Canada’s Kia Nurse finds offensive form to help Liberty win 1st game of season

Amanda Zahui B. scored 14 points with 14 rebounds, Hamilton's Kia Nurse scored 17 points and the New York Liberty gave head coach Walt Hopkins his first career win with a 74-66 victory over the Washington Mystics on Friday night.

Amanda Zahui B. scored 14 points with 14 rebounds, Hamilton's Kia Nurse scored 17 points and the New York Liberty gave head coach Walt Hopkins his first career win with a 74-66 victory over the Washington Mystics on Friday night.

The Liberty (1-5) shot their way out of the winless column with 12 3-pointers as Zahui B. went 4 of 9 from beyond the arc and Layshia Clarendon 4 of 5 from distance. Clarendon also finished with 14 points.

Zahui B.'s 3 with 4:45 before halftime ended a 14-7 run that gave New York its first double-digit lead at 32-21. Emma Meesseman made back-to-back 3s to get Washington (3-2) within 35-31 with 63 seconds left before halftime but the Mystics never got closer.

Aerial Powers led Washington with 20 points, Meesseman 17 and Myisha Hines-Allen 12.

WATCH | Nurse pours in 17 points:

Canadian Kia Nurse had a team-high 17 points to lead the New York Liberty to a 74-66 victory over the Washington Mystics. 1:06

Lynx 87, Fever 80

Lexie Brown scored a career-high 26 points with nine assists and four steals and the Lynx used a second quarter surge to beat the Fever.

Down 23-18 after period one, the Lynx (5-1) — winners of four straight — went on a 17-3 run to start the second and never trailed again. Sylvia Fowles started the Lynx on their way after converting a three-point play and a layup. Minnesota held Indiana (2-4) to 11 points in the second.

Canada's Bridget Carleton added seven points and four rebounds on perfect 3-for-3 shooting for the Lynx.

Kennedy Burke's 3-pointer with 5:57 reduced Indiana's deficit to 76-73 with 5:57 left to play. Candice Dupree then made 1 of 2 foul shots to make it a two-point game, but Fowles responded with a pair of foul shots and a basket to blunt the Fever comeback. Fowles scored 21 points.

Kelsey Mitchell and Tiffany Mitchell each scored 15 points for the Fever and Teaira McCowan scored 11 points with 12 rebounds.

WATCH | Carleton helps Lynx down Fever:

Canadian Bridget Carleton had 7 points off the bench as the Minnesota Lynx beat the Indiana Fever 87-80. 1:00

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