Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 75, Los Angeles Sparks 95
September 29, 2016 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Chicago Sky News Release
Score by Quarter
Chicago (0-1) 20 15 26 14 75
Los Angeles (1-0) 22 30 23 20 95
Postgame Notes
* Jamierra Faulkner paced Chicago's offense with 13 points and was one of four Sky players to score in double-figures. Cappie Pondexter had 12, Tamera Young had 11, while Courtney Vandersloot had 10. * The Sky has recorded double-digit offensive rebounds in both of its playoff games so far, grabbing 17 in its second-round victory over Atlanta and 11 tonight. * Faulkner recorded several new playoff career highs tonight: minutes played (18), points (13), and field goals made (6) and attempted (11). * Cheyenne Parker set new playoff career highs in rebounds (5) and field goal attempts (5). * All ten players who saw action for the Sky tallied at least two points. * Jessica Breland led the Sky in rebounding for the second straight game. She collected seven boards including four on the defensive end of the floor. Breland recorded a franchise playoff-record 16 rebounds in the second round victory over Atlanta. * The Sky recorded 11 steals to Los Angeles' six. * With three steals in tonight's game, Tamera Young topped her previous playoff career record of two steals. She snagged all three steals in the first half, including two steals within the opening five minutes of the first quarter. * Chicago held an advantage in the third quarter, outscoring L.A. 26-to-23, bringing the deficit to as low as 12 points. * Chicago knocked down 15 of 18 free throw attempts (83.3%) * Chicago outscored L.A. 32-to-24 in terms of bench points. * Los Angeles (1-0) defeated Chicago (0-1), 95-75 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five WNBA Semifinals. * Nneka Ogwumike recorded a playoff career-high of 27 points on 11-of-14 from the floor. She also notched a double-double with 10 rebounds on the night. * Los Angeles shot .529% in the first half, compared to a .417% mark from Chicago. * Candace Parker knocked down 11-of-15 shot attempts for 30 points, three-shy of tying her playoff career-best 33 points. * Los Angeles was able to double-up Chicago in the second quarter, outscoring the Sky 30-to-15 in the frame. * Los Angeles had the rebounding advantage, outrebounding Chicago 36-to-33. * The Sparks had 9 more assists (23) than the Sky (14), including three players with four or more assists (Ogwumike (6), Beard (4), Gray (4)). * The Sparks also held an advantage in the paint, outscoring the Sky 50-to-40. * Los Angeles pulled away in the second half, building their lead to as large as 23 points in the fourth quarter. * Game two takes place on Friday at STAPLES Center.
QUOTES
Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman
(Opening Statement...)
"This is a five-game series. Obviously we are not pleased with the results. Early on we were disrupted. We have to do a better job of attacking them, getting to the paint and the free-throw line."
(On second quarter run differences...)
"We have to get 50-50 balls. We can't bend over and have the opposition get on the floor after the basketball. I think some of those great plays made Los Angeles great in the second quarter. We turned the ball over eight times in the second quarter, so we should have had more juice and momentum. We have to make their players go to their common move and make them uncomfortable enough for the entire Los Angeles team and not just their top players."
Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter | 12 points, 3 steals & 3 rebounds
(On high level play of Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike...)
"We don't have an excuse, obviously they had a good game. But it's a five-game series and we are going to have to make adjustments. A series is about finding out how to win and make adjustments; they are a great team but we will figure it out. We are a great team too."
(On the Sparks strong second quarter...)
"I think they had confidence. Like (Courtney Vandersloot) said, you can't give up a 30-point quarter and expect to come out on top. There are adjustments that we need to make and mistakes that we need to eliminate going into game two... I'm actually excited to look at the game film, there's a lot to review and learn from. I want to see what adjustments we need to make. One thing I can guarantee is that we are coming back a stronger team in this second game."
Chicago Sky Guard Courtney Vandersloot| 10 points, 5 assists & 5 rebounds
(On the Sparks strong second quarter...)
"The second quarter they outscored us 30-15, they just got on a roll. Offensive rebounds and put-backs really got them going and it's hard to keep up and win when they get offensive rebounds. Giving up a 30-point quarter to that team it is hard to catch up. After (the second quarter) it seemed like we were just trading baskets and not getting enough stops to win."
Los Angeles Sparks Head Coach Brian Agler
(On how the team bounced back after the first quarter...)
