MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Courtney Vandersloot hit two free throws with 2.2 seconds left and broke the WNBA’s single-season assists record, helping the Chicago Sky beat the Minnesota Lynx 91-88 on Tuesday night.
Vandersloot set the record on a no-look, one-handed pass in the third quarter that gave her 237 assists, breaking Ticha Penicheiro’s mark set in 2000.
Vandersloot is a native of Kent. She played her college basketball at Gonzaga.
Rookie Diamond DeShields scored a season-best 28 points for Chicago (12-20). Vandersloot had 16 points and 10 assists.
Allie Quigley spun in the lane and made a runner to put Chicago ahead 89-88 with 57.9 seconds left. Lindsay Whalen had a jumper rattle out at the other end.
Minnesota called a timeout with 19.7 seconds to go, but didn’t get off a shot as Vandersloot grabbed a loose ball and hit two free throws. DeShields blocked Alexis Jones’ 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
Maya Moore scored 21 points for Minnesota (17-15) before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Sylvia Fowles had 19 points and 13 rebounds for her sixth straight double-double. Fowles became the sixth player in WNBA history to grab 3,000 rebounds.
