All mid-day games today, and other news

Minnesota finally got a win - 107-86 over Tulsa. The game was close for too long for the tastes of Lynx fans, but their three-game losing streak was snapped. Shock forward Glory Johnson played with a sprained wrist, which she sustained in Sunday's game, and she still put up 11 points. Impressive.

The Sun continue to be hot, and the Mystics still have issues. Final: Connecticut 77, Washington 70.

The Fever squeaked one out over the Liberty, 84-82.

Candace Parker had yet another double-double, and the Sparks have their fourth straight win. They beat up on the Mercury, 90-71.

Mercury-Sparks game notes:

· The Mercury fell to 4-14 (.222) on the season, dropping its fifth-straight game, its longest losing streak since June 18-July 1, 2010 (six games).

· Candice Dupree tonight missed her eighth game in the last nine outings with a left knee contusion (played eight minutes Saturday vs. Atlanta). Phoenix is 2-6 (.250) in those games.

· Los Angeles improved to 14-6 (.700) moving percentage points ahead of San Antonio (11-5) for second place in the Western Conference and tying Minnesota for the most wins in the WNBA this season.

· The Sparks improved to 4-0 against the Mercury this season with one matchup remaining (Sept. 18 at L.A.). Already clinching the season series for the first time since 2006, the Sparks will look to sweep the season series for the first time in series history (since 1997).

· The Sparks won their fourth straight game following a season-high three-game losing streak.

· Phoenix is 11-10 (.524) against Los Angeles since CANDACE PARKER entered the league in 2008.

· The Mercury is 14-11 (.560) against the Sparks since winning the series finale in 2006.

KEY STAT OF THE NIGHT

Despite Los Angeles’ formidable front line of CANDACE PARKER, NNEKA OGWUMIKE and DELISHA MILTON-JONES, the Mercury outscored the Sparks in the paint (40-36) and on second chance points (22-15). Phoenix grabbed 23 offensive rebounds with five players recording at least three: ALEXIS HORNBUCKLE (four), AVERY WARLEY (four), LYNETTA KIZER (four), DEWANNA BONNER (three) and ALEXIS GRAY-LAWSON (three).

MERCURY HIGHLIGHTS
· DEWANNA BONNER led the Mercury with 14 points and seven rebounds. She has recorded double figures in every game this season and is averaging 22.8 points and 7.7 rebounds in her last 10 games, leading the league in scoring in that time span.

· Samantha Prahalis scored a team-high-tying 14 points for her eighth double-digit scoring performance in the last 10 games (15.4 average, most among rookies in that span). The 5-7 point guard also grabbed a team-high-tying seven rebounds and is averaging 4.6 rebounds in her last 10 games, sixth-most among WNBA guards in that span.

· Alexis Gray-Lawson scored 13 points off the bench, her second straight double-digit scoring effort after recording just one in the season’s first 16 games.

SPARKS HIGHLIGHTS
· Candace Parker recorder her 13th double-double of the season, SECOND-most behind Chicago’s Sylvia Fowles (14) and one of just three players with at least 10 this season. She finished with a game-high 22 points and game-high-tying 14 rebounds.

Other WNBA items:

This week's power rankings.....*drumroll*:

1. Silver Stars
2. Sparks
3. Lynx
4. Sun
5. Storm
6. Fever
7. Sky
8. Dream
9. Liberty
10. Shock
11. Mystics
12. Mercury

ESPN the Body issue is out:

Candace Parker talks about gettin nekkid for the magazine.

Autralian ballers in the Olympics:

Kristi Harrower

Abby Bishop

NCAA:

Debbie Yow is turning things around for North Carolina State Athletics.

High School:

Nominees for the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year, to be presented tonight, include basketball superstar Breanna Stewart.