Sun-Sky Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Aug 27 2012 11:59AM

The Chicago Sky ended a nine-game slide and moved back into playoff position in the Eastern Conference with a surprising win over the Connecticut Sun.

The Sun will seek a measure of revenge Tuesday night when they face the Sky in the opener of a four-game road stretch, with another opportunity to clinch a playoff spot.

Chicago (9-14) ended its longest losing streak since the franchise's inaugural 2006 season with Sunday's 82-70 victory at Connecticut (17-6). The Sky prevailed despite missing center Sylvia Fowles and forward Tamera Young due to personal reasons.

"This is huge," Sky forward Swin Cash said. "We have been on a skid that none of us are familiar with, and today we were down Syl and down Tamera, and I thought that everyone came in and contributed."

Fowles is second on the team in scoring with 17.6 points per game while leading the league in rebounding with 11.4 per contest. Young, absent due to a death in the family, has started 14 games this season.

It's unclear if either will be back Tuesday.

The Sky moved one-half game ahead of New York for the East's fourth and final playoff spot after the Liberty fell in Seattle on Sunday night. Chicago has never reached the postseason.

New York's defeat also meant that Connecticut would have clinched a playoff spot had it won Sunday. The Sun lead Indiana by 2 1/2 games for the conference's best record.

"It's a disappointing loss for a lot of reasons," coach Mike Thibault said. "We had a chance, with a little help, to clinch a playoff spot and we didn't do it. We just got outplayed in a lot of areas."

Connecticut has split four games since the Olympic break. The Sun have finished with 17 turnovers three times in that span despite averaging 14.3 on the year.

Thibault's club is a league-best 8-2 on the road, and he may be emphasizing defense during this stretch.

"Sometimes you'll have one defensive mistake on a play," guard Kara Lawson said. "We were having three or four on the same possession. We need to improve. We need to get a lot better defensively.''

Epiphanny Prince led Chicago with 15 points Sunday, with Cash and second-year center Carolyn Swords each chipping in 14. Swords' total was a career high as she started in place of Fowles.

"We see (Swords) do that every day in practice, she goes against Sylvia every day, so there is no intimidation factor," coach Pokey Chatman said. "She uses her size well and she is going to be in the right spot."

Connecticut played its fifth straight game without Olympic forward Asjha Jones, sidelined by a strained left Achilles tendon. Allison Hightower, a teammate of Fowles at LSU, had a team-high 17 points Sunday.

Hightower's layup with 8.9 seconds left in overtime lifted the Sun to an 80-78 victory at Chicago on July 13 after Connecticut rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Charles scores 24 points as Sun beat Sky 83-72

Posted Aug 28 2012 10:30PM

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) Tina Charles had 24 points and 14 rebounds to help the Connecticut Sun open a four-game road trip with an 83-72 win over the Chicago Sky on Tuesday night.

Charles earned her 13th double-double of the season as the Eastern Conference-leading Sun (18-6) improved to 9-2 on the road. Kara Larson had 18 points and Renee Montgomery added 15.

Reserve Courtney Vandersloot scored 17 points to lead five Chicago players in double figures. Swin Cash added 15 points, and Carolyn Swords, Epiphanny Prince and Sonja Petrovic each had 10 for the Sky (9-15).

Chicago, which snapped a nine-game losing streak with Sunday's 82-70 victory at Connecticut, has now lost 10 of its last 11. The Sky were without center Sylvia Fowles, the WNBA's rebounding leader, for the second straight game.

Vandersloot scored eight straight points in the first quarter as the Sky surged from a 13-6 deficit to a 14-13 lead with 2:32 showing. The Sun jumped back ahead on a Lawson jumper and went on to a 21-20 lead by quarter's end and never trailed again.

Charles scored 10 second-quarter points and Connecticut took control with a 13-2 run that opened a 40-27 lead with 3:06 left. Chicago, which shot 12 of 38 (31.6 percent) from the field in the first half, never got closer than nine as the Sun opened a 44-33 advantage by halftime.

The Sun led 58-44 after three quarters and the lead hit 21 midway through the fourth when Jessica Moore hit a 3-pointer to open a 73-52 lead.

Fowles was absent for personal reasons, according to a team spokesman. The U.S. Olympian leads the WNBA in rebounding (11.4) and is seventh in scoring (17.6 points).

The Sun limited the Sky to 4 for 24 shooting from 3-point range. Chicago had hit 10 last Sunday.

Connecticut is at San Antonio Thursday, while Chicago travels to Indiana on Saturday.

• Sun: --
• Sky: --

• Sun: --
• Sky: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL
• Officials: #55 Eric Brewton, #38 Lamont Simpson, #44 Felicia Grinter
• Attendance: 2884
• Duration: 1:55