"I thought it was good that we weren't sluggish, we actually played with energy, but we seemed anxious and were turning the ball over. If you looked at us in the second quarter, you see us settle in and became more and more comfortable as the game went on."
(On strong performances of Nneka and Candace...)
"Those two and Jantel also shot really efficiently. Nneka and Candace were playing at a really high level, and you can see that they had good chemistry. They are both excellent passers and they found each other really well. Obviously Candace has great ball skills so she could do lots of things for us, especially when she handles the ball in the middle of the floor, she does more than score, she distributes and attacks the rim at a high level."
Los Angeles Sparks Forward Nneka Ogwumike | 27 points, 10 rebounds & 6 assists
(On her feelings towards winning the trophy and tonight's win...) "It's great! There has been nothing but love these past few days. Tonight's win was a really big start in our playoff run. In the end it is not about myself. I certainly did not do it by myself. We know what we want to do and I'm sure everyone saw that tonight. And as of right now we are focused on going to practice tomorrow, to prepare for the next game. "
(On getting MVP & chemistry with Candace...)
"Becoming MVP was not a goal of mine until three years ago, but it is also not something you think about going into the season. Growing up I've always wanted to play against Candace (laughs), I guess dreams do come true. My chemistry with Candace...there's so much to learn from her. I spent a lot of my rookie first years listening and watching her, examining how she sees the game. It's fun that our chemistry is building now. We understand each other's game and we're always showing each other what we can do on the court, nothing personal though. It can only go up from here."
Los Angeles Sparks Center Candace Parker| 30 points, 9 rebounds
(On tonight's performance...)
"We came out in the first quarter with turnovers and did not take care of the ball very well. Once we settled down, we were able to find our offense, putting in some tough shots. Defensively, we got stops. That's when we began to get in the flow of the game. Things we were able to capitalize tonight were playing with aggression, movement, playing the tunnel and taking advantage of mismatches."
(On Nneka's personal performance this season...)
"It's been an amazing journey to watch Nneka develop the way she has. She always plays with the same amount of passion, energy and selflessness since she got to LA. The team has always known of her potential and has recognized her talents, but it's nice to see that the rest of the league recognizes that now."
Giana Thompson Chicago Sky | Media & Communications Coordinator O: 312.994.5984 5500 W Howard St., Skokie, IL 60077
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Score by Quarter
Chicago (0-1) 20 15 26 14 75
Los Angeles (1-0) 22 30 23 20 95
Link to download highlights:
Jamierra Faulkner scores playoff career-high 13 points:
nts_in_loss_to_the_Sparks.mp4?dl0
Postgame Notes
Jamierra Faulkner paced Chicago's offense with 13 points and was one of four Sky players to score in double-figures. Cappie Pondexter had 12, Tamera Young had 11, while Courtney Vandersloot had 10. The Sky has recorded double-digit offensive rebounds in both of its playoff games so far, grabbing 17 in its second-round victory over Atlanta and 11 tonight. Faulkner recorded several new playoff career highs tonight: minutes played (18), points (13), and field goals made (6) and attempted (11). Cheyenne Parker set new playoff career highs in rebounds (5) and field goal attempts (5). All ten players who saw action for the Sky tallied at least two points. Jessica Breland led the Sky in rebounding for the second straight game. She collected seven boards including four on the defensive end of the floor. Breland recorded a franchise playoff-record 16 rebounds in the second round victory over Atlanta. The Sky recorded 11 steals to Los Angeles' six. With three steals in tonight's game, Tamera Young topped her previous playoff career record of two steals. She snagged all three steals in the first half, including two steals within the opening five minutes of the first quarter. Chicago held an advantage in the third quarter, outscoring L.A. 26-to-23, bringing the deficit to as low as 12 points. Chicago knocked down 15 of 18 free throw attempts (83.3%) Chicago outscored L.A. 32-to-24 in terms of bench points. Los Angeles (1-0) defeated Chicago (0-1), 95-75 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five WNBA Semifinals. Nneka Ogwumike recorded a playoff career-high of 27 points on 11-of-14 from the floor. She also notched a double-double with 10 rebounds on the night. Los Angeles shot .529% in the first half, compared to a .417% mark from Chicago. Candace Parker knocked down 11-of-15 shot attempts for 30 points, three-shy of tying her playoff career-best 33 points. Los Angeles was able to double-up Chicago in the second quarter, outscoring the Sky 30-to-15 in the frame. Los Angeles had the rebounding advantage, outrebounding Chicago 36-to-33. The Sparks had 9 more assists (23) than the Sky (14), including three players with four or more assists (Ogwumike (6), Beard (4), Gray (4)). The Sparks also held an advantage in the paint, outscoring the Sky 50-to-40. Los Angeles pulled away in the second half, building their lead to as large as 23 points in the fourth quarter. Game two takes place on Friday at STAPLES Center.
