ROSEMONT, Ill. (Interstat) — Kamilla Cardoso recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds as the Chicago Sky defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 96-82 on Friday at Allstate Arena. The Sky improved to 9-16, while the Sparks dropped to 10-14. Chicago broke open a close game with a dominant second quarter, outscoring Los Angeles 33-19 to take a 49-36 halftime lead. The Sparks rallied in the third, trimming the margin to 69-63, but the Sky pulled away in the fourth with a 27-19 advantage. Sydney Taylor led all scorers with 19 points for Chicago. Natasha Cloud added 15 points and nine assists, and Azura Stevens contributed 12 points and six rebounds. Jacy Sheldon scored 14 points. Nneka Ogwumike had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Los Angeles. Dearica Hamby also scored 18 points, and Erica Wheeler added 14 points. Cameron Brink finished with nine points and six rebounds. Attendance was 8,123. The Sky won the season series after losing 102-87 in Los Angeles on July 10.

ROSEMONT, Ill. (Interstat) — The Chicago Sky defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 96-82 on Friday night at Allstate Arena, using a dominant second-quarter surge to erase an early deficit and secure their ninth win of the season. The Sky outscored the Sparks 33-19 in the second period, turning a one-point deficit after the first quarter into a 49-36 halftime lead. Chicago’s Sydney Taylor scored 10 of her game-high 19 points in the second quarter, including two 3-pointers, as the Sky shot better than 50 percent from the floor in the frame. Los Angeles opened the game with energy, taking a 17-16 lead after the first quarter behind six points from Dearica Hamby and a late 3-pointer from Nneka Ogwumike. The Sparks forced Chicago into early turnovers and controlled the boards early. But the Sky’s defense stiffened in the second quarter, holding Los Angeles to 5-of-15 shooting while Kamilla Cardoso blocked two shots and grabbed five rebounds in the period. Chicago used a 14-0 run midway through the second quarter to take control. Taylor hit a 3-pointer to start the burst, and Jacy Sheldon added a fast-break layup. Natasha Cloud, who finished with 15 points and nine assists, delivered three assists during the run, and Gabriela Jaquez knocked down a 3-pointer to push the lead to 36-19. The Sparks managed just two field goals in the final six minutes of the half. Los Angeles rallied in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to six points twice. Ogwumike scored eight points in the period, including a tip-in off her own offensive rebound that made it 47-54 with 5:52 left. But Chicago answered each time. Cloud hit a 3-pointer to push the lead back to 10, and Taylor’s driving layup restored an 11-point edge. The Sky led 69-63 entering the fourth. Chicago put the game away in the final quarter, opening with a 10-0 run. Cardoso scored inside, Sheldon hit a 3-pointer and Cloud drained another from deep to make it 77-63 with 8:30 left. The Sky’s lead never dipped below 10 points thereafter. Cloud delivered the dagger with a 3-pointer with 2:53 remaining, making it 87-74. Ogwumike led the Sparks with 18 points and 12 rebounds, her 12th double-double of the season. Hamby added 18 points and six rebounds. Erica Wheeler contributed 14 points and four assists, and Cameron Brink came off the bench to score nine points with six rebounds and two blocks. Rae Burrell dished five assists. For Chicago, Cardoso recorded her third consecutive double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, adding three assists and two blocks. She has now posted double-doubles in two of her last three games. Natasha Cloud flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Azura Stevens scored 12 points with six rebounds and five assists. Taylor’s 19 points came on 6-of-11 shooting, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range. Jacy Sheldon added 14 points. The attendance was 8,123. The Sky improved to 9-16, while the Sparks fell to 10-14. Los Angeles has lost three straight games and six of its last seven. Chicago snapped a two-game losing streak and won for the fourth time in seven contests. The two teams will meet again Aug. 5 in Chicago. The Sparks next travel to Dallas on Sunday, while the Sky visit Atlanta the same day. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Chicago Sky 95, Los Angeles Sparks 94. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Chicago with a 50.40 percent probability to win. Chicago had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 178 went over the over/under line of 182.5.

ROSEMONT, Ill. (Interstat) — The Los Angeles Sparks visit the Chicago Sky on Friday at Allstate Arena in a matchup of WNBA teams trying to climb the standings. Los Angeles (10-12) enters after a 101-92 loss at Atlanta on Monday. Chicago (7-16) fell 96-91 at Dallas on Sunday, continuing a stretch that has seen the Sky lose six of their last eight. Guard Rae Burrell has been a consistent offensive threat for the Sparks. In her last seven games, Burrell has scored at least 17 points five times, including 22 points, three rebounds and four assists in a 106-92 win over Indiana on July 8. She posted 18 points, four rebounds and four assists in the loss at Atlanta and had 17 points, one rebound, four assists and two blocks in a 102-87 win over Chicago on July 10. Forward Azura Stevens leads Chicago. She recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds in the loss at Dallas and has four double-doubles in her last seven games. Stevens also had 10 points and eight rebounds in the July 10 loss at Los Angeles. The teams met eight days ago, with the Sparks winning 102-87 at home. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 95-94 Chicago victory. The Sky have struggled offensively, averaging 86.3 points per game. Los Angeles allows 92.5 points per game. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. CDT.