Liberty score final 13 points, beat Sky in playoff opener

CHICAGO (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu had 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Natasha Howard also scored 22 points and the seventh-seeded New York Liberty beat the defending champion Chicago Sky 98-91 in the opening game of the WNBA playoffs. New York scored the final 13 points of the fourth quarter as Chicago missed 10 of its last 11 shots. Ionescu made a 3-pointer and a jumper from the free-throw line during the run, and Marine Johannes highlighted the spurt with an over-the-shoulder pass to Howard. New York, which won its first playoff game since September 23, 2015, plays Game 2 of the best-of-three series at Chicago on Saturday. Betnijah Laney added 17 points and Stefanie Dolson scored 13 for New York, which set a franchise scoring record in the playoffs.