Sami Whitcomb hit five second-quarter 3-pointers and finished with 17 points while Satou Sabally scored 12 of her 15 points in the first quarter as the visiting Phoenix Mercury rolled to a fifth straight win, 107-86, over the Chicago Sky on Saturday.
Kahleah Copper scored 16 against her former team, with nine coming in the second half when the outcome was essentially in hand for the Mercury (11-4), who shot 51.5 percent from the field and made a season-high 17 three-pointers on 35 attempts from beyond the arc.
Kamilla Cardoso and Michaela Onyenwere each scored 17 for Chicago (3-9), which shot 52.6 percent from the field but committed 21 turnovers that led to 29 Phoenix points. Angel Reese scored nine while making her only field-goal attempt. Reese, the WNBA’s rebounding leader who entered with an average of 11.7 per game, pulled down just two as the Sky lost for the fifth time in six games.
Phoenix took control in the first quarter and never looked back. With Sabally leading the way, Phoenix recorded seven steals and scored 13 points off eight Chicago turnovers.
After Cardoso’s basket got Chicago within 11-10, Monique Akoa Makani, Kathryn Westbeld and Katija Lasksa hit consecutive 3s. Then, Sabally capped Phoenix’s 11-0 run with her own score. Sabally scored seven points down the stretch to help give Phoenix a 31-18 lead after one period.
Whitcomb then took over in the second quarter. After Ariel Atkins’ bucket got Chicago within 39-33 via a 7-0 run, the Mercury scored the next seven points, highlighted by Whitcomb’s second 3. Her final 3 of the quarter gave Phoenix a 58-43 halftime lead.
After Atkins (13 points) opened the second half with a 3, Phoenix scored the next 11 points, including five from Copper. The Mercury outscored the Sky 34-15 in the third quarter.
–Field Level Media
