Breanna Stewart lifts Liberty over Sky in final seconds for 4th straight win
Delle Donne's double-double leads Mystics past Wings; Aces remain undefeated
Breanna Stewart banked in a go-ahead shot with 7.6 seconds left and the visiting New York Liberty rallied to defeat the Chicago Sky 77-76 on Friday night in Courtney Vandersloot's return to the Windy City.
Chicago called a timeout to set up a final play. Courtney Williams was short on a jump shot and Marina Mabrey grabbed the offensive rebound but she couldn't get off a quality shot before the buzzer.
Stewart finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for New York (4-1). Betnijah Laney scored 17 points and Vandersloot, who was drafted third in 2011 by Chicago, had eight points and eight assists.
Betnijah Laney and <a href="https://twitter.com/breannastewart?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@breannastewart</a> were hoopin' to help the <a href="https://twitter.com/nyliberty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyliberty</a> improve to 3-1 on the szn and in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CommissionersCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CommissionersCup</a> matchups<br><br>Stewart: 19 PTS, 11 REB, 5 AST<br>Laney: 17 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoreThanGame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MoreThanGame</a> <a href="https://t.co/9ZqPz7zNuU">pic.twitter.com/9ZqPz7zNuU</a>
—@WNBAKahleah Copper led Chicago (3-3) with 20 points. Alanna Smith made all seven of her field goals, including three three-pointers, to score a career-high 18. Mabrey finished with 15 points and Williams scored all seven of her points in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead three-pointer with 55 seconds left.
The Sky led 43-35 at halftime behind 18 points from Copper, who was helped off the floor with 56.9 seconds left in the second quarter after appearing to injure her right ankle.
Delle Donne shines as Mystics clip Wings
Elena Delle Donne had 23 points and 10 rebounds to help the Washington Mystics beat the visiting Dallas Wings 75-74 on Friday night.
Washington's Shakira Austin blocked Kalani Brown's fast-break layup and Delle Donne sank a wide open three-pointer at the other end for a 66-65 lead with 2:42 left. Delle Donne added a steal that led to Natasha Cloud's layup for a three-point lead.
PSA: Elena Delle Donne is GREAT at basketball 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/De11eDonne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@De11eDonne</a> scored 23 PTS and pulled down 10 boards en route to helping the <a href="https://twitter.com/WashMystics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WashMystics</a> secure a one point victory over the Wings <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoreThanGame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MoreThanGame</a> <a href="https://t.co/sfxLPMoOtk">pic.twitter.com/sfxLPMoOtk</a>
—@WNBAAriel Atkins made seven straight free throws in the final minute for Washington. After she made two with 6.1 seconds left for a four-point lead, Satou Sabally sank a long three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left to get Dallas within one. The Mystics successfully inbounded it and the clock expired.
Atkins finished with 16 points, Austin had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Cloud added 10 points and eight assists for Washington (3-2).
Sabally had 18 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and three steals for Dallas (3-2). Arike Ogunbowale also scored 18 points with six assists and Natasha Howard added 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Ogunbowale tied it at 68-all by banking in a three-pointer with 1:07 left, but the Wings didn't make another field goal until Sabally's shot.
Wilson powers undefeated Aces past Dream
A'ja Wilson scored 21 points, Candace Parker moved into eighth on the WNBA's career scoring list, and the visiting Las Vegas Aces beat the Atlanta Dream 92-87 on Friday night.
Parker passed Katie Smith (6,452) on the points list and now trails Sue Bird (6,803) for seventh.
Gray answered with a jumper from the free-throw line with 22.5 seconds left for a four-point lead and Kiah Stokes blocked Howard's three-point attempt at the other end.
Jackie Young scored 20 points, Plum added 15 and Parker finished with 13 for Las Vegas (5-0).
Las Vegas led 45-30 at the break behind 12 points apiece from Wilson and Young.
Cheyenne Parker had 25 points and 11 rebounds for Atlanta (2-3). Allisha Gray added 16 points and Howard scored 15.
Brown scores 26 as Sparks beat Mercury in OT
Lexie Brown scored 26 points, Nneka Ogwumike had 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, and the visiting Los Angeles Sparks beat the Phoenix Mercury 99-93 in overtime on Friday night.
Brown drilled her third three-pointer of the game with 1:03 left in overtime to extend Los Angeles' lead to 95-91. Phoenix tried to get it to Diana Taurasi, but Jordin Canada intercepted the pass and raced the other way for a layup and a six-point lead with 42.1 left.
Canada finished with 16 points and five assists for Los Angeles (2-2), which also beat Phoenix in a season opener. Layshia Clarendon added 11 points. The Sparks return home to host Seattle on Saturday.
Lexie Brown was in a league of her own 👏<br><br>Dropping a career-high 26 PTS in the Sparks victory over the Mercury, <a href="https://twitter.com/Lexiebrown?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lexiebrown</a> had herself a night shooting 68.8% from the field and banking in some clutch triples along the way 🎯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoreThanGame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MoreThanGame</a> <a href="https://t.co/wZppo6i9CM">pic.twitter.com/wZppo6i9CM</a>
—@WNBABrittney Griner had 24 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix (1-3). Taurasi and Sophie Cunningham each added 19 points.
Taurasi sank a baseline jumper for an 84-81 lead with 1:26 left, but Canada tied it at the other end on a three-pointer. After both teams came up empty on offence, Griner was fouled with 21.2 left and she made two free throws.
Brown curled off a double screen at the top of the arc and used a hesitation move to get into the lane for a layup to tie it at 86-all with 12.9 seconds left. After a timeout, Phoenix struggled to get into its offence and Sug Sutton was long on a contested three-pointer at the buzzer to send it to overtime.
