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 [June 29, 2023]
Courtney Williams scored a season-high 21 points as the
Chicago Sky cruised past the visiting Los Angeles Sparks, 80-63, on
Wednesday afternoon to snap a six-game losing streak.
Williams shot 9-for-15 from the floor and pumped in seven
fourth-quarter points to help the Sky (6-9) halt their longest
losing streak since 2021.
Williams drained her third triple of the game to grow Chicago's lead
to 65-54 early in the fourth quarter before she bookended a 6-0 Sky
run with a pair of pull-up jumpers for a 72-59 cushion with 4:33 to
play.
Marina Mabrey iced the game with a stepback trey that ballooned the
Sky's lead to 77-61 with 2:01 to play. Mabrey finished with 13
points and five rebounds.
Chicago, which entered Wednesday's game shooting 25.5 percent on
3-pointers over its last three games, shot 42.9 percent (9 of 21)
from distance. Williams finished 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, while
Kahleah Copper, Dana Evans and Mabrey each drained a pair of shots
from deep. Copper supplied 14 points to complement Evans' 11 off the
bench.
Nneka Ogwumike led the Sparks (7-8) with 16 points and 11 rebounds
to lock up her eighth double-double this season, while Jordin Canada
chipped in 13 points and dished out five assists.
Los Angeles shot just 34.9 percent overall and 30.8 percent (4 of
13) from 3-point range and committed 18 turnovers against 17
assists.
Karlie Samuelson drained two 3-pointers to help Los Angeles seize a
16-8 lead before Copper and Evans responded with triples of their
own to pull Chicago within 20-19 at the end of the first quarter.
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The game remained a one-possession affair until
Williams' 3-pointer stretched the Sky's lead to 32-28, and Copper
added another triple before Mabrey intercepted a Los Angeles pass
and finished on the other end to grow Chicago's advantage to 37-31
with 3:04 left in the first half.
The Sky led by as many as 11 before Jasmine Thomas canned a jumper
for Los Angeles late in the half that ended the visitors'
three-minute dry spell from the floor and made it a 46-37 game at
the break.
Dearica Hamby and Canada combined for seven points to keep the
Sparks within striking distance in the third quarter until Mabrey
hit the Sky's first triple of the second half with 3:40 left to
replenish Chicago's nine-point lead.
Copper added a runner and a free throw to help give the Sky a 62-52
cushion entering the fourth quarter.
The teams reconvene in Chicago on Friday night.
--Field Level Media
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