Essence Carson, Cappie Pondexter lead as New York Liberty beat Chicago Sky 80-73 – WNBA Recap
On Sunday night, Essence Carson returned to the floor after missing the previous two games and posted 18 points, including a tie breaking three-pointer with 31 seconds to go in the game, as New York Liberty beat the Chicago Sky
80-73 at Prudential Center.
The 24-year-old sensation also dished out three assists, blocked two shots and finished the night with an 8 for 13 shooting from the field.
She was not the only one who made the difference on the night though.
Six Liberty players scored in double figures. Cappie Pondexter also scored 18 points, shooting 5 for 8 from the field and a perfect 7 for 7 from free throw line. Plenette Pierson scored 13 points while Quanitra Hollingsworth punctuated
11 points in the third straight victory of New York.
Nicole Powell scored 10 points, grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and dished out four assists while Kia Vaughn had 10 points, five rebounds and two steals for New York, who have won five of their last six games.
Sylvia Fowles led Chicago with 14 points and eight rebounds. Rookie Courtney Vandersloot also scored 14 points, shooting 5 for 9 from the floor including 3 for 5 from three-point range, in 27 minutes of action. Michelle Snow and
Erin Thorn contributed 11 points and four rebounds apiece in the losing effort.
First Quarter
Vandersloot scored six of her points in the first five minutes of the opening quarter as Chicago raced to a ten-point lead, 14-4. New York answered back with a 10-3 run to cut the deficit to three, 17-14, with 03:15 to go in the
first quarter. However, Chicago scored 10 consecutive points in the last one minute and 28 seconds of the quarter to take a 27-14 advantage into the second frame.
Second Quarter
Leading by 13 points after one, Sky continued to dominate and stretched their lead to 16 points, 41-25, with 03:56 to go in the second quarter. Liberty tried to retaliate with a 13-8 run and trimmed the margin to 11-point, 49-38,
at halftime.
Third Quarter
New York opened the third quarter with eight unanswered points to make it a three-point contest, 49-46. Sky responded in the passage that followed. Fowles’ lay-up with 04:21 remaining in the third gave the Sky a 55-48 lead but
Hollingsworth responded with a free throw and a jumper to cut the lead to four, 55-51.
Vandersloot knocked down a three in the closing seconds of the quarter as Chicago carried a 60-54 lead, heading into the last quarter.
Fourth Quarter
This was the quarter where the game turned on its head. New York scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to knot the game at 60. Sky countered with a 7-2 burst to take a 67-62 lead midway through the game.
At that point, Pondexter decided to turn on the heat and scored the next six points to put New York ahead by 68-67- their first lead of the game.
Sky hung tough though and when Fowles drove to the rim with 1:36 left on the clock, they raced to a 73-70 advantage. Pondexter nailed a dagger from beyond the arc to make it 73-73 on the very next possession. Carson followed her
with another 3-pointer to break the ice and Pondexter scored 4 in the last 20 seconds to seal the victory.
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