LOS ANGELES -- Candice Dupree made a shot to force overtime
and finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Chicago Sky
to a 74-71 overtime win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday
night.
Jia Perkins added 15 points, Chasity Melvin scored 12 points and
Armintie Price had 10 rebounds, nine points, six assists and five
steals for the Sky (8-8), which won its second consecutive overtime
game.
"I think we're very confident," said Dupree, a starter when
the Sky went 5-29 last year. "Our chemistry jelled a little faster
this year, and getting Chasity Melvin helped us out a lot as far as
rebounding and playing defense."
Christi Thomas had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Sparks
(7-8), who have lost six of eight. Marta Fernandez added 12 points
and Kiesha Brown had 11.
"We just have to play hard for 40 minutes," Sparks coach
Michael Cooper said. "This game went 45 minutes but, still, we've
just got to do the little things. Until they get it in their heads,
we'll continue to get losses like this."
Brooke Wyckoff's 3-point basket gave the Sky a four-point lead
with 2:29 left in overtime. Fernandez made two free throws with
34.5 seconds left to narrow the deficit to 73-71.
Perkins then made the second of two free throws with 18.4
seconds to play. The Sparks' Sidney Spencer missed a 3-point shot
with 8.8 seconds remaining, and Melvin grabbed the rebound.
The Sky held a 61-58 lead with 3:14 left in the fourth quarter
but Brown's 3-point basket put the Sparks ahead 65-63 with 38.6
seconds remaining. Dupree forced overtime by making a 16-foot
jumper with 9.6 seconds left.
"If you saw the shot, it was pretty ugly," Dupree said. "I
didn't know how much time was left on the clock. I just knew we had
to get a shot up."
Chicago scored 32 points off 23 turnovers.
Sparks guard Temeka Johnson made her first appearance of the
season since having arthroscopic knee surgery.
Teammate Taj McWilliams-Franklin also returned to action after
missing the past two games because of a sore right hamstring.