Natasha Cloud produced 15 points and nine assists and Kamilla Cardoso and Jacy Sheldon scored 15 points apiece, boosting the host Chicago Sky to a 95-88 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday.
After scoring 33 points in the first quarter, Chicago managed just 28 combined points in the second and third. Dearica Hamby contributed four points and a block to a 13-2 Los Angeles run that opened the third, and the Sparks led 62-61 entering the fourth quarter.
The Sky regained the lead on a DiJonai Carrington layup with 8:32 remaining, and a Sheldon trey extended the advantage to nine points with 5:28 to go. The Sky led by as many as 14 points down the stretch.
Los Angeles (11-18) has lost seven of eight. Chicago (12-19) moved into a virtual tie with the Sparks for ninth place in the WNBA, six games behind the Washington Mystics for the league’s final playoff spot.
Hamby notched game highs of 22 points and 14 rebounds. Erica Wheeler followed with 14 points while Rae Burrell (13), Cameron Brink (11) and Nneka Ogwumike (10) also contributed on offense for the Sparks.
Elizabeth Williams scored 14 points and Aicha Coulibaly added 13 for Chicago. Cardoso grabbed seven rebounds.
Sheldon shined while starting in place of leading scorer Sydney Taylor, who sat out due to a left groin injury she sustained during a home loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Monday. Sheldon established her touch in the second quarter, contributing nine points on 3-for-5 shooting.
The Sky benefited from torrid 61.1% shooting in the first quarter. Despite slumping to 37.5% in the second, Chicago took a 10-point lead into the break.
Chicago led by as many as 15 points in the first half as crisp ball movement and disciplined defense paved the way. Paced by six helpers from Cloud, the Sky collected 15 assists on 17 made field goals before intermission.
Meanwhile, Chicago limited Ogwumike, the Sparks’ leading scorer after their recent trade of Kelsey Plum, to four first-half points on four field-goal attempts. Hamby led Los Angeles with 10 first-half points while Sheldon had 12 for Chicago.
The Sky improved to 3-1 since the All-Star break while clinching the season series with the Sparks, 2-1.
–Field Level Media
