On Friday, July 31 the Chicago Sky will host the Los Angeles Sparks for game one of a five-game home stand. Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM CT at Allstate Arena. This matchup is the first between these Eastern and Western Conference teams this season.

Chicago is entering Friday’s contest after an overtime loss to the reigning WNBA Champions, Phoenix Mercury. Elena Delle Donne led the Sky scoring 32 points followed by 14 points from Allie Quigley off the bench. After this hard fought game, the team is hungry for a home win.

The Sky and Sparks met twice in 2014. Each team collected a win leaving the season series deadlocked at 1-1. Los Angeles secured the first win on June 6 with a 102-88 victory despite Delle Donne scoring her then career-high 33 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. The Sparks were led by Nneka Ogwumike and Kristi Toliver with 18 points apiece.

On July 1 the teams met again at Staples Center. This time, the Sky was victorious with a 90-83 win. Delle Donne and Courtney Vandersloot did not play due to illness and injury, respectively. This required other Sky players to step up on the court. Jamierra Faulkner responded to the call and led all scorers with 27 points. Jessica Breland and Tamera Young combined for 20 rebounds, assisting in the victory. Ogwumike scored 26 points and Candace Parker scored 22 points for the Sparks.

Chicago will utilize newly acquired center Erika de Souza in her Allstate Arena debut on Friday. De Souza comes to the Sky from the Atlanta Dream as part of a three-team trade. In her two games against the Sparks in the 2014 season, de Souza averaged 24 points per game and 11 rebounds per game. This was significantly above her season average of 13.8 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game. Chicago will look to de Souza to bring a similar performance in Friday’s contest.

To secure the win this week, stopping Ogwumike will be critical. Chicago will also need to shoot more efficiently from the field. The Sky’s roster is composed of several players who have the ability to score in double digits. As previous games versus the Sparks have shown, different players have the potential to lead in scoring.

“I’m really happy with our offense. I feel like any given night somebody can step up and go off,” Delle Donne said about her team.

While Delle Donne is consistently in the spotlight, the Chicago Sky as a unit is talented. It will be interesting to see who pours in the most points on Friday.

The Sky will play its second straight home game on Sunday, August 2 when they host the Washington Mystics at 5pm CT. Call 866.SKY.WNBA to purchase tickets.