Chicago 87, Sacramento 77 (F)

CHICAGO, May 22 (AP) -- Armintie Price scored a career-high 22 points and the Chicago Sky won their home opener, 87-77 over the Sacramento Monarchs on Thursday night.

"Armintie realized that she's more than an athlete,'' Chicago coach Steven Key said. "She can play basketball and her shot is coming along. She's the first one (at practice) and the last one to leave.''

Price, who received her 2007 Rookie of the Year award before the game, added four assists and three steals.

"I can jump and pass, but I'm a professional athlete just like everybody else,'' Price said. "I have to be able to step up and knock down shots when they pass it to me.''

Candice Dupree had 22 points, four assists and three steals for Chicago (1-1). Dominique Canty scored 14, while rookie Sylvia Fowles had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Sky.

Chicago shot 57.1 percent from the field and had 21 fast-break points.

Rebekkah Brunson had 16 points for Sacramento (1-2), which committed 21 turnovers, leading to 30 points for the Sky. The Monarchs have committed 45 turnovers in its last two games, both losses.

"It's definitely something that we have to improve on,'' Brunson said. "In both games we kind of suffered from our turnovers and enabled them to have a lot of fast-break points.''

Kara Lawson scored 13 points, Nicole Powell and Ticha Penicheiro both added 12 points and Adrian Williams-Strong added 10 for the Monarchs.

Sacramento used a 7-0 run to cut its deficit to five with six minutes left in the final quarter but Chicago responded with consecutive baskets from Jia Perkins and Price for a 71-62 lead.

The Monarchs were down seven after Powell hit a 3-pointer but layups from Price and Chasity Melvin gave Chicago a 77-66 lead with 2:14 remaining.

The Sky had a 42-33 halftime lead, thanks to a dominating second-quarter performance by Fowles. The second overall pick of the 2008 draft asserted herself on both ends of the court when she blocked Laura Harper's shot and converted a layup on the other end.

Fowles is "a presence in the paint as much as anybody in this league,'' Monarchs coach Jenny Boucek said. "She can make you a little sheepish in there.''

On the following possession, Fowles stole the ball and found a streaking Price for a layup to put the Sky up 26-20 with 7:40 left in the quarter. Fowles had four points, three blocks, two steals and three rebounds in the quarter.