Chicago Sky Notches Second Win

Last Saturday night with the Chicago Sky in San Antonio, I ordered a pizza and settled in to watch them play the Stars on The U Too. The Sky was 1-7 in 11th place and trying to find their groove. The Stars were 0-8 in last place trying to find a win. Despite the records, at least I thought it would be an exciting game…and it was.

The Sky jumped out to an early lead, but the Stars caught and passed the Sky to lead 40-37 at half time. The Sky did not give up though. The teams battled right down to the final buzzer, which actually just signaled the end of regulation, because this game went into overtime. The Sky picked up the 85-81 win to notch their second win of the season.

One of the highlights was Stefanie Dolson scoring her 1,000th career point with a free throw in overtime. Additionally, Dolson led all scorers with 25 points. Sky Coach Amber Sparks spoke on Dolson, “Stefanie [Dolson] is an experienced player. It should be highlighted that she scored her 1,000th point as a WNBA star. Stefanie is a very focused, driven and disciplined professional. She knows how to read the defense well and knows how to screen for her teammates. One reason she gets so wide open is because she sets good screens.”

Winning it in overtime and Dolson’s career milestone were certainly positives taken from the game. Unfortunately, a glaring negative was the 22 turnovers the Sky committed. The Stars also crushed the Sky 36-22 in points in the paint. Those numbers needs to be cut down dramatically for the Sky to hang with the top teams (or even the ones in the middle of the standings).

On the other hand, the Sky edged out the Stars 37-36 in rebounds and 6-1 in blocks. They also were more accurate, hitting 55.4% of their field goal attempts compared to 40.2% for the Stars.

The 2-7 start has been disappointing, but one tough win like this means a lot. Coach Sparks stated, “Every win helps not just our confidence but any teams. Every win helps every team’s confidence or mojo. It is hard to get road wins in this league. It’s nice to win, especially on the road. Both of our wins have been on the road and I am proud of my team and their fight.”

Will this win turn around the season? I don’t see a 180 degree turn, but it can be a big step in that direction. Next Saturday, the Sky play the Mercury in Phoenix. The 6th place 5-4 Mercury will be a good test for the Sky. A win or even a solid game on the road will be another big step in making this season successful for the Sky.