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• Lynx beat Sun to reach WNBA Finals

  Napheesa Collier tallied 27 points and 11 rebounds and Courtney Williams contributed 24 points and both-ends-of-the-court energy to lead the Minnesota Lynx past the Connecticut Sun 88-77 and into the WNBA Finals for the first time in seven years on Tuesday night.

  Kayla McBride fueled a strong start with 10 of her 19 points in the first quarter for the Lynx, who advanced to face the top-seeded New York Liberty in Game 1 on Thursday night.

  The Lynx, who finished second in the league and two games behind the Liberty during the regular season, have won three of four matchups with New York this year. That includes the WNBA Commissioner's Cup on June 25 to take the in-season tournament title.

  DiJonai Carrington had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Brionna Jones added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Sun, who shot 38.5% from the field (25 for 65) and were forced into 19 turnovers that the Lynx converted into 22 points.

  DeWanna Bonner had 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting for the Sun, who were ousted in the semifinals for the fourth time in six years. They lost in the finals in those other two seasons, 2019 and 2022, when Williams was part of the core that still hasn't cleared that last hurdle to the franchise's first title.

• Connecticut Sun must dig deep in battle for WNBA Final spot, says coach White

  The Connecticut Sun must dig deep to claim a place in the WNBA Finals when they face the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of their semifinal matchup, says coach Stephanie White.

  The Sun pulled out a dramatic 92-82 win in Game 4 on Sunday and tee up a decider for Tuesday, evening up the series at 2-2.

  Alyssa Thomas led Connecticut with 18 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in Game 4, keeping the Sun's hopes of a fifth finals appearance – and a second in three years – alive.

  White expects both teams to step things up a gear for the decider, warning the Sun have no margin for error if they are to advance.

  "Both of these franchises have been here," White said. "We have a lot of players on our roster that have been here that understand certainly what it takes and that effort is not going to be good enough.

  "We expect them to make adjustments. We'll make some tweaks and adjustments as well. ... It's about players making plays.

  "It's about the extra efforts, the hustle plays. It's about not being denied and finding something deep inside of you that just allows you to come out on top."

  Napheesa Collier carried Minnesota in Game 4, finishing with 29 points and 13 boards, and she believes having home advantage at Target Center could be crucial on Tuesday.

  "You work so hard in the regular season because you want this advantage," Collier said.

  "Obviously you want to go home for that game and since we are, it's really nice to have that homecourt advantage." 

• LeBron James: Playing with son Bronny 'means everything'

  LeBron James said sharing the court with his son Bronny was one of the greatest things a father could wish for after the pair teamed up for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

  On his 20th birthday, Bronny – the 55th overall pick in this year's NFL Draft – appeared alongside his father in the second quarter of the Lakers' preseason game against the Phoenix Suns.

  They became the first father-son duo to ever play in any NBA game as the Lakers were beaten 118-114.

  LeBron finished with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, five rebounds and four assists in 16 minutes in the Lakers' 118-114 loss, while Bronny missed his only shot attempt in 13 score-less minutes and had two boards with four turnovers.

  "For a father, it means everything," LeBron James said after the game in Palm Desert, California.

  "For someone who didn't have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have an influence on your son...

  "Be able to have moments with your son, and ultimately, to be able to work with your son... I think that's one of the greatest things that a father can ever hope for or wish for."

  LeBron almost delivered an assist for Bronny, who narrowly missed a 3-pointer off a dribble handoff from his father.

  Lakers coach JJ Redick said: "I was really hoping that wing 3 on the little side had gone in. That would have been a cool moment, but they'll have a lot of moments together, I'm sure.

  "I just wanted to get them a chance to play together in preseason, within the flow of the game," Redick said. "I'm thrilled that I get to be a part of this. I really am. 

  "It's cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to LeBron's longevity, but also his competitive stamina that he's able to still be doing this in Year 22. 

  "It speaks to the work that Bronny has put in to get to this point and really just the fatherly care and love, and certainly the motherly care from Savannah as well. Bronny's such a great kid and he's a pleasure to be around."

  Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest while a freshman at USC last July, and he feels that experience helped him shut out the noise on his historic outing.

  "It's just taking everything that has happened to me during this year, getting up and continuing to work every day," he said. 

  "It's just about finding fuel every day to get up and start working. JJ has really emphasised the defensive end and being a pest on defense. So that's what I've been trying to focus on when stepping on the floor."