The Chicago Sky lost to the Dallas Wings 89-99 inside Wintrust Arena on Wednesday, May 20. The Sky are now 3-2 on the season, but have a chance to get back on track with three straight home games from May 23-29.  

Kamilla Cardoso rose to the challenge of leading the shorthanded Sky and put together one of her best performances of the season thus far, finishing with a season-high 24 points to go along with her 11 rebounds and five assists. Twelve of her 24 arrived in the second half, the same window in which she snared seven rebounds. 

Tonight’s performance marked the fifth consecutive game Cardoso secured at least seven rebounds and the third where she finished with at least 10. Through five regular-season contests, she’s averaging a double-double with 14.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. 

Veteran Natasha Cloud walked off the hardwood with her most impressive output as a member of the Sky, finishing with a season-high 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists in a team-leading 35 minutes. She made six of her 12 field goal attempts and drilled all eight of her looks from the free-throw line.

Following her 20-point, eight-rebound night against Minnesota, rookie Gabriela Jaquez showed out once more against Dallas. The former Bruin scored 12 points in the loss and accounted for eight of Chicago’s 16 points in the second quarter. Skylar Diggins returned to the fold with 15 points and four assists, and Rachel Banham rounded out the box score with 10 points off the bench, her second straight game in double figures. 

The Wings saw four players in double figures in tonight’s matchup. Second-year guard Paige Bueckers captained the scoring charge with 24 points alongside her four assists, while teammate Arike Ogunbowale dropped a season-best 23 points, five assists and a pair of rebounds, while rookie Azzi Fudd added 12 points and an assist in 28 minutes off the bench. Forward Jessica Shepard tallied her second career triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Shepard now has the fifth most triple-doubles in WNBA history. 

Despite the loss and ongoing injuries, the Sky showed the grit and determination to prove that this limited roster is still capable of producing in all areas of the court. The Sky are looking to find their first home win on Saturday, May 23, meeting with the Minnesota Lynx for the second time this season.