After opening the WNBA preseason with a win against the New York Liberty on May 22nd in Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center, the Sky travel to Connecticut for two final preseason matchups before returning home to Allstate Arena to begin the 2015 regular season. Looking to continue their preseason success, Chicago will travel to Connecticut for a two –game tournament. The first contest of the tournament is set for May 27th at 4:00 p.m. against the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Sky are looking to build off their first preseason contest in which Chicago defeated New York 83-55 behind Elena Delle Donne’s 16 points and 8 rebounds. The Sky pulled away from the Liberty in the second quarter on a 16-0 run sparked by Delle Donne, Tamera Young and Jacki Gemelos. The Sky carried a 12-point lead into halftime and put the game out of reach by outscoring the Liberty 22-12 in the fourth quarter.
The Sparks are coming off of a 2014 season in which they went 16-18, finishing fourth in the Western Conference. Los Angeles advanced to the WNBA playoffs, only to lose in the Western Conference Semifinals to the eventual WNBA champions, Phoenix Mercury. The Sparks roster has changed significantly, as six players from last year’s team are currently not with the Sparks, including 2-time WNBA MVP (2008, 2013) Candace Parker and fellow starter Kristi Toliver. The LA Sparks do return two-time WNBA All-Star and the 2012 WNBA Rookie of the Year, Nneka Ogwumike.
The Sky is 6-12 vs. the Sparks all-time and 2-7 in away games. However, the Sky and Sparks have the split the last six games they have played, with each team winning three a piece. The most recent matchup between the two teams occurred on July 1, 2014 in which the Sky defeated the Sparks 90-83 in Los Angeles. The Sky won the last matchup without two starters, Delle Donne (illness) and Courtney Vandersloot (injury). Jamierra Faulkner led the Sky with a career-high 27 points and Jessica Breeland added a double-double to help the shorthanded Sky defeat the Sparks for the sixth time in team history.
The Sky and the Sparks will face off at 4:00 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT on May 27th. The Sky will then round out preseason play with a contest against the Chinese National Team at 5:00 p.m. on the 28th. The team’s roster will be finalized to 12 players by June 4th and the Sky will open up the 2015 season on June 5th in Allstate Arena against the Indiana Fever.