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GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

With 10 assists tonight, Courtney Vandersloot broke Ticha Penicheiro’s 18 year-old record for most assists (236) in a single season. Vandersloot now has 241 in the 2018 campaign. In WNBA history, 200 assists has only been achieved 16 times.
Penicheiro set the record in 30 games, Vandersloot broke her record in 28 games.
This is Chicago’s first win in Minnesota since May 2010.

SKY NOTES:

Courtney Vandersloot finished the game with 16 points and 10 assists this is her eighth double-double of the season.
Diamond DeShields led all scorers and finished the game with a career-high 28 points. DeShields shot 11-of-15 from the field and 3-for-3 from the 3-point line. DeShields has the most points in a regulation game by a rookie in Chicago franchise history.
Cheyenne Parker scored 10 points off the bench for the Sky. She shot 80 percent from the field.
The Sky scored 11 fast-break points and held the Lynx to five.
Allie Quigley (13), Courtney Vandersloot (16), Diamond DeShields (28), Gabby Williams (10), and Cheyenne Parker (10) scored in double-digits for the Sky.

LYNX NOTES:

Sylvia Fowles finished with her 21st double-double as she scored 19 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. With her 13 rebounds she became just the sixth player in league history to reach the 3,000 career rebound mark. She now has 3,008 career rebounds and is 22 rebounds shy of breaking Jonquel Jones’ single-season WNBA record of 403.
Maya Moore posted 21 points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.
Minnesota had 22 second-chance points, and held Chicago to only six.
The Lynx had four players in double digits: Maya More (21), Seimone Augustus (14), Tanisha Wright (12), and Sylvia Fowles (19).
The Lynx closed the first half with a 14-5 run to give them the lead going into halftime, 44-39.a

POSTGAME QUOTES:

SKY GENERAL MANAGER AND HEAD COACH AMBER STOCKS

On the high score of the game:

“Well there’s a lot of defense, but there’s also a lot of good offense. You look the talent on both squads and it was a physical game you know there was a lot of fouls called which just demonstrates how physical the game was and defensively both teams had their hands full. I credit our players for being very efficient with the basketball that’s something we’ve been putting an emphasis on is minimizing our turnovers and being efficient. We’ve been able to shoot at 55 percent from the field, and against a team like Minnesota you have to be efficient with the basketball. So that starts with our point guard Courtney Vandersloot, she did a great job at leading and setting the tone for us at both ends offense and defense.”

On the speed of the game tonight:

“Well that’s funny because I thought we looked slow today. We have Kahleah Copper, and Diamond DeShields who can really push the pace on the perimeter and when Kahleah Copper and Diamond DeShields get going and get running they are a real force. I feel like we could have had even more transition opportunities, but again I feel like it starts with the point guard and Vandersloot did a great job at pushing the tempo and our posts did a great job at running the court as well and when you rim run, you draw defenders inside which opens those up along the way.”

SKY GUARD DIAMOND DESHIELDS

On her speed tonight:

“I think that’s something that stays pretty consistent, it’s very characteristic of my game. Just getting out in transition, using my athleticism, and it played in our favor tonight.”

On being eliminated but still playing hard tonight:

“Yeah, it’s interesting because coming from college, when you lose when you get eliminated, the season is over. So, the fact that we still have three games to play means like, you were talking about it like how do we approach this, I’m like let’s just go out there and have fun you know we have something to prove still, we’re a good team and were able to compete still and that’s just what we wanted to do tonight.”

SKY GUARD COURTNEY VANDERSLOOT

On passing the most assist record:

“I mean it’s pretty nice, Ticha Penicheiro set the bar pretty high. She is one of the bets passers that the game has ever seen, I am lucky to have played with her here in Chicago, and I am lucky to try to fill those shoes if I can, like I said it’s going to be pretty tough, it was tough but when it comes down to it, it’s my teammates making shots. I get a lot of assists off them just making an open jumper.”

On how she kept the offense going tonight:

“I think the flow was working tonight, Diamond DeShields just being Diamond DeShields, makes a big difference but we always want to keep our pace high no matter what even if they are scoring, you know this team is tough. They have a lot of weapons so even on made baskets were looking to push, and we just outscored them tonight.”

LYNX HEAD COACH CHERYL REEVE

On tonight’s game:

“We did a nice job executing a couple plays when Whalen came in, built a lead and then we just didn’t get stops. We didn’t guard them, we gave up layups actually so that would be an understatement so unfortunately these are games that you think we know how to win but this team, for whatever reason, these are the games that we’re forgetting that how to dig in, how to stop and then execute. We did a better job in the second half getting to the foul line. We got more aggressive, we just didn’t make our free throws. It was tough so a lot of things there for the taking, we just didn’t take it.”

On guarding Diamond DeShields:

“Well you were watching, what do you think. She’s a hell of an athlete. She played great she made 3’s, she’s a player that’s not necessarily been this efficient this has got to be one of her more efficient games of the season so at this level of efficiency, it’s probably hard for them to lose. When they get to 91 points, it’s hard to lose games like that.”

LYNX GUARD SYDNEY COLSON

On mindset coming into this season:

“I always no matter if I’m with a team in the beginning or the end, I am always to come out and play strong defense and let it lead to good offense. That’s always just how I’ve been since college and in the league and to come facilitate as a point guard.”

On happiness being back in the league:

“Absolutely. It’s a great organization, it’s a great opportunity. It’s late in the season but regardless.”

LYNX FORWARD MAYA MOORE

On the big picture:

“I don’t know about the bigger picture, we just know it doesn’t feel good right now.”

On Diamond DeShields:

“Yeah, she was great. Attacked the paint, gave her open shots and we were just paying for our mistakes, so she had a great night.

NEXT UP: The Chicago Sky will face the Indiana Fever at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday, August 18. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. CT.

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