After a come-from-behind 70-66 victory to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Chicago Sky will face off against the Los Angeles Sparks in Game 4 in an attempt to force the series to a fifth and deciding game.
After two losses in LA, the Sky’s defense stepped up in Game 3 to shut down the Sparks in the second half, holding them to just eight points in the third quarter. In Chicago’s lowest-scoring game of the playoffs thus far, they were able to hold Los Angeles off on offensive. The Sparks connected on only six of their 33 three-point attempts. Candace Parker, who averaged 25.0 points in the first two games of the series, was held to nine points on 3-of-14 shooting. She recorded game-highs 15 rebounds and six assists. The 2016 WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike led all scorers with 22 points and nine rebounds.
Courtney Vandersloot and Imani Boyette scored Chicago’s final 10 points of the game which extended the Sky’s lead to six with 7.1 seconds left. With the score sitting at 66-64 with 45.5 seconds in the fourth quarter, Boyette secured a rebound off a Kristi Toliver miss which resulted in a pull-up jumper for Vandersloot to seal the win. Vandersloot led the Sky in scoring with 17 points while Boyette finished with a personal playoff best performance of 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Game 4 of the semifinal series between Chicago and Los Angeles will take place on Tuesday, October 4 at Allstate Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CDT and will be aired on ESPN2. Secure your seats for Game 4 by calling 866.SKY.WNBA or visit CHICAGOSKY.NET.