The Chicago Sky is trying to rely on its first victory of the season when they fight the Dallas Wings and the choice of draft No. 1 Paige Bueckers on Saturday in Arlington, Texas, for the second half of their home series.
The Sky (1-4) won the first match with a 97-92 victory Thursday in the city of Windy behind a 23-point career summit by Kamilla Cardoso and 17 from Ariel Atkins. Chicago scored the last six points of the match to survive a back and forth competition in which there were seven links and 16 head changes.
“In the section, each possession is important, obviously, offensively and defensively,” said Chicago’s first -year coach Tyler Marsh. “Our shooters have detached themselves at crucial moments, and the players have done their job.”
Courtney Vandersloot had 13 points for the sky to overcome his spouse, Allie Quigley, as the best marker of all time in the franchise with 3,728 points. Vandersloot, who is in his 11th year with the team, directs the book of records in points, assists, flights, goals on the ground and minutes.
Arike Ogunbowale of Dallas led all the scorers on Thursday with 37 points, but the Wings (1-5) could not do it at the end. Bueckers and Dijonai Carrington added 15 points each for Dallas and Myisha Hines-Allinen in size 10. Bueckers appreciated her best overall performance in her brief professional career when she added eight assists, five rebounds, three interceptions and three blocks in 36 minutes.
The Wings entered Thursday’s match – the last of a four -game road trip – asking for their first sequence of victories of the season after defeating the Connecticut 109-87 on Tuesday.
“It seemed that our chemistry takes a little step (forward during the trip), but that’s still not where we want it to be,” said Ogunbowale. “We must definitely bounce better. I think, especially in this first trimester, this kind of tone. Chicago felt good, so we have somehow had to go back.”
The 37 Ogunbowale points equaled Kelsey Plum from Los Angeles for the most by a WNBA player this season.
– field level media