Sky Secure Road Victory over Storm, 82-80
Published on August 16, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Chicago Sky News Release
The Chicago Sky defeated the Seattle Storm 82-80 in Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday, Aug. 16. The Sky are now 13-22 overall, 11-22 against the Western Conference, 5-13 on the road and 23-30 against the Storm all time.
Fresh off her 20-point showing against the Valkyries, Sky center Kamilla Cardoso commanded the interior with a 22-point, 12-rebound double-double - her 12th of the season. The former Gamecock also reached the free throw line a season-best 11 times and denied three shot attempts, marking her fifth game with at least three rejections this season. Over her last six games, Cardoso is now averaging 17 points and 12 boards.
On the same day she became the eighth player in WNBA history to tally 1,900 assists or more, Chicago guard Natasha Cloud put together one of her most impressive two-way outings of her debut campaign with the Sky. In addition to scoring 20 points - one shy of her season high - the veteran snatched eight rebounds, forced three steals and blocked a shot in a team-leading 34 minutes of play. Cloud also drilled all nine of her free throw attempts, including six crucial looks from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter.
Courtney Vandersloot, Chicago's all-time leader in points and assists, helped pilot the offense with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and a season-high four steals in her 30 minutes. With the performance, the 37-year-old became the fourth player in the league this season to finish with such a line and the third-oldest ever to accomplish the statistical feat.
Sky guard/forward DiJonai Carrington posted eight points while recording a season-high seven rebounds. Since returning from injury, Carrington is averaging 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Veteran Rachel Banham contributed an additional five points, four rebounds and a steal in her 12 minutes played.
The Storm saw five players reach double-digit scoring in tonight's matchup. Center Dominique Malonga notched her 11th double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 rebounds while sinking nine of her 10 free-throw attempts. Ezi Magbegor had an all-around effort with 17 points, a season-high five blocks and four rebounds. Rookie Awa Fam notched 14 points and five rebounds on a 50.0% look from the field. Rounding out the box score for Seattle, guard Jade Melbourne finished the night with 11 points, six assists, five rebounds, while Zia Cooke added 10 points.
Other highlights include:
Natasha Cloud reached 1,900 career assists. Cloud becomes the eighth player to ever achieve this feat, joining Chicago teammate Courtney Vandersloot (2,971)
Kamilla Cardoso (562) claimed No. 13 on Chicago's all-time free throws list.
Cardoso is one of only two players to record 500+ points and 50+ blocks this season, joining A'ja Wilson.
Cardoso matched her career high with 11 free throw attempts, previously set against Connecticut on July 30
Courtney Vandersloot notched a new season high with four steals. Vandersloot surpassed her previous season high (3) which was last hit against Las Vegas on Aug. 1
Vandersloot is the fourth WNBA player this season with 15+ points, 5+ assists, 5+ rebounds and 4+ steals in a game, joining Wilson, Sonia Citron and Arike Ogunbowale
Of the 165 such performances in league history, Vandersloot is the third-oldest to accomplish the feat
In the third quarter, Sky guard/forward DiJonai Carrington notched a season high of seven rebounds. Carrington surpassed her previous season high (6) which came against Seattle on Aug. 10
Carrington also recorded a season-high rebounds made in a single quarter (5) in the third quarter against the Storm. This surpassed her previous season high of three which was last hit in the second quarter against Seattle on Aug. 10
Carrington secured a season-high seven rebounds
Rachel Banham reached 650 points in a Chicago jersey. Banham becomes the 25th player in Sky history to achieve this feat, joining teammates Courtney Vandersloot (3,908), Elizabeth Williams (1,026) and Kamilla Cardoso (1,355).
The Sky achieved a new season high for rebounds made in a game with 47. The previous season high (46) came against Portland on May 9
NEXT UP: The Sky return to Chicago following this three-game road trip for their third test of the season against the New York Liberty on Tuesday, Aug. 18 in Wintrust Arena. Chicago holds a 36-40 all-time record against the franchise. The game against the Liberty kicks off a three-game home stand, the last time the Sky play consecutive home games this season.
