Gardner powers Sky to 80-68 victory over Sparks

LOS ANGELES - Rookie Rebekah Gardner came off the bench to score 18 points and grab 10 rebounds to lift the Chicago Sky to an 80-68 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night.

Gardner hit 8 of 11 shots, had four offensive boards and four assists to help Chicago improve to a WNBA-best 18-6. Fellow reserve Azura Stevens scored 14, hitting 6 of 7 shots with two 3-pointers. Candace Parker had 11 rebounds but missed all 11 of her shots and didn’t score.

Nneka Ogwumike had 16 points and eight rebounds for Los Angeles (10-14), while younger sister Chiney Ogwumike added 14 points and 13 boards. Katie Lou Samuelson and Brittney Sykes both scored 12.

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The Sky trailed 17-16 after one quarter before outscoring the Sparks 52-31 over the next two.

Chicago has won three straight and eight of its last nine, while Los Angeles has lost three straight.