By Sarah Disbro

The Sky are looking for their first ever win over the Valkyries in the third and final matchup between the two teams this season when they return to Wintrust Arena on Friday night. The Valkyries continue to look impressive in their first year in the WNBA with a 17-15 record, and the Sky’s two games so far this season have been competitive against them.

In both the previous matchups the games were decided by seven points or fewer. Last time the Sky and Valkyries met, Golden State withstood a fourth-quarter comeback by Chicago to secure the 73-66 win. 

The Valkyries are on a three-game win streak after they defeated the Mystics on Wednesday night. They are led by a familiar face in the Chicago area as Northwestern graduate Veronica Burton is coming off a 30-point, seven rebound and seven assist performance on Wednesday night. 

Burton dropped 18 points, four rebounds and seven assists last time out against the Sky while Janelle Salaün recorded 16 points and nine rebounds, and Carla Leite added 11 points. Iliana Rupert came off the bench to hit four three-pointers to finish with 14 points in the last matchup between the two teams. 

Chicago will have to account for two players who were out with injuries during the last matchup as Cecilia Zandalasini and Tiffany Hayes are core pieces to Golden State’s success. Zandalasini is coming off her third straight game in double figures as she had 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists against Washington. 

Hayes’ leadership has been vital to the Valkyries’ success as they go through their inaugural season. The 2024 Sixth Woman of the Year and 12-year veteran is averaging 12.2 points per game and 3.0 assists. 

The Sky had four players in double figures in the close loss on Aug. 1. Cardoso recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds while Williams led the team with 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists. 

Rachel Banham had 14 points, five rebounds and seven assists, while Kia Nurse added 10 points and seven assists.  Chicago shot 42.2% from the field, but Golden State’s defense forced them to just 27.3% from three-point range. 

The Sky could find success in transition as they outscored the Valkyries 9-0 in fast break points. With both teams stacking up evenly against each other, it could be another close game. Chicago could look to take advantage of turnovers as Golden State averages 14.8 per game. The Sky will look to protect the ball as they average 16.9 per game. 

Despite losing their last three games, the Sky have shown resilience. In their last game against the Sun, they pulled within four points after being down 21. No matter what the score is, this team has proven you can’t count them out. 

What to watch from the Sky: Their presence in the paint. 

Williams has been vital, along with Cardoso, down low for the Sky. Cardoso’s teammates and coaches have pushed her to be aggressive with her shot and it has paid off as she is averaging 14 points in August. Williams has come alive recently, with all three of her double-doubles this season coming this month. 

Last time against the Valkyries, the Sky dominated the paint, outscoring Golden State 32-22. Look for Chicago to continue to pound the paint and give both Williams and Cardoso looks throughout the entire game.