CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—Sheri Sam scored 18 points to lead the Charlotte Sting to an 84-57 win over expansion Chicago on Saturday night, handing the Sky their WNBA-record 29th loss of the season.
Kelly Mazzante added 14 points and Tammy Sutton-Brown had 13 for Charlotte (11-23), who set the previous mark with a 6-28 record last year. Tangela Smith had 10 points.
The Sting, who played their season finale, finished 8-7 after the All-Star break.
“It gave the fans something to hang onto for next year,” Sam said. “We just have to hold onto the positive things and come in next year with a different attitude. It’s about not wanting it to be the same way.”
Sam believes the team’s 3-13 season start might have been the inspiration for the improved finish.
“For me, at some point, I got tired of it,” she said. “The mentality comes in, the competitive nature and pride kick in at some point.”
Bernadette Ngoyisa had a career-high 23 points and teammate Candice Dupree added 16 for Chicago (4-29), which won its first two meetings with the Sting. Ngoyisa and Dupree also had 10 rebounds apiece as the Sky lost their seventh straight.
“I didn’t know what to expect coming into the league,” said the rookie Dupree, who was Atlantic 10 player of the year in her senior year at Temple. “It was tough, all the losing, something I wasn’t used to coming out of college. But it’s been a learning experience.”
Washington has the worst winning percentage in league history—finishing 3-27 (.100) in 1998.
The Sting used a 20-2 run in the second quarter to take control of the game. They outscored the Sky 30-15 during the quarter, with Sutton-Brown scoring seven, to take a 47-31 lead at the break.
“They just have a better team than we have,” Sky coach Dave Cowens said. “We’ve lost so many of our starters that we just get out-manned every night. That’s really the problem. We play okay for a while, but then we implode. That’s what happens.”
Chicago closes the season at Indiana on Sunday night.
Mazzante’s 3-pointer with a little more than 4 minutes remaining gave Charlotte its biggest lead at 80-48.
Sam, who shot 7-for-9, and Smith were honored in a pregame ceremony for reaching 3,000 career points during the season.
