Natasha Hidman buried a tiebracing 3-plan with 5.5 seconds to win Minnesota Links 74-71 over host Phoenix Mercury on Friday night.
Hidman’s game winner allowed Links (6–0) to remain unbeaten, even though Star Nephassa sat out of Kolier (Knees) competition.
Kayla McBrid scored 20 points and Alana Smith added 19 for Minnesota. Kurtni Williams had 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assistance for links.
Satou Sabally recorded 26 points, 11 rebounds and three thefts for Phoenix (4-2), without the services of Star Alyssa Thomas (left calf). Kalani Brown had 15 points and Sami Whitcomb added 13 points and six assistance.
Williams left 3-pointer with 53.7 seconds to score at 71.
Phoenix had a chance to install for the final shot, but the poor pass of Whitcom was left 13.6 seconds by McBrid. Minnesota came to court and Williams noticed that Hidman was open and got his ball. Hidman swallowed the 3-pointer as part of the nine-point outing.
Whitcomb’s last-khai 3-point attempt was well from Mark and Bridget Carlton collected rebounds for Minnesota.
Links made 36.2 percent of their shots and 8 out of 29 (27.6 percent) from behind the arc.
Phoenix shot 39.4 percent from the ground and 3 was poor out of 3-point range of 26 (11.5 percent).
Lexi hit a 16-foot to give Phoenix a 65–60 lead, with 7:10 left in the competition.
However, the mercury failed to score over 3:51 next as the links proceeded. Hidman ran for a basket, Jessica Shepard scored on a putback and Williams left Minnesota to 66–65 with 3:40 to 66–65.
Saballi ended the drought of the mercury by hitting a trimmed with 3:19 to play. He added another Leup after 62 seconds as Phoenix took a 69–66 lead.
Para led one in Haftime and extended the interval on the sublocked basket with 6:14 in the third quarter.
A floater by whitcom made it the remaining in this period with 2:25 with 55–48.
Smith scored the last seven points of the quarters of Minnesota, including a jumper with 20.1 seconds to draw links within 58–53.
Saballi scored 12 first-huff points, as Phoenix led 39–38 in the break. McBrid had 17 in half for links.
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