CHICAGO (AP) — Ariel Atkins scored 27 points, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso each had a double-double and the Chicago Sky beat the Minnesota Lynx 87-81 on Saturday.
Reese had 19 points and 11 rebounds — her eighth consecutive double-double and 14th of the season — and Cardoso finished with 17 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Rachel Banham hit three 3-pointers and finished with 12 points for the Sky.
Courtney Williams hit two free throws to trim Minnesota’s deficit to 75-73 before Cardoso made two foul shots and Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was called for a technical foul. Banham hit the ensuing free throw and Michaela Onyenwere added a pull-up jumper along the baseline to make it 80-73 with five minutes left in the game.
Napheesa Collier hit a 3 that made it 82-79 with 2:42 to play but Atkins answered with a pull-up jumper and the Lynx got no closer.
Chicago (7-13), which is 1-10 this season against teams that are .500 or better, has won back-to-back games for just the second time this season.
Collier had 26 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks for the Lynx. Kayla McBride added 17 points and Williams scored 13 — the duo combined to make 11 of 32 (34%) from the field.
ACES 104, VALKYRIES 102
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A’ja Wilson scored 34 points, Jackie Young added 30, including her team’s final 10 points and Las Vegas beat Golden State.
The score was tied at 94 with 1:49 remaining before Young scored on the next five possessions for Las Vegas. She hit a mid-range pullup jumper for a two-point lead and made a driving layup to make it 98-94. She made two free throws on each of the Aces’ next three possessions to seal the win.
While Young was in control on the Aces’ offensive end, the Valkyries kept it close with a 3-pointer by Cecilia Zandalasini with 17 seconds left and another by Tiffany Hayes with 7 seconds left, making it 102-100.
Young’s final pair of free throws made it 104-100 and the Valkyries’ Kayla Thornton made a long two-pointer for the final score.
Young, an 89% free-throw shooter coming in, was 11-for-11 from the line. The Aces made 30 of 35 as a team.
Wilson, who injured her wrist earlier in the week, returned to the lineup and made 12 of 16 shots to go with 9 of 12 free throws. She added 16 rebounds. Jewell Loyd scored 15 points.
All five Golden State starters scored in double figures, led by Hayes and Janelle Salaun with 16 points each. Temi Fagbenle scored 13, Veronica Burton 11 and Thornton 10. Zandalasini scored 12 off the bench.
It was the expansion Valkyries’ first trip to Las Vegas. Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase was an Aces assistant in their championship seasons of 2022 and 2023.
The Associated Press
