WNBA Chicago Sky

Sky fall to Mercury

June 26, 2008 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Chicago Sky News Release


* Attendance at tonight's game: 3,103 * Sky center Sylvia Fowles is still on the injured reserve list. * The Sky has never beaten the Mercury - the team is now 0-6 all-time vs. Phoenix. * The loss is the Sky's 5th consecutive loss. The win is a second consecutive win for Phoenix, the third game of a five-game road trip. * The second meeting of the two teams was much different than the high scoring, fast-breaking first game, with its final 105-112 (OT) score and 33 fast break points. There were only 13 fast break points in tonight's game.

KEY STATS OF THE NIGHT

* The Sky's field goal percentage (.350) was the second lowest of the season. The Sky came into the game with league's highest FG% (.442). * The Sky had 17 turnovers and the Mercury capitalized for 20 points. The Mercury had 10 turnovers, for 8 Sky points. * Six Mercury players scored in double figures, with Kelly Miller and reserve Barbara Farris setting season highs. * The Sky held the league's top two scorers to only 30 points, well below their 50.5 PPG average. Sky Head Coach Steven Key's decision to start Brooke Wyckoff to match up with Diana Taurasi paid off; Taurasi only scored 16 points for the Mercury, and Cappie Pondexter added 14. * Coach Key mixed up the Sky line-ups tonight:

o Forward Candice Dupree played a season-low 23 minutes o Forward Armintie Price played a season-low 9 minutes o Forward Brooke Wyckoff played a season-high 26 minutes o Forward Brooke Queenan played a season-high 8 minutes o Center Chas Melvin played a season-high 36 minutes o Guard Dominique Canty played a season-low 18 minutes

KEY RUN OF THE NIGHT

The Mercury went on a 7-0 run at 6:21 in the second quarter, outscoring the Sky in the quarter, 22-13.

SKY-LIGHTS

* The Sky's 49 rebounds set a new team record for total rebounds in a game (previous was 48 vs. Indiana, 7/7/07 2OT) * The Sky's 25 offensive rebounds were a new team record (previous was 20 @ Indiana, 6/21/06). * The Sky's 26 second chance points were a new team record (previous was 25 vs. Indiana, 7/7/07 2OT). * The Sky had two rare 4-point plays in the game - one by Jia Perkins and one by Cathy Joens. * Chasity Melvin grabbed a career-high 10 offensive rebounds (previous was 8 vs. NY, 8/23/05). * Melvin's season-high 15 rebounds tied her career high for total rebounds (last time was on 6/1/07). * Melvin also scored a season-high 19 points. Her previous high was 15 points, scored at Phoenix on 6/20/08. * Perkins has not missed a free throw since the June 3 game vs. LA. She has hit 28 free throws in a row. * Brooke Wyckoff's had a season-high 9 assists, 1 short of her career high. * Perkins' 2 offensive rebounds put her at 100 career offensive rebounds. * Armintie Price reached 100 career offensive rebounds in the game, also.

MERCURY NOTES

* Kelly Miller's team-high 17 points tied her season high. * Barbara Farris scored a season-high 11 points.

NEXT PRACTICE: Friday, June 27, 2008, 10 a.m. -12 noon at Attack Athletics

NEXT GAME: The Sky takes on the Detroit Shock on Saturday, June 28 at UIC Pavilion. Tip off is at 7:00 p.m.

SKY QUOTES

Head Coach Steven Key

On not converting on offensive rebounds:

"We got all of those offensive boards, but the problem is that we are missing the next shot creating our own rebound, missing that shot and then having to play defense. It's one of those things where you'd rather not have all those offensive rebounds unless you are going to score right away.

On tonight's struggles on the court:

"Not finishing; you have to be able to finish at the rim. One of these days we will get all of our elements together to get a win. We are just waiting for all our pieces to be on the same page so we can get that victory. It's unfortunate that we did not have that one-on-one talent."

