Nyara Sabally exploded for a career-high 29 points, and Marina Mabrey dropped 24 against her former team as the Toronto Tempo beat the Chicago Sky 111-104 Wednesday night, climbing back to .500 with a statement road win.
Sabally scored 29 with three triples made, Mabrey scored 24 and added seven assists, Brittney Sykes scored 20 and Kiki Rice stuffed the stat sheet, scoring 14 points, picking up eight boards and adding seven assists.
Skylar Diggins scored 23 and picked up nine assists, Sydney Taylor scored 27, and Natasha Cloud added 18 points and nine assists of her own in the loss for Chicago.
The Tempo (4-4) led by as many as 14 points in this high-scoring affair in Chicago, but the Sky stuck around all night despite shooting only 23 per cent from three, compared to Toronto’s 46.
Mabrey had nine fourth-quarter points, and with the game in the balance and Toronto turned to “Money Mabrey” in crunch time to seal the road win in her return to Chicago.
Chicago (3-4) cut it to a three-point game with under three minutes left, but Rice came up with a key steal, followed by Mabrey drilling a dagger three. Sabally followed with another triple to push the lead to 106-98 with 1:37 remaining and secure the win.
The Tempo set the tone early, leading 25-22 after the first quarter before opening the second on a 13-5 run.
Mabrey and Rice controlled the offence, creating easy looks for Sabally as Toronto stretched the lead to 38-27.
Diggins kept Chicago alive with 15 first-half points and five assists, but Sabally, who was seemingly unguarded on some possessions, led all scorers with 14 at the break while Sykes added 13.
Rice and Mabrey’s playmaking throughout the first half, with four assists each, helped Toronto calm down on offence and take the lead on the road, 55-48 at the half.
Laura Juskaite got her first bucket of the game, as Rice continued her playmaking in the second half with an early assist.
Mabrey knocked down a triple and the Tempo got their lead back up to 10.
Mabrey’s ability to knock down deep threes and stretch out the defence so far this season has been crucial for the Tempo, and it showed tonight as Sabally continued to feast on easy buckets in the paint.
With Mabrey out of the game in some foul trouble, Rice and Sykes ran the offence for Toronto.
However, the Tempo went over two minutes without a bucket midway through the third, allowing the Sky back in the game on a 9-0 run, cutting Toronto’s lead to four.
Taylor scored 15 for the Sky in the third quarter as the Tempos’ lead was reduced to 80-74 heading into the final frame.
Toronto’s starters came back in the game to start the fourth. Sabally knocked down a three-pointer to open the quarter as her career night continued.
Rice was continuously drawing double teams on her drives, and she found a wide-open Juskaite, who knocked down her first triple of the game to bring the Tempos’ lead back up to nine after the Sky built some momentum with Taylor staying hot.
The Sky made it a one-possession game, 96-93, with just under three minutes remaining.
Rice got a steal with just under three minutes left in the game, with Toronto up three, and Mabrey knocked down a huge triple, followed by Sabally, and the Tempo picked up the 111-104 win at the free-throw line.
The Tempo are back home Saturday to host the Seattle Storm as they seek back-to-back wins for the second time this season.