When the Lynx played the New York Liberty four times in a three-week span just over a month ago, there was plenty of talk about it being a possible preview of a WNBA Finals rematch.

With the league’s best record, Minnesota has continued to do its part in making that happen. While the Liberty have faded, Thursday’s Lynx opponent entered with 12 straight wins and in a tight battle to finish second before the playoffs begin Sept. 14.

In a matchup of arguably the two best teams in the league right now, Las Vegas made it 13 in a row by pulling away early in the fourth quarter for a 97-87 win over the Lynx. The last Aces’ loss was 111-58 at home to Minnesota Aug. 2.

Through three quarters both teams were shooting better than 50%, the Aces had one more turnover at 9-8 and rebounds were 19-18 Lynx.

Up by four starting the final quarter, Las Vegas turned up its defensive intensity, made six of its first eight shots, and used a 9-1 run for an 85-72 lead with 4:42 left.

Minnesota was 2 for 6 with four turnovers to that point in the quarter. With the postseason No. 1 seed locked up, the Lynx’s starters sat the rest of the game. The Lynx have three games left.

Natisha Hiedeman led Minnesota (32-9) with 22 points, six rebounds and five assists off the bench. Courtney Williams had 14 points, Alanna Smith 13 and Napheesa Collier 12. The Lynx shot 53.7% from the field, making at least 51.5% in five of the past six outings.

A’ja Wilson led Las Vegas (27-14) with 31 points and eight rebounds. Jackie Young added 20 points. The Aces shot 55.1%.

“It was disappointing to waste a solid offensive effort,” coach Cheryl Reeve said after the game. “It means our defense didn’t rise to the occasion. We were pretty pedestrian.”

Up by three at the break, the Aces used an 11-4 run midway through the third quarter for a 63-55 lead. Minnesota got seven straight points by Hiedeman, including a 3-pointer after an aggressive offensive rebound by Bridget Carleton.

Carleton, who had four 3-pointers Monday, made three triples early but did not take another shot.

The Lynx played without high-energy DiJonai Carrington, who is day to day with a left shoulder subluxation.

“I know it’s improved. We want to make sure she’s ready when she gets back on the floor,” Reeve said pregame.

Wilson scored 17 points and Las Vegas had a 47-44 lead after an opening half where neither team led by more than five points and both teams shot over 50%. Every Lynx starter had at least seven points, led by 10 from Williams.

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Kylee Paben, the top girls basketball recruit in Nebraska, has committed to Dawn Pitzuweit’s Minnesota basketball team for the 2026 season.

Paben, 6-foot-1 forward from West Millard High School in Omaha, is the state’s top recruit, according to prepgirlshoops.com. She announced her commitment Thursday on her x.com and Instagram accounts.

“I am beyond grateful and excited to announce my commitment to the University of Minnesota to continue my academic and athletic career!” she wrote on X. “I would like to thank all my coaches, teammates, trainers, and family for all the support!”

This summer, Paben averaged 19.9 points for UAA team Nebraska Attack. She chose Minnesota over a long list of suitors that included Creighton, Lehigh and North Dakota.

Paben joins Crosby-Ironton point guard Tori Oehrlein and shooting guard Natalie Kussow of Hartland, Wis., as Minnesota commitments for the 2026 class. Both are four-star recruits, according to 247Sports.com.

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Rocco Baldelli hopes Twins fans are seeing what he and his staff are seeing. The team might be 11-20 since it sent 10 of its best players to other teams at the trade deadline, but it’s learning to play a different brand of baseball.

And the Twins manager sees it happening.

“We’ve made a ton of positive moves and adjustments since the trade deadline and our roster changed,” Baldelli said before Thursday’s series finale against the White Sox at Target Field.

Brooks Lee #2 of the Minnesota Twins throws the ball to first base to get out Jose Iglesias #7 of the San Diego Padres during the seconds inning at Target Field on Aug. 31, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

With a roster full of young players trying to plant their flag in the major leagues, there is a lot of teaching going on, he said. A lot of these players are getting their first real chance to play every day — from utility man Austin Martin to infielder Luke Keaschall, a revelation in his first 32 major league games.

Although the Twins are closing out a lot of games — since going 4-3 in the immediate aftermath of the deadline, they’re 7-17 — Baldelli is seeing plays that make him to turn to bench coach Jayce Tingler and say, “That’s a good sign.”

“You could (assess) it player by player, or you could look at the team as a whole and say, ‘We’re playing a different style. I think it has a chance to be a real effective style going forward,’” the manager said.

Asked to describe the team’s new style, Martin said, “It’s just playing baseball.”

“We’re not a one-dimensional team,” he added. “Even if you have a team full of sluggers one through nine, you’re not gonna hit a home run every day. You have to learn different ways to beat teams. … Pitching, defense, getting on base, putting pressure on the defense; it impacts every part of the game, as well.”

