The Chicago Sky took on the Seattle Storm in the second of three meetings this season. The first meeting took place on May 28, with the Storm taking the win 77-68.
The Storm got off to a quick start by getting Chicago into early foul trouble. One of Seattle’s strengths is their ability to draw fouls and get to the free-throw line. They led by as many as eight and made six free throws.
Chicago eventually found their rhythm on the offensive end and managed to take their first lead of the game at the end of the first quarter. Chennedy Carter had eight points in the quarter as she continues to be the spark that gets the team going.
It was a back-and-forth game in the second quarter until Seattle went on an 8-0 run to go back up eight. Chicago answered with a 10-4 run to cut the lead to two at the end of the first half. During the run, Angel Reese hit her first WNBA career three-pointer. She would hit another one in the second half.
Just like the second quarter, the third quarter showcased back-and-forth action. Only this time, it was the Sky that went on the run to increase the lead. Carter scored 11 points in the third quarter, which played a huge part in Chicago’s run.
One of the things that stood out about the way Chicago played in the third quarter was that it was done without Reese. She sat out the majority of the quarter due to picking up her third and fourth fouls early. Despite not having her presence on the floor, the Sky prevailed and won the quarter 30-22.
The Sky continued to maintain the lead in the fourth quarter despite the Storm chipping away. They increased their lead to nine, which was the largest of the game. It looked like Chicago would run away with the win until Seattle cut it to 2 thanks to a 7-0 run.
Once again, Chicago found themselves in a situation where they needed to execute down the stretch to get the win. Seattle almost had a chance to get the ball back on what would have been a Sky turnover. The officials ruled it as out of bounds with Chicago retaining possession, and head coach Noelle Quinn challenged it.
The challenge was unsuccessful, so Seattle was forced to foul. The Sky have had their struggles with late-game free throws, so the pressure was on them to make them both. Angel Reese was sent to the free throw line where she made both.
It was a two-possession game, but Jewell Loyd was fouled on a three-point attempt. She had a chance to cut the lead to one but went ⅔ at the line. Reese was fouled again and sinked them both which essentially ended the game.
Jordan Horston led the Storm with 20 points on 72.7% FG along with six rebounds. Nneka Ogwumike finished with 16 points. Skylar Diggins-Smith finished with 12 points and led the team with nine assists. Jewell Loyd finished with 13 points, and five assists and led the team with three steals
Ezi Magbegor finished with 13 points and led the team with eight rebounds. She set a career-high with eight blocks. She is the first player to have eight blocks in a game since Elizabeth Williams in 2019. She continues to show why she should have been an all-star this season and why she is the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year.
Chennedy Carter finished with 33 points (two shy of her career-high) on 62.5% FG. She also had three steals. Angel Reese finished with a career-high 27 points on 61.5% FG and 10 rebounds. With her 12th double-double, that tied Candace Parker’s record for the most consecutive double-doubles.
Photo Courtesy: @chicagosky/X
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