Lynx hang on late!

This is The Sports Reset for Tuesday, July 14th

In the WNBA, the Minnesota Lynx got the tightest result of Monday night, holding off the Phoenix Mercury 104 to 100 at Target Center. With only four points between them, that is the kind of regular-season win that keeps a team moving without needing a long explanation: Minnesota protected its home floor, Phoenix made it a full four-quarter push, and the Lynx still had enough at the end. Earlier, the Atlanta Dream beat the Los Angeles Sparks 101 to 92 at Gateway Center, giving Atlanta a solid home win and one of the stronger offensive totals of the night. The Sparks got into the 90s, so this was not a shutdown game, but Atlanta had the cleaner scoring pace and finished with enough separation to avoid a late scramble. Two WNBA games, two home wins, and Minnesota’s close finish was the one with the most edge.

Looking ahead, the spotlight shifts to the World Cup semifinals, where Spain faces France today at AT&T Stadium with a place in Sunday’s final on the line. It is a heavyweight semifinal, and the winner steps directly into the last match of the tournament, so every mistake carries immediate consequences. In MLB, the American All-Stars meet the National All-Stars tonight at Citizens Bank Park, with Philadelphia left-hander Cristopher Sánchez starting for the National League in his home ballpark and Toronto right-hander Dylan Cease getting the ball for the American League. Kyle Schwarber is set to lead off for the National League in front of the Phillies crowd, while Mike Trout leads off for the American League. In the WNBA, the Portland Fire visit the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena, and the Washington Mystics visit the Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum.