The Minnesota Lynx defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 96-87 on Wednesday night at Target Center in Minneapolis, pushing their record to 19-6 while the Sparks fell to 10-13.
According to Vols Wire on Yahoo Sports, former Tennessee Lady Vol Rae Burrell started for Los Angeles and played 33 minutes, leading the Sparks in scoring with 24 points. She converted 8 of 14 field goal attempts, 2 of 5 three-point attempts, and all 6 of her free throw attempts. She also added four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.
Kayla McBride matched Burrell's output for Minnesota, also finishing with 24 points in 31 minutes, along with one rebound, one assist, and one steal.
Los Angeles outrebounded Minnesota 31 to 25. Turnovers played a significant role in the outcome. The Sparks committed 20 turnovers compared to 12 for the Lynx.
Burrell played at the University of Tennessee from 2018 to 2022, appearing in 110 games with 47 starts. She averaged 10.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 22.6 minutes per game during her college career. In her final season, she was named to the USA TODAY Preseason All-America Third Team.
Minnesota, now one of the stronger teams in the league at 19-6, continues to build on a dominant first half of the season. The Sparks at 10-13 remain below the playoff line heading into the second half of the WNBA schedule.
