By Paige Zimmerman and Shane Colpoys

The Chicago Sky host the Indiana Fever for the second time this season at the United Center on Sunday, July 27 at 2 p.m CT.

Sunday’s game marks just the second WNBA game ever played at the home of the Chicago Bulls and will feature the Sky’s annual Barbie Game Day™, presented by BMO. In partnership with Mattel, the Sky became the first team in women’s sports to launch the event in 2024, which celebrates the power of sport, fashion and female empowerment.

The event adds to the significance of this milestone matchup at the United Center, as Chicago returns to the venue where it made its United Center debut earlier this season. This time, the Sky will look to snap a four-game losing streak and earn their first win over Indiana this year.

In that June 7 meeting, the Sky fell 52-79 to the Fever but played in front of the largest home crowd in franchise history, with 19,496 fans in attendance. Rebecca Allen and Kamilla Cardoso led the team with eight points apiece, while Angel Reese grabbed 13 rebounds.

In that matchup, the Fever were without 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark, who missed the game due to injury. Kelsey Mitchell stepped up in Clark’s absence, scoring 17 points to help the Fever secure their second win of the season over the Sky. Aari McDonald scored 12 points off the bench. Clark is out for the Sky’s second game as well.

The Sky will continue to lean on second-year center Kamilla Cardoso, who recorded double-doubles in back-to-back games against the Seattle Storm and Minnesota Lynx. Rachel Banham, who has notched multiple made threes in 10 games in a row, will also continue to be an offensive focal point.

A key factor in this matchup will be the Sky’s ability to control the defensive glass and limit Indiana’s second-chance opportunities. The Fever rank second in the league with 12.1 second-chance points per game, trailing only Dallas. Chicago, meanwhile, sits fifth in defensive rebounds, averaging 26.2 per game, led by Angel Reese, who tops the league individually with 8.7 per game. Limiting second chances will be crucial in slowing down Indiana’s offense, which ranks fourth in the WNBA at 84.0 points per game.

Three-point production will also be a major emphasis for both teams. The Fever average 8.1 made threes per game, with the Sky close behind at 7.0, up significantly from just 4.8 per game last season.

Indiana has five players averaging at least one made three per game, with Clark and Mitchell both averaging over two. Among that group, Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham lead the team in three-point percentage, with Hull shooting 43.7% and Cunningham at 41.9%.

For Chicago, Banham leads the team in both threes made and three-point percentage, averaging two per game on 37.6% shooting. 70.5% of all the points Banham has scored have been three-pointers, and she is first in the league in this stat.