Han Xu scored 19 points in 17 minutes off the bench, Breanna Stewart had 13 points with nine rebounds and the host New York Liberty rolled past the Chicago Sky 85-66 on Saturday afternoon.
Jonquel Jones, Leonie Fiebich and Rebekah Gardner added 11 points each for the Liberty (24-16), who bounced back from their lowest-scoring game of the season in a 79-60 home loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday to win the season series against the Sky 3-1.
Natasha Cloud scored 14 points and Sydney Taylor added 13 for Chicago (15-25), which played without DiJonai Carrington (foot).
The Liberty, who have already clinched a spot in the postseason, improved to 11-4 since July 20. The Sky, who have been eliminated from playoff contention, lost their third consecutive game.
Pauline Astier made a jumper to open the third quarter and extended the Liberty’s lead to 44-28. Taylor’s 3-pointer completed a spurt that pulled the Sky within 46-34 with 8:19 remaining in the quarter.
Jones answered with a 3-pointer, but Taylor scored four points to help Chicago close within 51-40. Stewart scored four points and Xu added three during a 9-0 run that extended the Liberty’s lead to 20 before Rachel Banham’s 3-pointer trimmed the advantage to 60-43 at the end of the third quarter.
Xu made a layup to start the fourth-quarter scoring and Rebecca Allen made consecutive 3-pointers as New York expanded the lead to 72-49.
Chicago scored the first five points and held a 7-2 lead before going cold. Stewart had three points and Jones made a 3-pointer as New York took its first lead, 9-7.
Cloud sandwiched two jumpers around a Gardner 3-pointer, leaving the Liberty with a 12-11 lead. Four New York players scored during a 9-0 closing run as Chicago went scoreless for the final 4:33, producing a 21-11 lead for the Liberty at the end of the first quarter.
Taylor made a 3-pointer to start the second-quarter scoring, but New York scored the next seven points to increase its lead to 28-14. Kamilla Cardoso scored her first six points and the Sky trimmed the lead to nine points on two occasions.
Xu scored seven straight as the Liberty led 42-28 at halftime.
–Field Level Media
