For the third time this season, the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky went head-to-head on national television. This time, the game took place in Chicago. Indiana wanted to extend their winning streak while Chicago looked to get their second straight win.
Game Recap
The Fever and Sky competing against each other is like a blockbuster movie because the fans are always hyped. It was a back and forth game as both teams took turns making shots. There were two matchups in particular that stood out: Aliyah Boston vs Kamila Cardoso and NaLyssa Smith vs Angel Reese.
Diamond DeShields came off the bench and was active on both ends of the floor. She kept the ball out of Clark's hands and even blocked her layup attempt. DeShields then hit a three on the other end to give Chicago the lead.
Indiana started to gain some momentum by going on a 13-3 run. The Clark-Boston duo was in full effect as Clark fed the ball to Boston on three straight possessions which led to six points. She scored eight points all in the second quarter.
Chicago retook the lead on an 8-0 run before both teams took turns making shots to keep the game close. Chennedy Carter had 15 points in the first half to lead all scorers, shooting 85.7% from the field. Chicago had 22 points in the paint to Indiana's 18 (14 in the second quarter).
The momentum for Chicago continued as they began the third quarter on a 7-0 run. They led by six before Indiana went on a 24-3 run to lead by 15 which was the largest of the game for either team.
It seemed like the Fever were going to blow the game before the Sky closed the quarter on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 8. They started getting to the free throw line as the fouls on Indiana started piling up. Clark picked up three fouls in the quarter alone after having none in the first half.
The game got even more interesting as Chicago went on a 20-4 run to retake the lead. The Fever's offense became stagnant and they could not stop the Sky from getting to the rim. Smith and Reese continued going at each other, with Reese winning the battle.
It was a four point game with 27 seconds left before Boston hit a three to make it a one point game. Marina Mabrey was fouled with a chance to extend the lead to three. She missed them both which gave Indiana a chance to win the game.
Unfortunately, they missed both chances at the rim and the Sky pulled out the win 88-87. The season series is now 2-1, with the final matchup of the season taking place on August 30 in Chicago.
Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 24 points. Aliyah Boston finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal. Caitlin Clark finished with 17 points, six rebounds, 13 assists (career-high) and four steals. Nalyssa Smith finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and a block.
Chennedy Carter finished with 23 points on 66.7% FG and five assists. Kamilla Cardoso finished with a double-double consisting of 16 points on 77.8% FG and 10 rebounds.
Chi-Town Barbie
Angel Reese finished with a career-high 25 points on 66.7% FG and 16 rebounds. She is also the first rookie since A'ja Wilson to put up that statline. Reese extends the rookie record of consecutive double-doubles, which she broke in the previous game against Dallas.
She joins Wilson as the only WNBA players with multiple 15+ point, 15+ rebound performances this season. Both players occupy the top two spots in rebounds per game.
Angel Reese was the reason Chicago came back from a 15-point deficit to win the game. She scored seven points in the third quarter (four within the last 30 seconds of the third quarter).
Reese then proceeded to score 10 points in the fourth quarter, only missing one shot. She was aggressive on both ends of the floor, winning the battle against Nalyssa Smith. After the game when asked about her performance, she said "I'm a dog. You can't teach that."
Photo Courtesy: @chicagosky/X
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