League-leading Lynx hold off Mercury

Forward Maya Moore scored 21 points and center Sylvia Fowles added 17 as the Minnesota Lynx held on for a 91-83 victory at Phoenix, spoiling the Mercury’s celebration of Diana Taurasi on Friday night.

The WNBA-leading Lynx (12-1) were clinging to a one-point lead halfway through the fourth quarter before hitting their next five shots, capped by Moore’s jumper with 2:37 to go for an 84-74 lead.

Phoenix (7-6) rallied back within 85-83 on Taurasi’s 3-pointer with 16.8 seconds left, but Fowles made two free throws with 15.3 seconds remaining. Taurasi then missed a 3-point shot and the Lynx closed out the game with four more free throws.

Taurasi was playing her first home game since breaking the league’s career scoring record. She scored 15 points while making only 2 of 9 3-point shots on Taurasi Night.

Forward Camille Little scored a team-high 16 points for Phoenix. Guard Danielle Robinson had 15.

Phoenix center Brittney Griner, who entered as the league’s leading scorer at 23.1 points per game, battled foul trouble and finished with six points and three rebounds in 20 minutes. It marked her first time this season in single-digit scoring.

Fowles, the WNBA’s second-leading scorer, also picked up two early fouls as neither she nor Griner scored in the first quarter. But Fowles came back strong in the second quarter, scoring 11 points to help the Lynx to a 49-39 halftime lead. She ended up four under her season scoring average.

Phoenix climbed back in the third quarter, forcing six turnovers as Minnesota shot 5 of 14 from the field. The Lynx scored 10 points in the period and took a 59-57 lead in the fourth quarter.

The Mercury led 63-61 early in the final period, but Moore’s 3-point shot with 8:30 left gave Minnesota a lead it would not relinquish. Moore had six rebounds and five assists to go with her game-high point total.

Minnesota forward Rebekkah Brunson, a 14th-year pro, moved into third place on the WNBA career rebounding list, surpassing Tina Thompson (3,070). Brunson finished the game with 10 boards and has 3,079 career rebounds.