The Chicago Sky look to build on their first win of the season when they battle the Dallas Wings without No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers on Saturday in Arlington, Texas, for the second half of their home-and-home series.
Bueckers, who enjoyed the finest all-around performance of her brief pro career when she posted 15 points, eight assists, five rebounds, three steals and three blocks on Thursday in Chicago’s 97-92 home win, was placed into concussion protocol on Friday and will not be available Saturday as she must miss at least two games.
The Sky (1-4) captured the first game of the home-and-home set thanks to a career-high 23 points by Kamilla Cardoso and 17 from Ariel Atkins. Chicago scored the game’s final six points to survive a back-and-forth contest in which there were seven ties and 16 lead changes.
“Down the stretch, every possession matters, obviously, offensively and defensively,” said Chicago first-year coach Tyler Marsh. “Our shooters got loose at crucial moments, and so the players did their job.”
Courtney Vandersloot had 13 points for the Sky to surpass her spouse, Allie Quigley, as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 3,728 points. Vandersloot, who’s in her 11th year with the team, heads the Sky record book in points, assists, steals, field goals and minutes.
Dallas’ Arike Ogunbowale led all scorers Thursday with 37 points, but the Wings (1-5) couldn’t get it done in the end. DiJonai Carrington added 15 points and Myisha Hines-Allen chipped in 10.
The Wings entered Thursday’s game — the last of a four-game road trip — seeking their first winning streak of the season after beating Connecticut 109-87 on Tuesday.
“It looked like our chemistry took a little step (forward on the trip), but it’s still not where we want it to be,” Ogunbowale said. “We definitely have to rebound better. I think, especially in that first quarter, that kind of set the tone. Chicago was feeling good, then we kind of had to claw back.”
Ogunbowale’s 37 points equaled Los Angeles’ Kelsey Plum for the most by a WNBA player this season.
–Field Level Media
