The Chicago Sky opens up a four-game homestand when the New York Liberty comes to town on Friday, July 8 for a 7:30 p.m. CDT matchup.
The Sky and Liberty played a closely contested game during their first meeting this season on June 24. The Sky outscored the Liberty in the third (17-12) and fourth (22-18) quarters but was unable to complete the comeback, as the Liberty held on to win 80-79. Elena Delle Donne led the Sky with 31 points and eight rebounds. Cappie Pondexter contributed 20 points, with Courtney Vandersloot adding nine points and a career-high five steals. Delle Donne and Pondexter combined for 31 of Chicago’s 40 first half points, and a total of 65 percent of the points overall. Tina Charles paced New York, recording a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds. The Liberty outscored the Sky in the paint by a margin of 42-22.
New York currently sits atop the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 13-6, while Chicago is currently fourth with a 7-10 record. The Sky is looking to bounce back from an 87-82 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday. The back-and-forth contest featured 18 lead changes and 10 ties. Delle Donne led the Sky with a season-high 38 points and 10 rebounds, shooting an efficient 73 percent from the field and 83 percent from beyond the arc. Vandersloot went down in the first quarter with an ankle injury; Jamierra Faulkner came off the bench to run the offense, contributing a season-high 18 points and seven assists. Maya Moore led the Lynx, adding 33 points, six rebounds and three steals in the win. Minnesota held Chicago to 39 percent from the field to win its 29th straight game when holding the opponent to under 40 percent shooting.
New York is facing a quick turnaround after playing the Seattle Storm on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. The Liberty led by as many as 18 points in the first half, but the Storm rallied to bring the game back within two points with just over two minutes left to play. New York prevailed over Seattle 78-74. Tanisha Wright scored a season-high 18 points and added five assists. Charles contributed 18 points and six rebounds for New York, thus ending her streak of 20-point games at nine. The Liberty has relied heavily on Charles this season, as she leads the WNBA with 410 points and 22.8 points per game.
Tip-off between the Sky and Liberty is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, July 8 at Allstate Arena. The Sky will welcome the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, July 10 at 5 p.m. CDT. Tickets start as low as $18. Call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit CHICAGOSKY.NET to purchase tickets today.