UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Jonquel Jones made five 3-points and scored 26 points, Alyssa Thomas had 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and the Connecticut Sun beat the Minnesota Lynx 96-79 on Friday night.
Connecticut (20-13), winners of eight of nine, secured a first-round bye with the victory and Los Angeles' loss at Washington. The Sun moved one-game ahead of fifth-place Los Angeles, with the teams meeting on Sunday in the regular-season finale. Connecticut holds the tiebreaker.
Jones made her fourth 3-pointer to extend Connecticut's lead to 77-67 early in the fourth quarter. It came during the Sun's 9-0 run to start the quarter.
Layshia Clarendon added 14 points for Connecticut. Chiney Ogwumike did not play due to a knee injury.
Sylvia Fowles had 25 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota (17-16). Fowles passed Taj McWilliams-Franklin for fifth on the WNBA rebounding list with 3,016. Maya Moore had 12 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Fowles scored 10 straight Minnesota points to give the Lynx a 26-21 lead. She made all seven of her shots in the first quarter for 14 points and had 16 by halftime.
Before the game, Minnesota guard Lindsay Whalen was honored by the Sun for her six years in Connecticut.
