MINNEAPOLIS — Aerial Powers scored 12 of her 18 points on free throws and the Minnesota Lynx held off the New York Liberty 84-78 on Tuesday night.
Powers added nine rebounds and two blocks for Minnesota (2-6). Kayla McBride scored 15 points and made four free throws in the final 15.9 seconds to preserve the victory.
Sylvia Fowles finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Moriah Jefferson scored 12. The Lynx outscored New York 27-13 at the foul line and picked up their first home win in their third try.
Natasha Howard had 23 points to lead the Liberty (1-5). Rebecca Allen, who came in averaging 4.0 points per game, made four 3-pointers and scored 21. Han Xu had 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Sabrina Ionescu totaled 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
The Liberty took a 65-63 lead into the final quarter.