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WNBA Chicago Sky

Chicago Drops Fourth Straight, Losing 67-78 in Atlanta

August 18, 2023 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Chicago Sky News Release


The Chicago Sky fell to the Atlanta Dream 67-78 in Atlanta on Friday night. Both teams entered Friday's game looking to snap their own three-game losing streaks. The Sky drop to 12-19 on the season with a current four-game losing streak heading back home. The Sky are now 3-13 against Eastern Conference teams and drop to 0-4 against Atlanta in the season series. Chicago is now 35-24 all-time against Atlanta and drop to 7-9 on the road in 2023.

This marks the first time in franchise history that Atlanta has swept Chicago. The Sky had only ever lost four season series against the Dream since 2008 before this year. The loss also moves Chicago to 0.5 games out of the playoff picture, behind the Los Angeles Sparks.

Dana Evans led the way with a team-high 18 points on 7 for 14 field goal shooting and two for three from beyond the arc. Evans was three points shy of tying her season-high 21 points. This is the second time this season Evans has led the team in scoring and with the loss, the Sky fall to 4-2 this season when Evans scores 13 or more points.

Elizabeth Williams and Alanna Smith crashed the boards, securing 22 combined rebounds. Williams, in particular, has grabbed 22 rebounds in the past two games, her only games this season with double-digit rebounds. Kahleah Copper finished with 14 points.

The Dream's Cheyenne Parker led the way for Atlanta with a career-high 29 points, 15 of which came in the final quarter. She held a previous career high of 27 points. Parker added seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal to help secure the Dream victory. Allisha Gray added 20 points and seven rebounds.

Kahleah Copper recorded 5+ made field goals to reach 1,000 career made field goals

Aari McDonald's seven assists tie a career high (Tying her seven assists on June 2 vs. Las Vegas)

McDonald and Danielle Robinson both finished with seven assists for the Dream, the first time that has happened for Atlanta this season

Tonight marked Elizabeth Williams' second career game with at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, last doing so in 2016

NEXT UP: The Sky begin a three-game home stand at Wintrust Arena starting on Sunday, Aug. 20, where Chicago hosts Connecticut for Women's Wellness Night presented by UChicago Medicine at 4 p.m. CT. The Sky will then take on the Seattle Storm on Tuesday, Aug. 22 for Mental Health Awareness Night with Take it to the Net at 7 p.m. CT. Chicago rounds out the home stand on Thursday, Aug. 24 against the reigning WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces for HBCU Night.

The Sky are 0-2 this season against the Sun and last game on July 12, Chicago's Kahleah Copper led the way in scoring for the Sky with 22 points and adding four assists and three rebounds. Elizabeth Williams came one point shy of her season high in scoring by scoring 16 points. Williams also recorded eight rebounds, five blocks and two steals. Her seven combined blocks and steals are her most in a game this season.

Also in that game, Sun guard Tiffany Hayes tied a season-high 22 points while adding seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas combined to score 40 points (Bonner with 21, Thomas with 19).

KEY RUNS:

The Dream started out with a 12-3 run in the first quarter from 8:24 to 5:24

The Sky responded to the Dream's run to open the game with a 21-8 run of their own from 4:10 in the first to 7:12 in the second

The Dream responded with another run of their own, going on a 12-5 run in the second quarter from 7:59 to 2:56

Atlanta closed out the game with a 19-6 run from 7:07 to 0:33 in the fourth quarter

KEY STATS:

The Sky are now 9-5 when leading after the first quarter. Chicago led 24-16 at the end of the first, but are 2-16 when trailing at halftime. The Sky also led at the end of the third, and are 10-2 coming into Friday's game when leading after the third quarter

Bench production favored Chicago in the first half, contributing 11 points compared to Atlanta's four points

Chicago finished the game outscoring Atlanta 24-8 off the bench

Neither team shot the long ball particularly well, with the teams combining to shoot 9 of 34 (26.5%) from downtown

Atlanta picked Chicago apart in points in the paint, outscoring the Sky 44-30 there. The Sky are now 7-17 in those situations

The Sky are 4-13 when committing more turnovers than their opponent. In tonight's game, the Sky had 17 turnovers compared to the Dream's seven

The Sky let up 27 points off their 17 turnovers, while the Dream only allowed six points off turnovers. Entering tonight's game, the Sky ranked 10th in the league in opponent points off turnovers with 16.9

Chicago had 14 offensive rebounds compared to Atlanta's seven

Every starter for both teams scored at least three points

CHICAGO NOTES:

Kahleah Copper and Elizabeth Williams accounted for 12 of Chicago's first 15 points of the first quarter

Copper alone scored seven points in the first quarter

Robyn Parks produced an immediate spark off the bench for the Sky, scoring four points in three minutes in the first quarter

Marina Mabrey reached 400 career assists in the first quarter. On the same note, Mabrey's four assists in the first tied her season-high for assists in a quarter

Alanna Smith surpassed 100 career offensive rebounds

Four out of five Chicago starters recorded a block in the first half

Elizabeth Williams recorded her second double-double on the season

ATLANTA NOTES:

The Dream were without All-Star Rhyne Howard (facial injury) and Nia Coffey (hand injury)

Allisha Gray and Cheyenne Parker accounted for 25 of the Dream's 37 points in the first half

Parker accounted for 12 of the Dream's 25 fourth quarter points

Tonight marked Parker's first career game of putting up 20+ points, 5+ rebounds, 3+ assists and 3+ stocks (steals + blocks)

Tonight was just Atlanta's second win this season when putting up five or fewer stocks (Atlanta recorded two blocks and three steals tonight)

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Women's National Basketball Association Stories from August 18, 2023


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