CONNECTICUT --Jonquel Jones burned her old team with 25 points and 15 rebounds as the New York Liberty set up a super-team WNBA Finals with the Las Vegas Aces by rallying for an 87-84 win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday in Uncasville, Conn.
The Liberty trailed by as many as 10 in Game 4 before beating the Sun to take their semifinal series three games to one. Jones, who joined league Most Valuable Player Breanna Stewart and veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot as high-profile New York acquisitions in the offseason, made 5 of 6 free throws in the last minute to boost the Liberty into the best-of-five finals, which start Oct. 8 in Las Vegas. Stewart added 27 points, including a pair of foul shots with 6.1 seconds left for a three-point lead. Connecticut penetrated the lane on its final possession and couldn't squeeze off the tying 3 it needed to force overtime. Betnijah Laney scored 21 for New York, which reached the finals for the first time in 21 years. The Liberty trailed 75-74 with 2:53 left after DiJonai Carrington made a foul shot but Stewart answered with a 3-pointer at the 2:08 mark to give them the lead for good.
Alyssa Thomas led the Sun with 17 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. Tiffany Hayes added 15 and Carrington scored 14 off the bench. After allowing 37 points in the first quarter of its Game 3 loss Friday night, Connecticut offered considerably more resistance in this first quarter of Game 4. The Sun leaned on Thomas to take a 23-19 lead to the second quarter as she finished with eight points, five rebounds and four assists. Connecticut pushed its lead to 33-23 at the 6:16 mark of the second quarter when Thomas set up Hayes for a 3-pointer. New York made its run shortly thereafter, scoring the final six points of the quarter and taking a 45-44 halftime lead on Sabrina Ionescu's layup.
The Liberty led by 11 on two occasions late in the third quarter as Jones heated up for seven quick points, including a 3-pointer. Jones then fed Laney for a layup that made the margin 66-58 going to the fourth period.
DETROIT--Spencer Torkelson's three-run home run capped a seven-run, seventh-inning outburst, and the host Detroit Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-3 victory on Thursday.
TURIN-- Arkadiusz Milik's 57th-minute goal secured Juventus a 1-0 home victory over Lecce on Tuesday, moving them up to second in the Serie A standings.
CHICAGO--Corbin Carroll hit a two-run double to support 5 2/3 shutout innings from Brandon Pfaadt as the Arizona Diamondbacks bolstered their wild-card chances with a 3-0 win against the host Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Arizona (84-74) lowered to three its magic number for clinching a National League wild-card spot with four games to play. Despite outhitting Arizona 8-4, Chicago lost for the fifth time in seven games to fall to 60-98. The White Sox must win three of their four remaining games to avoid the franchise's first 100-loss season since 2018. Arizona has won 10 straight games against Chicago dating to 2014, the longest streak against an American League opponent in franchise history. A three-run third inning Wednesday propelled the Diamondbacks to their latest victory in the interleague series. After retiring the first seven Arizona hitters, White Sox starter Luis Patino allowed five straight baserunners while uncorking a wild pitch, leading to three Diamondbacks runs. Carroll's two-run double put Arizona on the board, and Tommy Pham singled two batters later to drive home Ketel Marte, who reached on a walk. The support proved plenty for Pfaadt (3-8), who won for the second time in three starts after spacing five hits and eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Luis Frias, Andrew Saalfrank, Ryan Thompson and Paul Sewald followed with 3 1/3 innings of three-hit, six-strikeout relief. Sewald earned his 34th save to complete Arizona's second shutout in Chicago this month. The Diamondbacks blanked the host Cubs 1-0 on Sept. 8. Eloy Jimenez, Andrew Vaughn and Lenyn Sosa doubled for the White Sox. Trayce Thompson, Jimenez and Sosa each had two hits. Chicago was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Patino (0-1) scattered three runs and three hits in 2 1/3 innings, with two walks and three strikeouts. Arizona's Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was scratched from the lineup with left shoulder discomfort.
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (88) hits a two run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. (John Jones-USA TODAY Sports.)
BRONX --Estevan Florial hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the eighth inning as the host New York Yankees rallied three times Monday afternoon in a 6-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
