Fowles leads Sky to 88-61 win over San Antonio

Slam!

And don't let the door hit you on the way out.

That's how emphatically the Chicago Sky closed out its 88-61 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars Wednesday afternoon at Allstate Arena.

It was a refreshing change for a team that has been inconsistent this summer from game to game, even from quarter to quarter.

Closing out games has been particularly hit or miss for the Sky. Big leads have been nearly squandered, and sometimes lost completely.

"It was good to be able to finally nail the coffin shut," Sky forward Mistie Bass said. "We haven't always done that this season."

The Sky's previous game is the perfect example. Up by 13 points deep into the second half Sunday in New York, the Sky ultimately let victory slip away.

But this time, the Sky got a lead and not only held onto to it, but added to it. And added and added and added.

The Sky, which got double-figures from five players, including 14 apiece from Sylvia Fowles and Jia Perkins, went up by as many as 28 points on the Silver Stars, delighting a midday crowd of youth summer campers that helped set a new franchise attendance record of 6,950.

The Sky is now 9-11 with 14 games left, seven of which are against teams from the weaker Western Conference.

"This feels great," said Sky coach Steven Key, who is hoping that his team can string together enough wins to earn the first playoff berth in the franchise's five-year history. "After a disappointing and frustrating loss in New York on Sunday, a win like this really does make you feel good."

Key also feels good about his team winning decisively in spite of the fact that his best player was often out of commission.

Fowles was plagued with foul trouble for much of the first half. She played just six minutes over the first two quarters, and yet the Sky held a commanding 36-22 halftime lead.

The Sky bench stepped up in her absence, outscoring San Antonio's bench 37-23. Reserve guards Epiphanny Prince and Erin Thorn chipped in with 14 and 12 points respectively.

"Today we were still able to keep it together with Syl in foul trouble and that's really important for this team," said Bass, who scored 5 points and held down the fort in the paint while Fowles sat. Reserve post players Sandora Irvin (5 points) and Christi Thomas (4 points) also came up big. "If something goes wrong like that, it's good to know we can come together."

The Sky also got 10 points from forward Tamera Young. San Antonio was led by forward Sophia Young, who finished with 14 points.