The experience is invaluable for a player trying to establish credibility.

Martin, called up from Class AAA St. Paul after the deadline, has played in 29 of the team’s 31 games since the deadline — starting two at second base, 10 in center field and 13 in left field.

His running, backhanded catch of an opposite field line drive to left on Wednesday robbed Kyle Teel of a likely double to end the fifth inning. The jump he got was a tangible sign of improvement in the outfield.

“Getting those types of jumps consistently, those are the types of plays that have the chance to make Austin a really good player,” Baldelli said. “He is that type of athlete … and adding the element of being an above-average left fielder to his game, I think, is vital, and something he’s fully capable of doing.”

Brooks Lee, the team’s top draft pick in 2022, is getting his first extended shot to show the Twins he can be an everyday shortstop. He played 14 full games there in the Twins’ first 89 games, but since Carlos Correa was traded back to Houston, he has played short in all 31 games.

A sure-handed infielder, Lee knows that if he wants to stay at short, he has to keep expanding his range and get to more balls.

“That will be the biggest focus,” he said. “It’s always been, honestly, to make sure I stay at shortstop.”

To that end, he has added a new tool to his belt — the long hop. Until this year, the strong-armed infielder had never done it, not intentionally.

“My whole life, I just tried to get everybody through the air,” he said. “Then just this year, playing third and playing short, I’ve tried to utilize that a little more. It definitely makes it a little bit easier.”

If the Twins didn’t officially cede a chance at the postseason when they traded away players such as Correa, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Willi Castro and Ty France, they certainly made it more difficult. What’s left now — the Twins are 11th in line for the third wild card spot, 10 1/2 games back — is working for next season and beyond.

With many of the young players, there are daily successes, Baldelli said. Steps toward being productive major leaguers — a good jump, an opposite field line drive, a stolen base, laying off a pitch out of the zone. If it’s a good baseball play, enough of them will eventually lead to wins.

“With a lot of young players on the active roster right now, you might end up with a few more of those things on a game-by-game basis than you would in other years or with other groups — which gives you more to do and more to talk about,” he said. “Which is good.”

Briefly

Right-hander Pablo Lopez, out since June with a shoulder injury, is likely to be activated from the 60-day injured list and make a start in this weekend’s series at Kansas City.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The matriarch of a wealthy South Florida family was convicted Thursday of murder charges in the killing of her former son-in-law, a prominent law professor who was locked in a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife when he was gunned down in 2014.

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Jurors returned guilty verdicts in the weekslong trial of Donna Adelson, who was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation in the killing of Florida State University law professor Daniel Markel in Tallahassee where he taught. The case had riveted attention in Florida for more than a decade amid sordid details of a messy divorce, tensions with wealthy in-laws and custody fights leading to the killing.

When the judge announced that the jury had convicted Adelson of first-degree murder, the defendant exclaimed, “Oh!” and started shaking and crying.

Markel and Wendi Adelson were divorced and shared custody of their two children, but she wanted to move them more than 370 miles from Tallahassee to South Florida to be closer to her family. A judge ruled, however, that Wendi Adelson couldn’t move the children, and Markel refused to relocate.

The defense team uses a display depicting photos and arrows of how people are connected in the murder of Dan Markel during opening statements in the trial of Donna Adelson on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025 in Tallahassee, Fla. (Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat via AP, Pool)

Prosecutors had argued at trial that Donna Adelson helped orchestrate Markel’s killing after he stood in the way of letting her daughter and two young grandsons make the move to South Florida.

Donna Adelson was the fifth person to go to trial for what prosecutors said was a murder-for-hire plot to kill Markel. Among those already serving a life sentence for the killing is Donna Adelson’s son, Charles Adelson. Wendi Adelson has denied involvement in the killing and has not been charged.

At trial, prosecutors had painted Donna Adelson as the calculated and controlling matriarch of an affluent South Florida family with the means and motive to orchestrate the killing of the ex-son-in-law she “hated.”

Phil Markel, right, and his family stand as jurors enter the courtroom for the trial of Donna Adelson on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025 in Tallahassee, Fla. (Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat via AP, Pool)

Defense attorneys insisted the state didn’t have sufficient evidence to link the aging grandmother to the murder plot, instead emphasizing the roles played by others and casting suspicion on two of Adelson’s adult children.

Charles Adelson is currently serving a life sentence, as is his ex-girlfriend Katherine Magbanua. Prosecutors said Magbanua served as the go-between for the two men hired to carry out the killing, Sigfredo Garcia, who was sentenced to life in prison, and Luis Rivera, who is serving a 19-year sentence after cooperating with the state.