Aaliyah Edwards scored a career-high 26 points in her return from a four-game absence due to an ankle injury to fuel the Connecticut Sun to an 87-81 victory over the Chicago Sky on Tuesday in Uncasville, Conn.
The third-year center made 11 of 16 shots to go along with a season-high 10 rebounds to send the Sun (10-27) to their third win in the last 12 games. Her point total eclipsed her previous career high of 24 set in Connecticut’s 106-102 overtime loss to the Toronto Tempo on June 10.
Diamond Miller sank four 3-pointers to highlight her 21-point performance for the Sun, and Kennedy Burke added 19 points.
Connecticut didn’t look any worse for wear despite Brittney Griner missing her fifth consecutive game with a knee injury and Olivia Nelson-Ododa (knee) also sidelined.
Kamilla Cardoso produced 24 points and 13 rebounds while Azura Stevens scored 18 points for the Sky (15-24), who misfired on all 12 shots from 3-point range in the first half. They finished 6-for-29 from beyond the arc.
Chicago’s Natasha Cloud scored three points in the first half before sitting out the second with a knee injury.
Despite Cloud’s absence, the Sky made a big fourth-quarter push. After Saniya Rivers sank a 15-foot jumper to push Connecticut’s lead to 80-62 with 6:47 to go, Chicago responded with a 17-2 run highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Stevens and one from Courtney Vandersloot.
The Sun halted the run as Miller made a pair of free throws with 1:52 left and Edwards converted a layup.
Cardoso sank a pair of free throws to forge a 6-6 tie midway through the first before Connecticut went on a 10-2 run to end the quarter. Miller had six points in that stretch, highlighted by a long jumper to end the scoring in the quarter.
Stevens’ floating jumper trimmed the Sun’s lead to 30-25 before Connecticut went on a 14-4 surge to end the second quarter. Miller’s 3-pointer ignited an 8-0 run to end the quarter.
Miller hit 3-pointers on consecutive third-quarter possessions to push the Sun’s lead to 60-41.
–Field Level Media
