The Chicago Sky took on the Indiana Fever for the second time this season. The Sky were without Elizabeth Williams, who is out with a meniscus injury. There were also changes to the starting lineup, with Chennedy Carter and Lindsay Allen being added to the lineup.
These two teams will see each other two more times after this matchup. Both matchups will take place in Chicago, with one of the games happening this month on June 23.
Game Recap
Both teams took turns making shots before Indiana extended their lead on a 7-0 run. Chicago then went on their own 7-0 run to tie the game 15-15. The Sky was beasting on the glass for second chance opportunities. They had eight offensive rebounds while Indiana had a total of nine rebounds.
The second quarter was all about runs as both teams went on several scoring runs. Every time one team went on a run, the other team answered with a run of their own. Both teams came to play and never allowed the game to get out of hand.
Nalyssa Smith brought a lot of energy on both ends of the floor, however, she picked up three fouls in 25 seconds which forced her to the bench early. Her being off the floor allowed Chicago to attack Indiana in the paint and get easy buckets at the rim.
The Sky went on a 12-2 run to start the third quarter, with Marina Mabrey accounting for eight points. She scored 10 points in the quarter and only missed one shot. The Fever responded with an 11-4 run while the fouls started piling up for Chicago.
Despite Indiana gaining momentum, Chicago was not going away as they continued putting pressure on the Fever and getting to the free-throw line. However, it was only in the last few minutes of the game that Indiana started to pull away. They continued to get stops and make timely shots. They also held the Sky to just one offensive rebound in the second half.
The late-game execution bug continued to bite Chicago as they got lost on defense a few times, allowing Smith and Boston to get some easy layups. The game was within three with less than a minute left but Indiana closed the game on a 5-0, final score of 91-83.
Caitlin Clark led the Fever with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 blocks. She is the first rookie in WNBA history to finish a game with these numbers in a single game. She is also the first rookie with 15+ PTS, 5+ RBS, and 5+ AST in five games since Breanna Stewart in 2016.
Aliyah Boston finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds along with 5 blocks. It is safe to say Boston is back. Kelsey Mitchell finished with 17 points, and Nalyssa Smith finished with 15 points along with 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Marina Mabrey led the Sky with 22 points. Chennedy Carter finished with 18 points. Dana Evans finished with 12 points. Kamilla Cardoso finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Angel Reese finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds, her sixth straight double-double which ties Cindy Brown and Tina Charles for the most consecutive double-doubles by a rookie in league history. She also led the team in assists with five.
Photo Courtesy: @IndianaFever/X
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