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Han Xu delivered a career-best performance as the New York Liberty responded to a heavy defeat by beating the Chicago Sky 85-66 on Saturday.
The Liberty entered the game after being held to a season-low 60 points in a 79-60 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Friday. They quickly found their rhythm against Chicago, connecting on 11 three-pointers and converting 20 of 22 free-throw attempts.
Breanna Stewart contributed 13 points and nine rebounds for New York, which improved to 24-16. Leonie Fiebich, Rebekah Gardner and Jonquel Jones each added 11 points.
Natasha Cloud led Chicago with 14 points, while Sydney Taylor finished with 13. The Sky fell to 15-25 following the loss.
Han was particularly effective in the fourth quarter, scoring seven of her 19 points to establish a new career high. Her previous best was 17 points, which she recorded on Aug. 1 during a 94-92 win over the Phoenix Mercury.
The 6-foot-11 center from China finished the game shooting 6 of 8 from the field, including 2 of 3 from three-point range. She was also perfect at the free-throw line, making all five of her attempts.
Han returned to the WNBA this season after last playing in the league in 2023. She is averaging 6.1 points per game.
Elsewhere, the Phoenix Mercury ended a four-game losing streak with a dominant 101-69 victory over Toronto.
Noemie Brochart and Shay Ciezki each scored 15 points as six Phoenix players reached double figures. The 32-point victory was the Mercury's second-largest margin of the season, behind their 99-66 win over Las Vegas in the season opener.
Sami Whitcomb added 14 points, while reserve players Marta Suarez and Maddy Westbeld scored 13 and 12 respectively. Lexi Held contributed 11 points for Phoenix, which improved to 14-26.
Alyssa Thomas also played a key role by recording 12 assists. It marked the 11th game this season in which she has finished with at least 10 assists.
The Mercury's commanding performance provided a much-needed response after their recent struggles and ended their four-game slide in convincing fashion.
