Sacramento ends brief skid

Ticha Penicheiro scored 13 points and Yolanda Griffith had 11 points and nine rebounds Saturday night to lead the Sacramento Monarchs to an 80-70 victory over the expansion Chicago Sky in Sacramento, Calif.

Kara Lawson scored 11 points and Kim Smith added 10 as the defending WNBA champions snapped a two-game losing streak.

Candice Dupree and Jia Perkins scored 17 points and Amanda Lassiter had 14 for the Sky, who are winless since an opening-day victory at Charlotte. Bernadette Ngoyisa added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Liberty 71, Silver Stars 67: At San Antonio, Becky Hammon was 5 for 10 on 3-pointers and finished with 23 points to lead New York to a victory over the Silver Stars.

Holdsclaw rejoins Sparks

Chamique Holdsclaw is back with the Los Angeles Sparks after an excused two-week absence, which she spent tending to sick relatives in North Carolina.

Holdsclaw will make her season debut Wednesday night against the Detroit Shock.

Holdsclaw’s father and stepfather were both recently diagnosed with cancer.

“Just to go home and see everyone kind of put my mind at peace,” she said.