On Taurasi and Pondexter:

"The shooting of Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter is extraordinary. How many three points and layups can they make in a game? They are just solid leaders."

On the Sky bench:

"They played with great intensity, they fill their roles and played great defense."

#44 Chasity Melvin

On the team not being able to win:

"Yea, we lost, but I'm not a person who is really into stats. I look at games and I see teams shooting poorly but still getting wins, so what are they saying? How are they winning games? We have to find a way to win. Basketball is about runs. I thought we had good shots. We have to find a way to win games even when our shots aren't consistent."

On the Sky's losing streak:

"It's very frustrating. Very tiresome, very mentally draining, but we just have to take it one day at a time. My thing is, if you're not making baskets you have to make something happen on defense. On the defensive end, we have to find a way to get some steals and easy baskets. We have to find a way to win even if we having a bad shooting game."

#4 Candice Dupree

On playing tonight's game after the OT loss Friday at the Mercury:

"It's just added motivation that we lost to them in overtime. I thought we started off the game really well, but we came out in the second half and we were a little sluggish."

On Chasity Melvin's rebounding performance:

"She was doing a great job crashing the boards. I know we were able to take advantage of that the first time we played them and she was able to do the same thing the second time around."

On Coach Key's decision to start Brooke Wyckoff:

"We actually didn't know anything about that until right before the game. He didn't really say why, he just said there is a lineup change and he wanted to go bigger with Diana (Taurasi) at the three."

Regarding the six Mercury players in double figures:

"It's tough. Their post players came out and gave them double digits, so I think defensively we need to do a better job of getting in front. Their catches are a little too easy. We're not going to win games with six of their players in double figures."

#11 Jia Perkins

On facing the Mercury at home after losing in overtime on the road:

"We try to stay confident in what we need to execute. Go out in every game like we are capable of winning, which we are. So we are looking forward to playing any team at home and having our home crowd to back us up."

On how she feels after the team's fifth straight loss:

"It's not my body, it's just mental. I can deal with the hurt, aching knees, but it's just frustrating."

On Coach Key's decision to start Brooke Wyckoff:

"Well, that is the coach's decision, if he sees a match up, that Brooke (Wyckoff) might match up better against Diana (Taurasi), then that is the decision he made. I think Brooke did a good job, keeping her under her average and that says a lot about his decision."

On what the team needs to improve on before the Detroit game:

"We have to come out with fire. You've got to make runs in basketball and in order to make runs, we have to get stops. I think we need to focus in on our defense; I think that is what's killing us right now. When we can't hit shots, we let the other teams hit shots freely and we can't win like that."

MERCURY QUOTES

Heach Coach Corey Gaines

On the effectiveness of tonight's 3-2 zone:

"It's like a rover defense and you move to where the person is hurting you. And last game they hurt us. So it's kind of like a box and one; one moves where she, the one hurting us, moves. With this zone she can't get open looks and it frustrates the scorer. And it just changes with every team so the advantage is if you change your defense to fit other teams to stop them. That's what we used."

On winning despite allowing 25 rebounds:

"We won the championship that way last year. We got out rebounded by 12 every game -- it happens. But we have a small team and when you play a zone, it's tough to rebound because people are coming in it at different angles trying to rebound on you. If they get it, it's good for them. But if we get it, we're gone."

#3 Diana Taurasi

On the Mercury's ability to withstand several Sky runs:

"I feel like every time we play Chicago, it's who is going to score the most points. Since I've been here, it's been tough every year we play against them. We tried to change some things, but their coach did a great job of putting shooters in the corners and stretching us a little bit. But I think we adjusted pretty well."

Advice for team while on the road:

"It's tough. And I think tonight is a perfect example of how we have to play on the road and there has to be contributions from every single person that steps on the court."

On team's slow start (6-7) as defending champions:

"We are picking up little by little. 6-7 right now looks better than the 4-7 we were a couple days ago. So we are starting to get better."

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