Liberty use big fourth quarter run to beat Sky

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This article was published 03/09/2023 (1106 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHICAGO (AP) — Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot had double-doubles and sparked a 22-0 run in the fourth quarter to lead the New York Liberty to their sixth straight victory, 86-69 over the Chicago Sky on Sunday.

Stewart finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for her 19th double-double of the season for the Liberty (30-7). Vandersloot pitched in with 20 points, 10 assists, six steals and five rebounds against her former team. Betnijah Laney had 17 points and Jocelyn Willoughby scored 10 off the bench.

New York trails Las Vegas by 1 1/2 games for the top spot in the playoffs.

Kahleah Copper scored 23 points to lead the Sky (15-22), who entered play tied with Los Angeles for the final playoff spot. Chicago has the tiebreaker advantage over the Sparks after winning three of four match-ups this season.

FEVER 97, WINGS 84, OT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kelsey Mitchell scored 30 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, NaLyssa Smith added a career-high 30 points and the Fever beat Dallas in overtime, preventing the Wings from clinching the fourth seed in the playoffs.

Mitchell sank 10 of 20 shots from the floor, including 7 of 11 from beyond the arc for Indiana (12-25). Smith made 12 of 18 shots with two 3-pointers. Aliyah Boston, the top pick in this year’s draft, pitched in with 13 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. It was Boston’s 10th double-double.

Satou Sabally and Arike Ogunbowale scored 22 points apiece to lead Dallas (20-17), which is still looking to wrap up homecourt advantage in the first round. Natasha Howard scored 15 and Crystal Dangerfield added 11 points off the bench. Teaira McCowan totaled 12 points and 10 boards for her 11th double-double this season.

Dallas clinched a playoff berth with a 110-100 victory over the Fever on Friday night in Indianapolis.

Indiana will miss the playoffs for a seventh straight season, but the Fever’s 12 victories this season are more than they had in the past two seasons combined.

LYNX 86, MERCURY 73

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kayla McBride scored 23 points, Napheesa Collier and Dorka Juhász added double-doubles and the Lynx clinched a spot in the playoffs by handing Phoenix its eighth straight loss.

The Lynx are currently the No. 5 seed and have an outside shot to catch the Dallas Wings and earn the homecourt advantage in the first round.

Minnesota (19-19) started the season 0-6, but avoided missing the playoffs for the second straight season. The Lynx are only the second team ever to lose at least its first six games and still make the postseason. Los Angeles also did it in 2015.

Moriah Jefferson totaled a career-high 32 points for Phoenix (9-28). Brittney Griner added 17 points and 10 rebounds.

SPARKS 72, MYSTICS 64

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Layshia Clarendon scored 15 points, Dearica Hamby had a double-double and the Los Angeles Sparks moved into the eighth and final playoff spot with a victory over the Mystics.

The Sparks (16-21) snapped a three-game losing streak and moved a game ahead of Chicago after the Sky lost to the New York Liberty earlier Sunday. Chicago owns the tiebreaker with LA after winning three of four match-ups this season. Los Angeles won without star Nneka Ogwumike, who was a late scratch with a knee injury

The Mystics (17-20) would have clinched a playoff berth with a victory. Instead, they fell into a tie with Atlanta for the sixth playoff position. Washington also lost guard Kristi Toliver to a knee injury. She missed most of the season with plantar fasciitis.

___ AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball