Six thousand, eight hundred and six
The number that outlives Friday night in Minneapolis is 6,806. That is where Breanna Stewart’s WNBA career scoring total sits after 24 points against the Lynx, and it moves her past Sue Bird into ninth place on the all-time list. Cappie Pondexter, in eighth, is five points away.
Stewart added 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 93-81 New York win. Jonquel Jones went for 18 points and 10 rebounds. Sabrina Ionescu finished with 17 points, six assists and three steals, Pauline Astier scored 14 and Marine Johannes came off the bench for 13.
Scoring lists move slowly at this stage of a career, which is what makes the timing worth noting. Stewart is climbing past a generation of guards in the middle of a playoff push rather than in a farewell season.
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Four minutes decided it
Olivia Miles converted a three-point play with 8:18 left to put Minnesota in front at 69-67. Stewart answered with a 3-pointer on the next possession. New York never trailed again and closed the game on a 23-12 run.
Miles led the Lynx with 20 points. Kayla McBride scored 16, Napheesa Collier 14 since her return from the FIBA Women’s World Cup, Courtney Williams 12 and Natasha Williams 11. Minnesota shot itself out of the game in the stretch where it had been the league’s most reliable team all year.
What the standings say now
Minnesota sits at 31-10 and keeps the best record in the league along with the top seed. The Lynx have still lost three straight for the first time this season, and a team carrying that record into September does not usually hand out that kind of sample.
New York improves to 25-16 and climbs to sixth. The Liberty have won eight of their last 11. Read the seeding as it stands and these two could meet again in the first round, which gave Friday the feel of a rehearsal neither side treated as one.
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