Quick Three: Sky 92 Wings 77
Chicago delivers one of their most dominant performances of the season as a perfect response to losing Angel Reese for the rest of the season.
While many thought the sky might be falling after Angel Reese’s season-ending injury was announced Saturday, the teams response in this afternoon’s win against Dallas suggests there might still be life left in their playoff push. That’s not to say that today’s performance shows the Sky don’t need Reese (much the opposite actually), but this game was certainly another example of what this Chicago team can achieve when their back is against the wall. Their big win plus Atlanta and Washington’s losses today means they have more breathing room, but the playoffs (as the old cliche says) have very much already started for Chicago—with the challenge for Teresa Weatherspoon moving forward being maintaining this level all throughout the final 5 games. Let’s dive into all that went well to trigger today’s victory—with a special emphasis on a couple of players that stood out.
1. Carter’s extra aggressiveness inspires up tempo start.
Chennedy Carter is always aggressive and, at least since she moved into the starting line-up, she’s always been the Sky’s offensive tempo setter. Even then, the aggressiveness she showed at the offensive end in today’s first quarter was seemingly 10-20% more than what we’ve seen from her in the past. That extra spark didn’t just give Chicago a bright offensive focal point; it also injected a breakneck pace into everything Carter did in the first quarter—with that energy quickly permeating to the rest of the team. Soon after Carter scored Chicago’s first three field goals, Isabelle Harrison finished with a fantastic post move, Michaela Onyenwere looked off Satou Sabally to hit a smooth shot from the perimeter and Lindsay Allen shook Jacy Sheldon with a rare bit of flair.
After those scores, Chicago had already built a 21-12 edge midway through the first quarter, and the lead never slipped below nine again after that early run. In a situation where the Sky could’ve folded under the pressure of chasing a playoff berth without Reese, Carter—as she’s done without fail this season—understood her assignment and lifted those around her. Her teammates, of course, deserve credit for rising to the occasion in supporting her, and there’s very little that I’d imagine Weatherspoon would want to change from a first quarter her players’ efforts wound up winning 33-19.
2. Ball movement leads to 50-point half, 90-point win.
Carter’s aggressiveness and unmatched ability to get to the bucket may have gotten things rolling, but the team’s ability to work together and move the basketball was what allowed them to keep pushing forward offensively throughout the game. The Sky finished with 19 assists but they moved the ball even better than that solid (but far from staggering) total suggests. Carter and Allen were both aggressive attacking the paint and carefully created off of those drives, and the second, third and fourth passes in the half court were equally impressive in generating good looks. The Sky’s three-point chances were of particularly high-quality as inside-out passes from Harrison and aggressive skip passes by Dana Evans regularly got teammates open. The Sky shot a solid 5/13 (38.5%) from three, but they’ll feel that they can make even more of those if their teamwork continues to generate the types of looks it did tonight.
On the break, Chicago also shared the ball well and the result was a dominant 23-14 edge over the Wings in fast-break scoring. That intentionality getting out in transition was key to the victory overall and was, again, largely inspired by Carter and Evans as they got in the mix for rebounds (4 each today) and pushed the tempo with their world-class pace when opportunities arose. Others ran the floor well with them, and it felt like a return to the Sky’s early season identity where the offensive foundation was always built on transition scores. The more fast-break chances and ball-movement in Chicago’s offense over these final five games the better the offense should be overall.
3. Former Wings shine with elevated roles.
Harrison finally made her first Sky start after signing to be the team’s starting power forward back at the start of 2023, and she delivered on everything she’s been known to be at past stops and in her offseason work in Athletes Unlimited. Her offensive game looked sharp (21 points, 9/18 FG), and she put her full display of post moves and mid-range shooting ability on display—with Carter and the Sky’s other slashers benefitting from the extra space left behind when she stepped out. Meanwhile, she had some really bright moments at the defensive end (9 boards, 2 steals, 1 block)—providing an important reminder that she’s a high-end defensive player not just a scorer.
Another former Wing, Evans, was similarly impressive in the 21 minutes a bright first-quarter earned her after Friday night’s unexpected DNP. As suggested above, she produced plenty of good looks for teammates with her playmaking and should’ve finished with more than 1 assist, but she was able to impact the game in a number of other areas anyways. She scored 11 points—giving the Sky five players in double figures—and her defensive impact was much more like the one that Chicago fans have become familiar with over the years. Evans has had her ups and downs this season, but there’s no doubt that it would’ve been much more difficult for the Sky to start like they did today without her energy and long-range shot-making. And speaking of that shot-making, Evans has quietly crept up to 38.5% from three for the season—making 2024 her most efficient WNBA season as a regular player. More impressively, she’s shooting 46.2% on 2.6 threes per game since the Olympic break—even with her role looking different each and every night. No matter where the Sky land on Evans’ future this offseason (and it sure feels likely that she’ll depart in free agency) this second half has been a testament to her professionalism and ability to stay ready.
Brianna Turner, while not a former Wing, also deserves a mention for her performance in an elevated role today after struggling to find playing time all season. With more minutes on the way in the games ahead, I anticipate this won’t be the last time I hone in on her unique all-around impact.