Reese’s triple double and Van Lith’s career-high 16 points push Sky past Sun 78-66
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Angel Reese had her first triple double, Hailey Van Lith led a dominant performance by the Chicago bench with a career-high 16 points and the Sky pulled away from the Connecticut Sun for a 78-66 win on Sunday.
Reese, 23, is the second-youngest WNBA player with a triple double. Only Caitlin Clark had a triple double at a younger age and she had two while she was 22.
Fueled by Reese’s 11 assists — more than double her previous career high — Chicago put five players in double figures. The Sky bench outscored the Sun reserves 36-2 in the Commissioner’s Cup game.
Reese also had 11 points and 13 rebounds for Chicago (3-7). Kia Nurse had 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting with three 3s, and Kamilla Cardoso and Ariel Atkins both had 10 points. Reserve Rachel Banham made her 300th career 3-pointer.
Marina Mabrey scored 22 points with five 3s for the Sun (2-8). Tina Charles added 19 points and Jacy Sheldon had 12.
Both teams shot 40% and made six 3-ointers in the first half but the Sky were perfect on eight free throws to take a 38-36 lead. Mabrey was the only player in double figures with 16.
Mabrey’s 3 and two free throws by Charles gave Connecticut a 47-44 lead early in the second half but Michaela Onyenwere and Reese converted three-point plays to make it 51-48. The Sky led 59-54 entering the fourth quarter.
DREAM 89, MYSTICS 56
WASHINGTON (AP) — Allisha Gray scored a career-high 32 points, helping Atlanta set a franchise record with 18 3-pointers and the Dream used a big start to the second half to coast past Washington.
Gray was 10-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-9 3s, as the Dream went 18 of 42 behind the arc compared to Washington’s 3 for 17. The Mystics only had 18 total baskets and shot 29.5%.
The WNBA record for 3-pointers is 19 by the New York Liberty.
Rhyne Howard scored 14 points for Atlanta (8-3) with four 3s, making her the fastest player in league history to reach 300 career points. Howard did it in 114 games, three faster than Sabrina Ionescu and 10 quicker than Diana Taurasi. Te-Hina Paopao also had four 3-pointers and scored a career-high 16 points. Naz Hillmon had 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Dream had 24 assists on 31 baskets.
Washington (4-7) never got untracked and Sonia Citron was the only Mystics player to score double figures with 10.
Gray had eight points as Atlanta scored the first 16 points of the second half and after Shakira Austin converted a three-point play for the Mystics, Paopao hit a 3 and Brittney Griner scored her only basket to make it 66-37.
Behind Gray, who made 5 of 8 behind the arc, the Dream took a 45-34 lead at the half.
Gray had 12 of Atlanta’s first 16 points and Washington went eight minutes without a field goal as a 13-8 Mystics lead turned into an 18-13 deficit early in the second quarter.
MERCURY 76, ACES 70
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Satou Sabally scored 22 points with nine rebounds, Alyssa Thomas added 14 points and 13 assists and Phoenix defeated Las Vegas, still without MVP A’ja Wilson.
Sami Whitcomb added 18 points off the bench, with her fourth 3-pointer proving critical, coming just 13 seconds after Jewell Loyd hit a 3-pointer to bring the Aces within three points with 1:37 to play.
Kahleah Copper scored 11 points in her first game of the season for the Mercury (8-4) after suffering a preseason knee injury. Her start moved Whitcomb to the bench, where she helped Phoenix outscore the Aces 28-14 in the Commissioner’s Cup matchup.
The Mercury also scored twice as many points off turnovers, turning 22 Las Vegas turnovers into 22 points.
Chelsea Gray led the Aces (5-5) with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Loyd added 17 points and Jackie Young had 15. Wilson missed her second-straight game with a concussion suffered in a game on Wednesday.
Whitcomb and Lexi Held made back-to-back 3s to push the lead to 60-49 late the third quarter and the Mercury took a 60-54 lead into the fourth quarter.
Four free throws to start the final quarter got the Aces within two points, but Thomas and Whitcomb helped the Mercury answer every challenge.