Angel Reese’sChicago Sky finally managed to shake off the dominance of Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. With a phenomenal performance by the Chi-Barbie, the Sky achieved a tight 88-87 victory over the Fever, who blew a 13-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
The game began with a timid dominance by the Sky at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Both Reese and Clark assumed their respective roles, with Chicago’s forward attacking the basket and defending the board, while the Fever’s guard began distributing scoring passes to her teammates.
Until then, the game was back and forth. Chennedy Carter, for the locals, and the visiting Aliyah Boston collaborated in the offense of their respective teams. The first period ended with a slim 28-26 lead for the Sky.
Head coach Christie Sides made the necessary adjustments to her team. Clark continued to attack from long range as Boston and Kelsey Mitchell penetrated Chicago’s paint. Carter and Reese kept their team in the fight, and Kamilla Cardoso provided the necessary push in the paint for Indiana.
The Fever turned the score around and ended the first half up on the scoreboard by just one point, 46-45. Carter and Mitchell led their teams’ offense, with 15 and 10 points, respectively.
The second half was a roller coaster
Although Chicago regained the lead at the start of the third quarter, midway through the period, things took a dramatic turn. Clark gave up shooting the basket a little and began to distribute the game to her teammates. With this tactic, the Fever accumulated a lead of 15 points and closed the period 72-59 up.
It looked like the fourth quarter would follow the same script as the third quarter. However, Chicago slowly tightened the screws, causing Indiana to despair at not being able to get to the basket. With desperation came errors, and the Sky took the opportunity to sink their teeth.
Coach Teresa Weatherspoon won the strategic duel against Sides, and her team nullified the rival’s advantage with 3:10 minutes left. With the game tied at 84, both teams were overcome by the desire to win. However, in the end, Chicago got the best of it.
To the euphoria of the fans gathered at Wintrust Arena, Chicago took the lead with less than a minute and a half left on the clock. Despite the Fever’s attempts, the locals did not give up the advantage and won 88-87.
The final statistics
Mitchell was the visitors’ best scorer, with 24 points and two assists. Boston contributed 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Clark finished with 17 points, six rebounds, and 13 assists.
The locals were led by Reese with 25 points and 16 rebounds. Carter put 23 points on the scoreboard, pulled down two rebounds, and passed five that ended in the basket. Cardoso contributed 16 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.
This was Angel Reese’s eighth double-double of the season, a WNBA record.
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