Slow start dooms Storm in loss to Sky

CHICAGO – Candice Dupree scored 14 points, Sylvia Fowles had 12 points and 15 rebounds and the Chicago Sky beat the Seattle Storm 64-57 on Sunday.

Jia Perkins added 13 points and Dominique Canty had 10 for Chicago (2-1), which squandered an early double-digit lead before recovering to won its second straight game and beat Seattle for the first time in seven tries.

Lauren Jackson scored 22 points for Seattle (3-2). Sue Bird scored nine on 3 of 11 shooting for the Storm, which had to mount a fourth-quarter rally after badly struggling in the first half.

Seattle, which trailed by 16 early in the second quarter, used a 12-0 run to take a 51-49 lead on Janell Burse’s layup with 6:47 left in the fourth.

Burse made another layup nearly a minute later to restore Seattle’s lead, but Chicago then scored eight straight points to go back ahead by six with 2:11 to go.

Jackson’s jumper with 1:32 remaining pulled the Storm to 59-57, but the Sky hit five free throws in the final 15 seconds to seal the win.

Seattle came out looking sluggish and fell behind by 15-1 late in the first quarter.