QUOTES
Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman
(Opening Statement...)
"This is a five-game series. Obviously we are not pleased with the results. Early on we were disrupted. We have to do a better job of attacking them, getting to the paint and the free-throw line."
(On second quarter run differences...)
"We have to get 50-50 balls. We can't bend over and have the opposition get on the floor after the basketball. I think some of those great plays made Los Angeles great in the second quarter. We turned the ball over eight times in the second quarter, so we should have had more juice and momentum. We have to make their players go to their common move and make them uncomfortable enough for the entire Los Angeles team and not just their top players."
Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter | 12 points, 3 steals & 3 rebounds
( On high level play of Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike...)
"We don't have an excuse, obviously they had a good game. But it's a five-game series and we are going to have to make adjustments. A series is about finding out how to win and make adjustments; they are a great team but we will figure it out. We are a great team too."
(On the Sparks strong second quarter...)
"I think they had confidence. Like (Courtney Vandersloot) said, you can't give up a 30-point quarter and expect to come out on top. There are adjustments that we need to make and mistakes that we need to eliminate going into game two... I'm actually excited to look at the game film, there's a lot to review and learn from. I want to see what adjustments we need to make. One thing I can guarantee is that we are coming back a stronger team in this second game."
Chicago Sky Guard Courtney Vandersloot| 10 points, 5 assists & 5 rebounds
(On the Sparks strong second quarter...)
"The second quarter they outscored us 30-15, they just got on a roll. Offensive rebounds and put-backs really got them going and it's hard to keep up and win when they get offensive rebounds. Giving up a 30-point quarter to that team it is hard to catch up. After (the second quarter) it seemed like we were just trading baskets and not getting enough stops to win."
Los Angeles Sparks Head Coach Brian Agler
(On how the team bounced back after the first quarter...)
"I thought it was good that we weren't sluggish, we actually played with energy, but we seemed anxious and were turning the ball over. If you looked at us in the second quarter, you see us settle in and became more and more comfortable as the game went on."
(On strong performances of Nneka and Candace...)
"Those two and Jantel also shot really efficiently. Nneka and Candace were playing at a really high level, and you can see that they had good chemistry. They are both excellent passers and they found each other really well. Obviously Candace has great ball skills so she could do lots of things for us, especially when she handles the ball in the middle of the floor, she does more than score, she distributes and attacks the rim at a high level."
Los Angeles Sparks Forward Nneka Ogwumike | 27 points, 10 rebounds & 6 assists
(On her feelings towards winning the trophy and tonight's win...)
"It's great! There has been nothing but love these past few days. Tonight's win was a really big start in our playoff run. In the end it is not about myself. I certainly did not do it by myself. We know what we want to do and I'm sure everyone saw that tonight. And as of right now we are focused on going to practice tomorrow, to prepare for the next game. "
(On getting MVP & chemistry with Candace...)
"Becoming MVP was not a goal of mine until three years ago, but it is also not something you think about going into the season. Growing up I've always wanted to play against Candace (laughs), I guess dreams do come true. My chemistry with Candace...there's so much to learn from her. I spent a lot of my rookie first years listening and watching her, examining how she sees the game. It's fun that our chemistry is building now. We understand each other's game and we're always showing each other what we can do on the court, nothing personal though. It can only go up from here."
Los Angeles Sparks Center Candace Parker| 30 points, 9 rebounds
(On tonight's performance...)
"We came out in the first quarter with turnovers and did not take care of the ball very well. Once we settled down, we were able to find our offense, putting in some tough shots. Defensively, we got stops. That's when we began to get in the flow of the game. Things we were able to capitalize tonight were playing with aggression, movement, playing the tunnel and taking advantage of mismatches."
(On Nneka's personal performance this season...)
"It's been an amazing journey to watch Nneka develop the way she has. She always plays with the same amount of passion, energy and selflessness since she got to LA. The team has always known of her potential and has recognized her talents, but it's nice to see that the rest of the league recognizes that now."
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