Chicago City Wire

The Chicago Sky faced a challenging match against the Phoenix Mercury, resulting in a 94-89 defeat on May 27 at PHX Arena. The Sky initially led, maintaining a 16-point advantage during the third quarter and entering the fourth with a score of 71-67. However, the Mercury's strong performance in the final quarter turned the tide, as they outscored the Sky 27-16.

Phoenix regained their lead for the first time since early in the game with just over seven minutes left and maintained it to secure victory. Despite this setback, Chicago showed promise by shooting 46.5% from the field and outrebounding Phoenix 42-30. All five starters for Chicago scored in double figures.

Ariel Atkins topped all scorers with 21 points, alongside six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. Courtney Vandersloot and Angel Reese both achieved double-doubles; Reese recorded 13 points and 15 rebounds while Vandersloot contributed 15 points and 11 assists.

Kamilla Cardoso was pivotal in keeping Chicago competitive in the fourth quarter by scoring ten of her total 16 points during that period. She also added nine rebounds, four assists, and a block to her performance. Kia Nurse scored 14 points with a season-high four three-pointers, while Elizabeth Williams added eight points off the bench.

For Phoenix, Satou Sabally led with 20 points while Kitija Laksa contributed an additional 18 from the bench. Alyssa Thomas came close to a triple-double with ten points, fifteen assists, and seven rebounds.

The Sky's efforts demonstrated improvement compared to recent games. They will seek to build on these positive aspects when they host the Dallas Wings this Thursday.