The visiting Chicago Sky overcame their struggles and ended the Phoenix Mercury’s three-game winning streak in a 77-66 victory behind rookie Sydney Taylor’s 16 points on Tuesday.
The Sky (7-14) entered the game as losers in eight of their previous 10 games.
Phoenix (8-14) was riding its longest winning streak of the season.
Skylar Diggins, who was due to be dropped to the Sky’s bench, did not play because of a knee injury. The 35-year-old guard, a seven-time All-Star, has started 341 of the 354 regular-season games she has played.
Chicago guard Courtney Vandersloot, returning from a torn ACL, made her first start of the season in her fourth game overall this campaign. She finished with seven points in limited duty (17 minutes) as she continues to work her way back.
Natasha Cloud finished with 11 points and six assists for the Sky, and Azura Stevens had nine points and 10 rebounds.
Kahleah Copper led Phoenix with 25 points and sank a game-high four 3-pointers. DeWanna Bonner added 12 points and seven rebounds.
Chicago outscored Phoenix 17-3 to take a 24-12 lead with 1:04 left in the first quarter.
The Sky shot 52.9% from the field in the first quarter, including 4 of 8 from 3-point range, and tallied assists on all nine of their baskets.
Phoenix capped an 8-2 run with a driving layup by Valeriane Ayayi that cut the gap to 32-29 with 4:22 left in the second quarter.
Chicago led 37-31 at halftime despite making only 3 of 16 shots from the field (18.8%) in the second quarter.
After Alyssa Thomas sank 1 of 2 free throws to cut Chicago’s lead to 47-41 with 4:30 remaining in the third quarter, she sustained a lower left leg injury while trying to drive to the basket on the next possession.
She went to the locker room but returned to the game with 7:52 remaining. Thomas finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Chicago went on an 11-2 run to take a 56-42 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The margin increased to 70-50 on a 30-foot 3-pointer by Cloud with 5:59 left.
A Copper 3-pointer pulled the Mercury within 74-66 with 1:02 left, but Jacy Sheldon made a shot from beyond the arc on the next possession to seal Chicago’s win.
–Field Level Media
