Jonquel Jones scores 31 points as Sun use big run to beat Liberty

Jonquel Jones scored 31 points on 12-of-16 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds to help the Connecticut Sun beat the New York Liberty 85-64 on Saturday night.

Brionna Jones had 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals and DeWanna Bonner scored 13 points for Connecticut (8-2).

Jonquel Jones scored 10 points in a 15-0 run to close the first half and open the second quarter that gave the Sun a 52-37 lead and New York (5-4) trailed by at least nine the rest of the way. The Liberty, who were held to their fewest points in a game this season, were scoreless for nearly six minutes before Sabrina Ionescu hit a 3-pointer with 5:39 left in the third quarter.

Rebecca Allen led New York, which has lost three in a row, with 14 points. Betnijah Laney, who averaged a career-best 17.2 points and was named the WNBA most improved player last season, finished with eight points on 4-of-12 shooting. The 27-year old had scored at least 20 points in every game this season — her first with the Liberty.

Sparks sink Sky

Erica Wheeler scored a season-high 22 points while Amanda Zahui B added 13 points and 10 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Chicago Sky 68-63.

Wheeler had six points in the final 80 seconds on a layup, pull-up jumper and two free throws. The final points came with 30.1 seconds left that made it 67-61.

The Sky (2-7) now have dropped seven straight games and were still missing star Candace Parker, who signed with Chicago in the offseason from Los Angeles. The Sparks showed a tribute video of their former star between the first and second quarter.

Zahui B scored eight consecutive points in a 90-second stretch to tie it at 57-all with 4:57 left. Nia Coffey followed with a layup after a Sky miss and the Sparks (4-3) led the rest of the way.

Te'a Cooper added 13 points for Los Angeles and Coffey scored 10 with nine rebounds. The Sparks are still missing the Ogwumike sisters who are dealing with knee issues.

Kahleah Copper scored 15 points for the Sky (2-7), Ruthy Hebard 14 and Diamond DeShields 10.

A'ja Wilson leads Aces past Mystics

A'ja Wilson had 15 points and 12 rebounds, including four points and two rebounds in the final minute, to help the Las Vegas Aces hold off the Washington Mystics 96-93.

Wilson's putback with 41 seconds left gave the Aces (7-3) the lead at 92-90. Wilson got a defensive rebound five seconds later and made a pair of free throws with 3 seconds left to cap the scoring.

The Mystics (2-5) scored 13 straight to erase the deficit from Las Vegas' largest lead, tying it at 90 on Myisha Hines-Allen's two free throws with a minute left.

Liz Cambage had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Jackie Young scored 22 points and Riquna Williams added 20 for Las Vegas.

Hines-Allen scored 32 points, Ariel Atkins added 29 points and Tina Charles 16 for Washington. The Mystics scored a season-high 57 points in the first half on 56 per cent shooting.

WATCH | Sport climbing is a new Olympic sport — but who sets the routes the athletes climb?:

Sport climbing is a new Olympic sport — but who sets the routes the athletes climb?

3 years ago

Duration 4:00

Route setting can make or break sport climbing at the Olympic Games. Route setter Percy Bishton explains how an already difficult job is made even harder by the pandemic.