GAME HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE

● The Sky won its fourth consecutive game of the season, matching its high from 2020 (Sunday, August 16- Saturday, August 22). Chicago is just one game below the .500 mark after losing seven of its first nine games. This is the ninth four-game winning streak in Sky franchise history and third consecutive season where the Sky has gone on such a streak (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021).

● Guard Allie Quigley tied Sylvia Fowles for the most double figure scoring games (159) in franchise history. In addition, she recorded her 750th career field goal as a member of the Sky following her second bucket.

● Chicago pushed its record in the inaugural WNBA Commissioner’s Cup standings to 5-2 overall. Coming into tonight, the Sky only trailed the Sun for the best record among the Eastern Conference in the competition. The Sky only has three games remaining that count toward the Cup, including next Sunday’s game against Connecticut.

● Thursday’s contest was broadcast live on the @WNBA Twitter handle and at its peak, saw more than 4.6K viewers tuned into the game. Prior to tip-off, 63% of surveyed fans on Twitter picked the Sky to come out on top, while 37% had the Sun.

Postgame Media Availability – Sky vs. Sun – Powered by Magellan Corporation

NEXT UP: The Sky (6-7) and Sun (8-4) will conclude their two-game set in Chicago on Saturday, June 19 at 1:00p CT. Chicago aims to push its winning streak to five games. Sky fans can follow the action on CBS. Saturday’s matchup is just one of two games in the WNBA this season where the broadcast will be on CBS (June 26, Washington Mystics at Dallas Wings).

 

KEY RUNS

● In the first quarter, the Sky went on an 8-0 run over a span of 1:54 minutes to take an early first quarter lead. This was short-lived for the Sky, as the Sun responded with an 8-0 run of their own over 2:04 minutes of action to take a 17-14 lead with less than a minute to go in the first.

● The Sun had a 6-2 run over a period of 3:52 minutes in the second quarter to take a 36-28 advantage.

● The Sky strung together an 8-0 run over 1:30 minutes of action to cut the Sun’s lead to just two points early in the third quarter, prompting the Sun to call timeout.

● Carrying over during the final seconds of the third quarter and into the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, the Sky went on a 6-0 run to extend its lead to 65-55 with 7:57 left in the game.

 

KEY STATS

● Sky and Sun combined to miss eight of their first eleven field goals. The Sky converted 41.2% of its shots from the field in comparison to the Sun, which made 40.3% of its attempts from inside the three-point line.

● Chicago shot 0-7 from beyond the arc in the first quarter. It finished the game going 5-23 from three. In its previous game at Minnesota on June 15, the Sky made a season-high 12 3-pointers.

● At the end of the first half, the Sky and Sun both had one player apiece reach the double-digit point threshold, as Sun forward DeWanna Bonner and Sky forward Kahleah Copper each finished with 10 points. They combined for 28 points on the night.

● Over the first two quarters, the Sun outscored the Sky 36-31. During the final two quarters, the Sky outscored the Sun 50-39.

● With the victory, the Sky is now 4-2 when leading after the third quarter this season. Against the Sun on Thursday, the Sky were ahead 59-55 entering the fourth quarter.

● For the Sky, five players scored double-digit points while the Sun had four players score double-digit points.

● With 2:22 left in the third quarter, the Sky re-claimed its lead, 49-47, against the Sun. It was the first lead for the Sky since it was ahead 14-13 in the first quarter and it did not falter the rest of the way.

 

CHICAGO NOTES

● Sky moved to 5-0 this season when Candace Parker has been active as well as continuing its undefeated mark with the starting lineup of Vandersloot, DeShields, Copper, Parker and Dolson. Chicago’s average margin of victory with that initial five is 11.2 points.

● Kahleah Copper, who came into tonight’s game as the Sky’s leading scorer (14.3 PPG), finished with the most points on the Sky for the sixth time this season. The former Rutgers standout scored a team-high 18 points.

● Sky General Manager and Head Coach James Wade achieved his 38th victory at the helm of the franchise. He is now just four wins away from tying Steven Key (42) for the second-most wins in franchise history despite being in the early stages of his third season. Wade could tie Key in the Sky’s game against the Sun from Connecticut on Sunday, June 27. Chicago’s all-time leader in wins is Pokey Chatman at 106 (2011-16).

● Courtney Vandersloot finished with 12 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. It is the 15th time a WNBA player has had 12+ points, 10+ assists, 4+ rebounds and 4+ steals in a game, and marks the second time Vandersloot has achieved this feat. She also becomes the only player in WNBA history to have two of these statlines in the same season (previously on May 23 against New York). Likewise, this Vandersloot’s 61st career game with a double figure assists total, which puts her three behind to tie Ticha Penicheiro for the most in that category (64 games). It is also her 42nd double-double with assists.

● The Sky remains undefeated when sporting its Nike Explorer Uniforms (4-0).

● Chicago scored just 31 points in the first half after scoring at least 50 in three consecutive games. It was the second-lowest scoring first half for the Sky this season. The team’s lowest first half showing occurred on June 3 against Phoenix, when the Sky finished with just 26 points after the first two quarters.