Diggins helps Sky send Connecticut to their 10th loss

Connecticut’s Diamond Miller (1)  dribbles past Chicago’s Sydney Taylor (12) at Wintrust Arena on Friday. Chicago snapped a five-game losing streak with an 85-80 win over Connecticut. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

Skyler Diggins scored a game-high 24 points, including 16 in the second quarter, as the Chicago Sky snapped a five-game losing streak with a 85-80 win over the Connecticut Sun on Friday night before 6,594 fans at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

The Sun (2-10) have lost two straight since winning their second game nearly a week ago in Hartford against Los Angeles.

Connecticut was led by Diamond Miller and Brittney Griner with 16 points while Saniya Rivers scored 14 points. Aneesah Morrow scored eight points and pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds.

The Sun will try and secure a win on Monday night when they host the New York Liberty and retire Jonquel Jone’s number at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Twice in the final three minutes, the Sun cut the lead to one but couldn’t get over the hump. Nell Angloma made a layup in the lane after a nice assist from Griner with 2:31 remaining to cut the Sky lead to one, 76-77.

Three minutes earlier, Chicago had led by six, 74-68.

Diggins missed a 24-foot three-point shot with 2:03 remaining and Griner controlled the rebound but the Chicago defense forced a turnover, surrounding Miller, who was called for a three-second violation with 1:41 remaining.

None of her teammates got close enough to get a pass from Miller.

Twenty seconds later, it was Diggins driving to the basket, scoring and getting fouled with 1:20 left in the game. Diggins hit the free throw to push the lead to four, 80-76.

Rivers drained a long three-point shot with 1:03 remaining to again cut the Sky lead to one, 80-79.

But Chicago’s Elizabeth Williams scored on the baseline with 48.9 seconds left to push the lead back to three, 82-79. Miller missed a three-point shot with 39 seconds left and it was Williams moving across the lane and sinking a jumper with less than a second left on the shot clock with 14.5 seconds left to extend the lead to 84-79.

The Sun led by as many as 15 points in the first half. Morrow drained a three-point shot after a nice dish from Griner to give Connecticut 34-19 lead with 6:21 left in the second quarter. Miller had 14 of her 16 points in the first quarter.

But Chicago finished the quarter with a flourish and trailed by two points, 45-43 at the break. The Sky outscored the Sun, 32-20 in the second quarter and sank 61 percent of their shots from the floor.