Sports·ROUNDUP

Alyssa Thomas breaks WNBA triple-double record as Sun cruise past Sky

Alyssa Thomas had a historic triple-double, DeWanna Bonner scored 26 points to move into ninth in WNBA history and Connecticut cruised to a 96-72 win over the visiting Chicago Sky on Sunday.

Passes Candace Parker, Sabrina Ionescu with 4th career regular-season triple-double

A female basketball player wearing number 25 dribbles the ball with her left hand while running up the court.
Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas, pictured during a game on May 23, made WNBA history with her fourth career regular-season triple-double on Sunday in a 96-72 win over the Chicago Sky at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Alyssa Thomas had a historic triple-double, DeWanna Bonner scored 26 points to move into ninth in WNBA history and Connecticut cruised to a 96-72 win over the visiting Chicago Sky on Sunday.

Thomas had 14 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for her fourth career regular-season triple-double, the most in WNBA history. Candace Parker and Sabrina Ionescu both have three triple-doubles.

It was her second triple-double this season, the first coming on Tuesday, the game the Sun lost star Brionna Jones. Thomas also has two playoff triple-doubles.

Bonner has 6,454 career points, moving past Katie Smith.

The Sun matched its best 15-game start in history (12-3), winning for the sixth time in seven games, heading into a Tuesday showdown with the New York Liberty. They have won two straight since Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Jones had surgery on Friday.

Connecticut allowed a season-high 27 first-quarter points and trailed by one but used a 16-4 run to take charge in the second quarter. Thomas had 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to help the Sun, who had 18 assists on 23 baskets, to a 54-42 lead. They finished with 30 assists on 40 baskets.

Chicago had a 10-0 run in the third quarter to stay in the game but the Sky only had nine points in the fourth quarter.

DiJonai Carrington had 17 points and Natisha Hiedeman 14 for the Sun, who had a season-high for points. Connecticut scored at least 80 points for the 11th straight game. Thomas became the all-time rebounding leader in franchise history.

Stewart sinks Mystics in OT

Breanna Stewart's three-point play with 19.7 seconds left in overtime lifted the New York Liberty to an 89-88 win over the visiting Washington Mystics on Sunday.

Sabrina Ionescu scored 31 points and Stewart added 18 for New York, which trailed by 17 in the first quarter and by eight with 2:28 left in regulation before tying the game with two seconds left on a layup by Courtney Vandersloot.

The teams exchanged the lead many times in overtime before Natasha Cloud had a three-point play with 1:59 left that made it 88-86. Neither team scored until Stewart drove the lane with 19.7 seconds left making the basket and drawing the foul.

She sank the free throw to give New York (9-3) the lead.

After a timeout, Washington (8-5) got the ball to Elena Delle Donne, whose runner bounced off the rim with just over 5 seconds left. The ball went out of bounds off the Liberty, giving the Mystics one last chance. Myisha Hines-Allen's contested shot with a second left missed and New York came away with the victory.

Ariel Atkins led Washington with 24 points and Cloud added 23 and 11 assists.

The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Mystics, who lost forward Shakira Austin to a hip injury early in the fourth quarter.

Austin got hurt shortly before the Liberty took their only lead. She tipped a pass near midcourt and went down in front of the Liberty bench. She was down on the court for a few minutes before she was carried to the locker room.

Washington jumped on New York at the start, scoring the first 13 points of the game. The Liberty missed its first seven shots before Betnijah Laney hit a reverse layup with 6:01 left in the quarter. Washington extended its lead to 17 in the period before New York rallied to within 27-17 at the end of the quarter.

The Liberty got their offence going in the second quarter behind Ionescu and Laney and cut their deficit to 45-39 at the half. Stewart missed all seven of her field-goal attempts in the first half. It's only the third time in her career that she was held without a field goal in the first half.

Right before the game Stewart was selected as an All-Star Game captain. It's the second consecutive year that she's held that position.

Ogwumike's double-double helps Sparks down Wings

Nneka Ogwumike scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Sparks to a 93-83 win over the visiting Dallas Wings on Sunday.

Ogwumike, named to her eighth all-star game earlier in the day, scored six points in the final four minutes to give the Sparks (7-7) some breathing room. Her two free throws at 1:03 made it 88-81 and the Sparks made five of six in the final minute to pull away.

Dearica Hamby added 17 points for the Sparks (7-7) and Karlie Samuelson added 14. Ogwumike also had four assists, two steals and two blocks.

Crysal Dangerfield and Arike Ogunbowale both had 18 points for the Wings (6-8). Teaira McGowa added 14 points and Natasha Howard 13.

Ogunbowale and Satou Sabally were also announced as all-star starters but didn't have matching games. Ogunbowale was six-of-18 shooting, including one of nine from three-point range, and Sabally was held to eight points while dealing with foul problems.

Kalani Brown's layup had Dallas on top 79-78 with 51/2 minutes to play but Damby quickly answered with a layup. The Wings missed their next four shots before Ogwumike led an 8-2 surge in the next three minutes.

Dallas trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half but shot 53 per cent to overcome 10 turnovers to forge a 44-44 tie at the break. Ogunbowale scored 11 points in the second quarter.

The Wings opened a 71-60 lead with less than two minutes to go in the third quarter Destanni Henderson and Samuelson hit back-to-back three-pointers and Ogwumike converted a three-point play to get the Sparks back into it and Dallas led 73-71 heading into the fourth quarter.

Dallas cooled off, finishing at 43 per cent for the game.

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