Allie Quigley scored 11 of her season-high 19 points in the third quarter, and the Chicago Sky won their fifth straight game with a 91-75 decision versus the visiting Phoenix Mercury on Saturday.
Candace Parker overcame seven turnovers to finish with 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Chicago (15-5).
The Sky shot 52.6 percent overall and 21-of-24 from the free-throw line to extend their most successful stretch of 2022.
Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 25 and ex-Sky player Diamond DeShields added 21 and nine rebounds off the bench for Phoenix (9-13), which saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.
The Sky led by as many as 23 points, however Phoenix outscored the hosts 28-14 in the second quarter to trail by six at halftime. However, Quigley stepped up in a third quarter in which Chicago scored 13 of the first 19 points.
Diana Taurasi’s only basket of the game got Phoenix to 68-60 with 49.6 seconds to play in the third. But Quigley followed with a 3-pointer for the Sky, who led 73-62 entering the fourth.
Back-to-back buckets from Diggins-Smith put the Mercury within 76-69 with 6:47 to play in regulation. But, Kahleah Copper (12 points) followed with a 3-pointer that started an 8-0 run for Chicago, which has won nine of 11 overall and six straight at home.
Chicago dominated the first quarter, going 11-of-14 from the field, making all five 3-point attempts and closing on a 23-5 run. Parker had eight points, four rebounds and four assists while helping hold Phoenix to 4-of-20 shooting and the Sky to a 20-point advantage after one quarter.
A Dana Evans 3-pointer gave Chicago a 43-20 lead with 6:41 left to play in the second quarter. However, the hosts then missed 10 straight shots, and the Mercury took advantage. Diggins-Smith scored 11 in the second period, and along with DeShields, who had eight points over the first two quarters, paced Phoenix’s 16-0 run.
–Field Level Media