SEATTLE (AP) — Nneka Ogwumike scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help the Seattle Storm beat Chicago 84-71 Sunday despite the Sky’s Angel Reese setting the WNBA record for consecutive games with a double-double.
Jewell Loyd, who scored two points on 0-for-5 shooting in the first half, finished with 20 points. Skylar Diggins-Smith had 15 points and eight assists and Ezi Magbegor added 13 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks for Seattle (14-7).
Reese finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds and four steals for Chicago (8-12), her 13th consecutive double-double. The rookie posted a season-high 27 points to go along with 10 rebounds in the Sky’s 88-84 victory over Seattle on Friday’ and tied Candace Parker for the longest double-double streak in league history.
Reese made back-to-back baskets before Chennedy Carter twice made a pair of free throws to cap an 11-2 run that trimmed the Sky’s deficit to 72-69 with 2:49 to play. Jordan Horston responded with two free throws and then found Magbegor for a layup to spark a string of 12 consecutive points that pushed the Storm’s lead to 84-69 when Loyd made a layup with 33.2 seconds remaining.
Carter led the Sky with 21 points and Marina Mabrey added 14 points and six assists. Rookie Kamilla Cardoso finished with six points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
The Sky had four blocks — including two by Cardoso — in the first 7 minutes as Seattle started 1-of-15 shooting and Chicago jumped to a 12-3 lead.
Sami Whitcomb’s 3-pointer with 7:57 left in the second quarter capped an 11-2 spurt and gave the Storm their first lead but Reese scored five points in a 10-0 run over the next 2-plus minutes that put Chicago in front 32-23 when Marina Mabrey hit a deep 3-pointer with 5:38 left in the first half. The Sky took a 39-31 lead into halftime but Seattle scored 23 of the first 28 second-half points and outscored Chicago 29-14 in the third quarter. Loyd, who scored two points on 0-for-5 shooting in the first half, scored 12 in the third quarter and Ogwumike added nine as the Storm took a seven-point lead into the fourth.
The Storm shot 29% (10 of 34) from the field in the first half but made 19 of 35 (54%) thereon.
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