crypto.com Arena. The Lynx improved to 12-3, while the Sparks dropped to 7-8 before an announced crowd of 11,481. Minnesota took control early, leading 23-19 after the first quarter and 52-37 at halftime. The Lynx matched the Sparks 22-22 in the third quarter and outscored them 25-24 in the fourth. Natasha Howard added 15 points and nine rebounds, Kayla McBride scored 14, and Courtney Williams had 13 points and five assists. Rae Burrell led Los Angeles with 19 points. Dearica Hamby recorded 12 points and nine rebounds, Jihyun Park scored 13, and Nneka Ogwumike contributed 10 points and eight rebounds. The Lynx next visit Golden State on Friday. The Sparks host New York on Sunday.

LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — Olivia Miles scored 31 points and the Minnesota Lynx used a dominant first half to defeat the Los Angeles Sparks 99-83 on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena. Minnesota improved to 12-3, while Los Angeles fell to 7-8 before an announced crowd of 11,481. The Lynx seized control early, outscoring the Sparks 23-19 in the first quarter and then pouring in 29 points in the second quarter to take a 52-37 halftime lead. Minnesota shot 40 of 72 from the field, 9 of 21 from three-point range and 10 of 14 from the free-throw line. The Sparks made 25 of 61 shots, 7 of 27 from beyond the arc and 26 of 32 from the stripe. Miles, a guard from Phillipsburg, New Jersey, played 26 minutes and added four rebounds and four assists. She was 13 of 16 from the field, including 3 of 6 on three-pointers, and made both free throws. Her performance followed a strong recent stretch, including 29 points against Las Vegas on June 13 and 24 points against Dallas on June 9. Natasha Howard contributed 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one block in 29 minutes. Kayla McBride scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting, grabbed four rebounds and recorded two steals. Courtney Williams added 13 points and five assists, and Maya Caldwell had seven points, seven rebounds, three assists and one block. Nia Coffey finished with seven points, six rebounds, two assists and one block. The Lynx committed 20 turnovers but forced 18 Los Angeles giveaways and collected 11 steals. Dearica Hamby led the Sparks with 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one block. Rae Burrell scored 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including two three-pointers, and added three assists. Nneka Ogwumike had 10 points and eight rebounds. Jihyun Park scored 13 points, and Erica Wheeler had six points and five assists. The most important part of the game occurred in the first half, when Minnesota constructed a double-digit lead that Los Angeles could never erase. After a back-and-forth opening four minutes, the Lynx closed the first quarter on a 7-2 run, capped by a Courtney Williams three-pointer at the buzzer to make it 23-19. In the second quarter, Minnesota opened on a 12-6 spurt, extending the lead to 35-25 on an Antonia Delaere three-pointer with 8:32 left. The Lynx then pushed the margin to 20 points on an Olivia Miles three-pointer with 6:14 remaining, making it 45-25. Miles scored 15 points in the second quarter alone, including a driving layup and a step-back jumper during the surge. The Sparks never got closer than 14 points in the second half, though they trimmed the deficit to 13 midway through the third quarter. Minnesota answered with a 9-2 run, and the lead remained comfortable the rest of the way. The Lynx shot 55.6 percent from the floor for the game, while holding the Sparks to 41 percent. Minnesota held a 36-30 rebounding edge, including 8 offensive rebounds to Los Angeles’s 5. The Lynx also recorded 11 assists and 3 blocks. For Minnesota, the win snapped a two-game pattern of alternating results. The Lynx had lost at Las Vegas 100-97 on June 13 after beating Portland 107-74 on June 15. The victory also continued a strong road start for Minnesota, which improved to 5-2 away from home. Los Angeles had won three of its previous four games, including a 111-102 overtime victory at Phoenix on June 13. The Sparks struggled offensively against the Lynx, scoring a season-low 83 points at home. Miles’s stellar play has been a constant for Minnesota. She has scored at least 12 points in five consecutive games and has reached the 20-point mark in three of those contests. Her 31 points matched a season high set against Portland earlier this month. The Lynx return to action Friday at Golden State, while the Sparks host New York on Sunday. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Los Angeles Sparks 94, Minnesota Lynx 91. Interstatl’s ELO system had projected Minnesota with a 68.60 percent probability to win. Minnesota had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -3.5. The total score of 99 went over the over/under line of 176.5.

LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — The Los Angeles Sparks host the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena in a matchup of WNBA teams trending in opposite directions. Minnesota (10-3) owns the league’s best record, winners of eight of its last nine. However, the Lynx enter off a 100-97 loss at Las Vegas on Saturday that snapped a six-game winning streak. Natasha Howard, a former WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, has been a consistent force. Over her past nine games, the forward has averaged 18.7 points and 7.4 rebounds, including five double-doubles. She recorded 22 points and nine rebounds in the loss to the Aces. Guard Olivia Miles added 29 points and four rebounds in that contest. Los Angeles (7-6) has won three of its last four after an overtime thriller Saturday at Phoenix, 111-102. Guard Kelsey Plum erupted for a season-high 43 points, seven assists and two rebounds in 37 minutes. It marked her second 38-point outing of the campaign; she scored 38 against Las Vegas on May 23. Plum has dished at least seven assists in five of her last six games. Forward Nneka Ogwumike added 15 points and 15 rebounds against the Mercury, while Rae Burrell chipped in 24 points off the bench. Wednesday’s game is the first of two meetings this season. The teams will play again July 15 in Minneapolis. The Sparks rank fourth in the league in scoring at 90.8 points per game, while the Lynx allow a league-low 80.5 points per contest. Minnesota also leads the WNBA in assists per game (24.5). According to Interstat’s game simulator, Los Angeles is projected to win 94-91.