The Sky defeated the Washington Mystics after a 26 point third quarter explosion

The Sky defeated the Washington Mystics after a 26 point third quarter explosion

After a touching tribute to one of the WNBAs greatest players ever, Ticha Penicheiro, the Sky ended her career in proper fashion with a 77-58 win. With 6,721 screaming fans, the atmosphere in the All State Arena Saturday night was electric, and it was palpable when Penicheiro made her final exit receiving a rousing standing ovation. In addition, the 6,721 fans helped break the Sky season attendance record of 94,116, and now stands at 94,746.

At the onset of the match, it seemed the Sky had no answer for Mystics star Monique Curry as she got to the basket with ease scoring 11 points. After digging themselves a nine point hole in the first quarter, the Sky gained momentum when Shay Murphy flew into the crowd following an emphatic block that led to two points. Although the gap remained at eight points by halftime, the Sky seemed to play with more energy and fire.

The third quarter is where the tides turned. The crowd really got into it, and the Sky fed off of it. Especially Point Guard Courtney Vandersloot. Early in the third quarter, she swiped the ball from Mystics forward Ashley Robinson in the low post, and converted an easy deuce at the other end putting the Sky up in the game for the first time since the early minutes. The Sky never looked back. Just moments later, Vandersloot deflected a pass, led the break, and tallied the dime on Ephiphanny Princes long distance connection. Prince returned the favor after a steal and a nice dish to Vandersloot for two. Tamera Young and Shay Murphy contributed nicely to the monstrous 26 point third quarter by cleaning the glass, getting to the line, and doing the dirty work.

The Mystics leading scorer Crystal Langhorne did not play due to a left foot injury, so they looked to Monique Curry to pick up the slack. She played solid basketball for four quarters recording 15 points and 4 assists, but it was not enough to carry the Mystics to victory. She started off hot scoring 11 of her teams 20 1st quarter points, but the Sky seemed intent on shutting her down for the rest of the game and thats exactly what happened as she recorded just 4 points the rest of the game.

In the end, Courtney Vandersloots 20 point performance along with the help of Epiphanny Princes 12 points, and Swin Cashs 10 capped off an up and down season for the Sky. Also, Ticha Penicheiro leaves the game as a historic figure for the WNBA with her contributions both on and off the court. Thank you for your hardwork and dedication you will be sorely missed. You can catch all the action on Comcast CN 100 or on WNBA LiveAccess by visiting us on the web at www.chicagosky.net.