Sparks fade late as Chicago hands them a 4th straight loss ...Middle East

CHICAGO — In a clash of struggling teams, the Sparks were outkicked to the finish line.

Kamilla Cardoso scored 12 of her career-high 27 points in the fourth quarter and the Chicago Sky rallied for a 97-86 victory over the visiting Sparks on Tuesday night.

The Sparks held a 29-17 lead after the first quarter, but they were outscored in each of the final three periods, with Chicago outscoring them 30-17 in the fourth to secure the win.

Azurá Stevens led the Sparks (4-11) with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting to go with seven rebounds, four steals and four blocked shots. Kelsey Plum added 20 points and five assists but shot 6 for 17 from the field and missed all six of her 3-point attempts as the Sparks shot 43.7% in the final three quarters after making 11 of their first 17 shots.

Dearica Hamby added 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks and Rickea Jackson scored 11 points for the Sparks, who shot just 7 for 26 from 3-point range and committed 17 turnovers in their fourth straight loss.

The Sky snapped a three-game losing streak after falling behind late in the first half. Chicago (4-10) outscored the Sparks thanks to Cardoso, who made 10 of 15 shots, including her first 3-pointer. She will miss the Sky’s next four games while playing for her Brazilian national team in the FIBA AmeriCup tournament in Chile.

Angel Reese added 18 points and 17 rebounds for her eighth double-double as Chicago controlled the glass by a 36-27 margin. Reese also contributed six assists and four steals

Ariel Atkins contributed 13 points and five assists as Chicago shot 50% in the final three quarters and 44.6% overall.

Stevens scored 11 points as the Sparks made their first six shots, shooting nearly 65% in the first quarter for a 29-17 lead. Reese’s basket off a Sparks turnover moved the Sky within 31-28 early in the second, and with 6:43 remaining, Stevens sank a 3-pointer for a 39-30 lead.

The Sparks took a 14-point lead on a hoop by Hamby with 2:44 left in the first quarter, but Chicago cut the deficit to 31-28 early in the second quarter before the Sparks surged again for a 44-32 lead. The Sky rallied again and trimmed the margin to 48-42 by halftime.

Cardoso’s 3-pointer cut Chicago’s deficit to 51-49 with 7:58 remaining in the third quarter and Reese’s 3-point play put the Sky within 61-60 nearly four minutes later. The Sky forged a 65-65 tie when Rebecca Allen sank a 3-pointer with 2:10 left in the period and Plum’s layup gave the Sparks a 69-67 lead going into the fourth.

Cardoso’s layup put Chicago ahead for the first time at 74-72 with 7:23 left in the game, and her three-point play made it 77-72 a little over a minute later. Chicago kept surging ahead. Rachel Banham hit a 3-pointer to make it 84-76 with 4:21 left, and Cardoso’s layup off a bounce pass from Atkins made it 90-81 with 1:27 remaining to clinch it.

Sky’s Vandersloot has surgery to repair torn ACL

Chicago guard Courtney Vandersloot underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, the team announced on Tuesday.

Vandersloot suffered the season-ending injury in Chicago’s 79-52 loss to Indiana on June 7.

A five-time All-Star, Vandersloot averaged 10.6 points and 5.3 assists in seven games.

The 5-foot-8 point guard was selected by the Sky with the third overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft and helped lead them to the league title in 2021. She spent the previous two seasons in New York and helped the Liberty win the WNBA title last year before returning to Chicago this season.

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