Wilson’s 27-point double-double against Fever helps Aces remain undefeated on season | CBC Sports

A’ja Wilson scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Candace Parker made two free throws with 24 seconds left and the visiting Las Vegas Aces beat the Indiana Fever 84-80 Sunday to extend its franchise record for consecutive wins to open a season.

The Aces (6-0), who trailed by 10 points after Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter, closed the game on a 23-9 run.

Las Vegas used an 11-1 run capped by a Chelsea Gray’s three-point play that made it 72-all with 4:03 to play. Erica Wheeler answered with a layup and her 3 with 2:32 remaining gave the Fever a five-point lead but after Kelsey Plum scored inside for the Aces, Jackie Young made back-to-back layups to make it 80-79.

Aliyah Boston tied it by making the second of two free throws for Indiana with 47.1 to go, but Parker’s foul shots put the Aces in front.

Mitchell missed a layup with 15 seconds left and Las Vegas dribbled the clock down until Alysha Clark was fouled with 1.7 seconds left and hit two free throws to seal the game.

Mitchell led Indiana (1-4) with 22 points, hitting five of six 3-point attempts. Wheeler added 15. Boston got into foul trouble and had just seven points and four rebounds in her first matchup against Wilson — pitting the two former Gamecocks who were No. 1 picks against one another.

Young scored 18 points and Gray added 17 with eight rebounds and seven assists for Las Vegas.

The Aces had their WNBA record for consecutive games scoring at least 90 points stopped at five games.

Copper, Williams lift Sky past Liberty

Kahleah Copper scored 27 points and Courtney Williams added 12, including 10 in the fourth quarter, to help the visiting Chicago Sky rally to beat the New York Liberty 86-82 on Sunday in the second meeting between the teams in three days.

The two teams played Friday night in Chicago, with the Liberty rallying for a one-point win on a shot by Breanna Stewart with 7.1 seconds left.

In this game, it was the Sky’s turn to rally. Down by 19 early in the third quarter, the Sky (4-3) pulled ahead for the first time in the game on Williams’s jumper with 4:24 left that made it 72-70.

A few seconds later, Williams drew an offensive foul on Stewart and after a challenge by New York (4-2) was denied, the spirited guard playfully bowed to the crowd, drawing loud boos.

Williams answered with a three-pointer with 1:42 left. Courtney Vandersloot’s layup with 59 seconds left got New York within 80-78. Williams was then fouled and hit the first of two free throws to make it a three-point game.

After a timeout, Sabrina Ionescu was charged with an offensive foul with 27 seconds left on the inbounds.

Chicago then hit four free throws in the final 17 seconds to seal the win.

Stewart had 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead New York, which saw its four-game winning streak snapped.

New York tried to carry the momentum from Friday into this game. The Liberty scored the first 13 points and built a 17-point halftime lead before Chicago rallied.

Sun hold off Wings

DeWanna Bonner scored 22 points, Brionna Jones added 21, and the Connecticut Sun held off a second-half rally by Dallas, defeating the visiting Wings 80-74 on Sunday.

Leading 63-52 heading to the fourth quarter, the Sun held on although their lead was down to seven with seven minutes to go after Arike Ogunbowale hit a jumper for the Wings.

Jones hit a jumper to give the Sun a 74-65 lead at the two-minute mark and a jumper by the Wings’ Awak Kuier was the only made basket before the final minute in which the Sun went 6-for-6 at the foul line.

Satou Sabally had 26 points and 14 rebounds — both game highs — for Dallas. Crystal Dangerfield added 13 points, Natasha Howard 11, and Veronica Burton 10 for the Wings (3-3).

Jones scored nine points in the first quarter as the Sun built a 23-13 lead. They went on to lead 44-30 at halftime.

Sabally and Howard hit three-pointers to help Dallas get within 8 points at 60-52 in the third quarter, but did not score over the final three minutes of the period.

Connecticut had seven points off the bench to six for Dallas.