Chicago vs. Indiana Fever One of the league’s most anticipated WNBA matches, Sky, did not let fans down on Sunday. The game, which had the most expensive WNBA seats ever, finished with the Sky prevailing 88-87 following an exciting comeback in the second half. It happened barely a week after the Fever defeated the Sky 91-83. This Sunday’s first half saw seven ties and eight lead changes between the two sides, making it an extremely close game. In the second half, both teams increased their lead, but only for a short while. Chicago started the second half strongly, going on a 9-0 run to take the lead, but the Fever soon closed the deficit.
Indiana started to have the upper hand as the third quarter came to an end, leading by as many as fifteen points. However, Chicago came on strong in the closing stages to cut that lead in half going into the fourth. With three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Sky managed to claw their way back to an 82-82 tie. In the last minute, with the score level at 84-84, Chicago took the lead thanks to a game-winning layup made by Angel Reese. Due to a string of missed Chicago free shots in the final seconds, Indiana had multiple chances to reclaim the lead, but the Sky managed to hold on for the victory.
The best rookies in Indiana and Chicago, Caitlin Clark and Reese, respectively, each recorded a double-double, though in different ways. Reese finished with a career-high 25 points and 16 rebounds, while Clark finished with 17 points and 13 assists. Reese became just the third player in the league to attain the milestone and extended her record as the only rookie to have eight consecutive double-doubles. Aliyah Boston received seven of Clark’s assists and finished with eighteen points. With 24, guard Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever in scoring, shooting 5-for-10 from beyond the arc.
In terms of points scored, Reese led the Sky. Chennedy Carter had a huge game, scoring 23 points and dishing out five assists. The other rookie for Sky, Kamilla Cardoso, also recorded a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The Fever, who play the Seattle Storm on Thursday, have lost their last four games. Their loss to the Sky on Sunday ends that run. But Chicago will welcome the boost in confidence ahead of their game on Thursday night against the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces, who are rising after a sluggish start to the campaign. On August 30, the Sky will host a home game between Indiana and Chicago for the fourth and final time this season. In the season series, Indiana is up 2-1.
