SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Jennifer Azzi's play has picked up and so
have the Utah Starzz.
Azzi scored 17 points and had eight assists as the Starzz
snapped a two-game losing streak with a 69-57 victory over the
Sacramento Monarchs on Saturday.
"We are playing better and better as a team," Azzi said.
"When others are playing well, that is when I play well, and we
feed a lot off of each other, especially today."
Margo Dydek had a season-high 14 rebounds, 10 points and eight
blocked shots for the Starzz, who set a team record with 12 blocks.
"Margo did an incredible job, especially in the second half, of
altering people's shots and deterring anything that came to her,"
said Natalie Williams, who had 12 points and eight rebounds.
Rookie Marie Ferdinand also had 12 points as the Starzz avenged
a 69-67 loss to the Monarchs in Sacramento on Thursday.
"We played them tough up there in Sacramento but we didn't come
up with a win," Ferdinand said. "We wanted to come out and finish
what we didn't finish there."
The Starzz outrebounded the Monarchs 35-25.
"There were a lot of times we didn't get back defensively and
they got a lot of easy baskets and controlled the boards," said
Yolanda Griffith, who led Sacramento with 18 points and nine
rebounds.
The Starzz, trying to move into the last Western Conference
playoff spot, pulled within one game of fourth-place Portland,
which has lost three straight.
The Monarchs, who had won seven of their last eight, lost for
only the second time since Maura McHugh took over as coach when
Sonny Allen retired on June 25.
Kedra Holland-Corn scored 11 of her 16 points in the second half
for Sacramento. She hit back-to-back 3-pointers shortly after
halftime to pull the Monarchs within 42-41.
The Starzz responded with a 19-4 run, pushing the lead to 61-45,
their largest of the game. Azzi, who was 2-for-3 from 3-point
range, had a 3-pointer and a basket during that burst.
"We didn't have any energy on offense or defense," McHugh
said. "Anytime we made a run, they had an answer for it and we
just were not sharp."
Utah also used a 14-0 run late in the first half to build a
36-28 halftime lead. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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ALSO SEE
WNBA Scoreboard
Sacramento team page
Utah team page
Starzz coach Williams quits, saying it's 'time for a change'
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