Sun run win streak to 7, beat Liberty
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Courtney Williams shots have been falling lately and that’s been a big reason why the Connecticut Sun have been able to keep their winning streak going.
Williams scored a season-high 28 points and Connecticut won its seventh consecutive game, beating the New York Liberty 94-79 on Sunday. She had a big fourth quarter in the Sun’s win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday.
“I took momentum from last game and it rolled over to this game,” Williams said. “Knocked down shots and my teammates gave me the ball. I’ve been making shots. I was still taking the same shots doing the same thing, but the ball’s going through the basket.”
Her coach noticed that Williams has been playing better.
“It’s fun to see her back and find a groove. We haven’t always found that this year and she’s realized it as much as anyone,” Connecticut coach Curt Miller said. “She really carried us tonight offensively at times and put pressure on the defense. We know it’s in there and it just hasn’t been there
as consistently this year.”
Alyssa Thomas added 16 points while Jonquel Jones had 14 points,
10 rebounds and five steals for the Sun (16-6).
Connecticut led 29-16 after the first quarter. It was the most points the Sun had scored in the opening quarter this season. New York cut it to 39-32 on Tina Charles’ jumper with 4:30 left in the half. The Sun outscored the Liberty 14-6 the rest of the period to take a 15-point lead at the half.
Williams was 12 for 18 from the field and had 17 of her points by the half, helping Connecticut improve to 12-0 when leading at the break this season.
New York (8-13) couldn’t get within single digits in the second half. Charles had 20 points and
10 rebounds to lead the Liberty, who have lost five of their past six games.
Sparks 83, Storm 75
LOS ANGELES — Candace Parker scored a season-high 21 points, Nneka Ogwumike added 13 points, 10 rebounds and three steals and Los Angeles beat Seattle.
Maria Vadeeva, a 20-year old who missed two-plus months because of international duty for Russia and a knee injury, scored 14 points, and Chelsea Gray had 10 points and eight assists.
Parker scored eight points and Ogwumike added six during a 16-4 run that gave L.A. (13-8) a 12-point lead. Sami Whitcomb’s 3-pointer trimmed the Storm’s deficit to
50-41 at halftime. Parker made back-to-back baskets as the Sparks scored 10 of the first
12 third-quarter points and the led by double figures until the closing seconds.
Whitcomb and Alysha Clark each hit four 3-pointers and had
16 points for Seattle (12-11). The Storm have lost three straight.
The Sparks shot a season-high 53% (32 of 61) from the field and forced 19 turnovers.
Mercury 103, Mystics 82
PHOENIX — Brittney Griner had 26 points, nine rebounds, a career-high eight assists and four blocks to help Phoenix beat Washington.
Leilani Mitchell made five
3-pointers and finished with 23 points, and Yvonne Turner, who hit 4 of 5 from behind the arc, added a career-high 22 points for Phoenix.
The Mystics (14-7) had their five-game win streak snapped.
Turner and Mitchell scored five points apiece during a 14-2 run that gave Phoenix a 60-41 lead late in the second quarter. Griner scored 23 points on 10-of11 shooting in the first half. The Mercury (11-10) shot a season-high 58.2% from the field and had 28 assists on 39 field goals. They tied their season high with 12 3-pointers and made all 13 free-throw attempts.
Elena Delle Donne and Emma Meesseman scored 18 points apiece for the Mystics.