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Chicago Sky

Sky Finish Road Trip at 2-1, Hand Liberty First Loss of Season in 90-81 Win

May 23, 2024 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Chicago Sky News Release


The Chicago Sky defeated the New York Liberty 90-81 inside Barclays Arena on Thursday night to hand New York its first loss of the season. With the win, the Sky moved to 1-0 against the Eastern Conference, 35-32 against the Liberty all time and finished the season-opening three-game road trip at 2-1.

Marina Mabrey led the Sky in scoring with a season-high 21 points on a season-high three made three-pointers. She also recorded six rebounds and seven assists in the win, leading the Sky in assists for the second straight game. Filling in for Diamond DeShields , Michaela Onyenwere made the first start of her Sky career, scoring a season-high 13 points and five rebounds. Sky rookie Angel Reese scored a career-high 13 points and nine rebounds.

Liberty forward Breanna Stewart finished with an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double to go along with five assists and four steals, the latter of which tied a season high. Sabrina Ionescu led New York in scoring with 19 points to go along with four rebounds, six assists and two steals. Former Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot ended the game with 10 points, four rebounds and seven assists.

Other highlights include:

Jonquel Jones passed Asjha Jones (632) for 24th on the WNBA's all-time offensive rebounds list after ending Thursday's game with 633 career offensive rebounds

Stewart passed Penny Taylor (1,082) for 25th on the WNBA's all-time free throws made list with 1,083 after Thursday's game

Stewart reached 1,000 points in a Liberty uniform

The Sky's 90 points scored are a season high

Reese has 15 offensive rebounds through her first three games in the WNBA, tied for second for most offensive rebounds through one's first three games all time (tied with Natalie Williams - 15 in 1999, one behind Yolanda Griffith - 16 in 1999) (Across the Timeline)

Reese is the sixth player all time and the first since A'ja Wilson in 2018 to open their rookie season with three straight games of 10+ points and 8+ rebounds (Across the Timeline)

Reese is now averaging 12.0 points per game this season, ranking second among WNBA rookies

NEXT UP: The Sky return to Wintrust Arena for their home opener against the Connecticut Sun on Saturday, May 25. The Sky are 32-33 against the Sun all time after going 1-3 against them in 2023. The May 25 game is the first of four matchups between the two teams this season.

The Sun are the last remaining undefeated team in the WNBA at 4-0 after taking down the previously undefeated Minnesota Lynx on Thursday night. Through their first three games, Connecticut is led in scoring by DeWanna Bonner, who averages 21.3 points. DiJonai Carrington averaged 17.0 points through the Sun's first three games while Alyssa Thomas averages 16.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists, which included the WNBA's first triple-double of the season in Connecticut's season opener on May 14.

Saturday's game against the Sun will be broadcast nationally on CBSSN and will be available locally at Marquee Sports Network. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CST.

KEY RUNS:

The Sky went on a 15-5 run from 9:45 to 3:11 in the second quarter

The Sky outscored the Liberty 19-11 in the second quarter

The Liberty went on a 19-8 run from 7:47 to 2:40 in the third quarter

Chicago went on an 22-9 run from 7:31 to 1:59 in the fourth quarter to close the game

The Sky outscored the Liberty 27-22 in the fourth quarter

KEY STATS:

The Sky held the Liberty to a season low for points in a first half with 32 points (Previous: 36 points in the first half of the May 20 game against Seattle)

The Sky held the Liberty to 11 second-quarter points

The Sky recorded three steals in the fourth quarter

The Sky set their season high for three-pointers in a game with seven made threes, making them at a 36.8% clip (7 of 19)

The Sky outscored the Liberty 46-36 in the paint

The Sky committed nine turnovers and allowed 11 points off those turnovers while the Liberty turned the ball over 14 times and allowed 19 Sky points off those turnovers

Chicago outscored New York 22-17 in bench points

The Sky led by as many as 14 points

The Sky out-rebounded the Liberty 11-8 on the offensive glass, leading to 17 second-chance points for Chicago compared to New York's 12

The Sky are averaging 15.3 offensive rebounds per game through their first three games of the season. The franchise's all-time best average in a season is 11.3 (set in 2007). The all-time record was set by the Sacramento Monarchs in 2007 at 13.3 per game

The Liberty tied their season high for assists in a game with 22

CHICAGO NOTES:

Marina Mabrey accounted for 11 of the Sky's 21 points in the first quarter (seven points, four points created from assists)

Mabrey set a season high for assists in a quarter with four in the third quarter of Thursday's game

Mabrey created 10 of the Sky's 23 points in the third quarter from her four assists

Mabrey accounted for nine of the Sky's 27 fourth-quarter points (seven points, two points created from assists)

Elizabeth Williams finished the game with nine points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in Thursday's win

Dana Evans recorded 12 points, four assists and two steals in Thursday's victory

Evans accounted for 11 of the Sky's 27 points in the fourth quarter (seven points, four points created from assists)

Brianna Turner scored the first points of her Sky career in the first quarter of Thursday's game

Michaela Onyenwere scored eight of the Sky's 19 points in the second quarter, a season high for points in a quarter

Lindsay Allen recorded a season-high eight points off the bench on 57.1% shooting (4 of 7)

Chennedy Carter tied her season high for points in a game with 12 to go along with four assists and six rebounds, the latter of which tied a career high for rebounds in a game

Carter accounted for eight of the Sky's 23 third-quarter points (six points, two points created from assists)

Angel Reese scored eight of the Sky's 27 points in the fourth quarter

NEW YORK NOTES:

Sabrina Ionescu accounted for 14 of the Liberty's 21 points in the first quarter (seven points, seven points created from assists)

Nyara Sabally accounted for nine of the Liberty's 21 points in the first quarter (six points, three points created from assists)

Sabally's six first-quarter points tied a career high for points in a quarter (originally set in the fourth quarter of a June 29, 2023 game)

Sabally's eight points and two assists tied her career highs

Courtney Vandersloot accounted for eight of the Liberty's 11 points in the second quarter (two points, six points created from assists)

Vandersloot accounted for 11 of New York's 27 points in the third quarter (six points, five points created from assists)

Breanna Stewart tied her season high for steals in a game with four

Stewart recorded three of her four steals in the third quarter

Stewart accounted for 12 of the Liberty's 27 points in the third quarter (eight points, four points created from assists)

Stewart accounted for nine of the Liberty's 22 points in the fourth quarter (seven points, two points created from assists)

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