Kahleah Copper matched her career high with 29 points to help the visiting Chicago Sky snap a four-game losing streak with a 90-75 victory over the Seattle Storm on Saturday night.
Marina Mabrey hit four 3-pointers to highlight her 22-point effort while Alanna Smith added nine points to go along with a career-best 17 rebounds for the Sky (9-13).
The Storm (4-18) dropped a franchise-record ninth consecutive games despite 14 points from Ezi Magbegor.
Leading scorer Jewell Loyd was held to 12 points, just under half her average (24.9 points per game), as she shot just 2 of 11 from the field. Jordan Horston (12 points) and Sami Whitcomb (11) also scored in double figures for Seattle.
Chicago entered Saturday holding the eighth and final playoff spot, four spots ahead of last-place Seattle. It dominated the rebounding battle, especially on the offensive glass, where it grabbed 18 boards.
Overall, the Sky had a 44-24 advantage on the glass.
Copper’s three free throws with 2:47 left in the first quarter gave Chicago its first double-digit advantage at 18-6. The Sky stayed in control for the rest of the period, taking a 24-14 lead into the second quarter.
Ruthy Hebard stepped up in the first half for Chicago, as she scored six points off the bench. Her floater in the lane with 6:25 to go in the first half gave the Sky a 32-20 advantage.
Mabrey buried a 3-pointer just over a minute later, extending the Chicago lead to 35-20. Mabrey’s 3-pointer with 49.1 seconds left pushed the lead to 23 before Whitcomb’s two shots from distance helped Seattle close the gap to 49-32 by halftime.
Seattle pulled within 63-54 with 59.1 seconds left in the third after Loyd hit two free throws, but it couldn’t do enough to post its first win since beating Phoenix 97-74 on June 24.
The Sky led by as much as 20 in the fourth en route to the victory.
–Field Level Media