The Sky traded blows with the Liberty in their first meeting on June 17, but ultimately fell short due to four-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu's game-deciding basket with 10.3 seconds left.
Despite the 96-95 loss, Chicago saw five players reach double-figure scoring. Rookie Sydney Taylor led the charge, recording 24 points, three steals, two assists and a highly efficient 62.5% mark from the field. Guard Gabriela Jaquez registered a career-high 22 points, including nailing four of her five attempts from beyond the arc. Veteran Skylar Diggins posted 19 points, eight assists and two rebounds.
New York also found five players in double figures in this outing. Jonquel Jones led the charge with 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a 66.7% clip from the floor in that game. Two-time MVP Breanna Stewart and three-time All-Star Satou Sabally each went for 17 points.
New York rallied from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit in the teams' second meeting of the season on June 22, leading the Sky to fall 95-94. Taylor posted a career-high 31 points in this outing, with an additional three rebounds, three assists, four three-pointers and a 9-for-10 mark from the free-throw line. The Liberty turned on the jets late in that game, with Ionescu scoring nine of her 29 points in the final minute and Jones nailing the tie-breaking free throw with 3.4 seconds to clinch the victory.
Stewart leads the Liberty in scoring (20.7), steals (1.3) and blocks (1.4) in just over 33 minutes per outing. Ionescu puts up 16.0 points, 4.5 assists and shoots 42.1% from the field, while Jones averages 14.7 points and a team-high 9.4 rebounds.
The third game of the season between the two teams tips off at 8 p.m. CT in Wintrust Arena on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The game will be available locally on The U.
KEY RUNS:
The Sky went on a 23-9 run from 7:37 to 0:01 in the first quarter
Chicago went on a 16-5 run from 6:04 to 1:41in the second quarter
The Sky outscored the Storm 46-29 in the first half
The Storm went on a 24-9 run from 8:17 to 0:06 in the third quarter
The Storm outscored the Sky 26-14 in the third quarter
Seattle went on a 15-5 run from 7:15 to 1:52 in the fourth quarter
KEY STATS:
The Sky outscored the Storm on points off turnovers, 24-16
Both teams combined for 37 turnovers
Seattle outscored Chicago in the paint, 46-36
Chicago recorded 13 second-chance points to Seattle's two
The Storm outscored the Sky on fast break points, 14-6
Seattle's bench outscored Chicago's, 26-19
Chicago notched 11 steals to Seattle's seven
The Sky out-rebounded the Storm, 47-34
The Sky led by as many as 21 points
Seattle recorded a season-high 13 blocks
The Sky notched a season-high 47 rebounds
Chicago shot 42.9% (3 of 7) from beyond the arc while holding Seattle to 0% (0 of 5) in the first quarter
Chicago held Seattle to 11 points in the first quarter
The Sky notched five steals in the first quarter
Chicago out-rebounded Seattle 26-13 in the first half
The Sky notched 10 second-chance points in the first half while the Storm scored none
CHICAGO NOTES:
Kamilla Cardoso scored 12 of the Sky's 46 points in the first half
Cardoso accounted for seven of the Sky's 14 points in the third quarter
Natasha Cloud accounted for 10 of Chicago's 23 points in the second quarter (five points, five points created from assists)
Cloud accounted for six of the Sky's 22 points in the fourth quarter
Courtney Vandersloot accounted for eight of the Sky's 23 points in the second quarter (four points, four points created from assists)
Vandersloot accounted for 10 of Chicago's 22 points in the fourth quarter (five points, five points created from assists)
SEATTLE NOTES:
Zia Cooke accounted for seven of Seattle's 11 points in the first quarter (five points, two points created from assists)
Awa Fam accounted for eight of the Storm's 18 points in the second quarter (five points, three points created from assists)
Flau'jae Johnson accounted for seven of Seattle's 18 points in the second quarter (five points, two points created from assists)
Dominique Malonga accounted for eight of the Storm's 24 points in the third quarter (six points, two points created from assists)
Malonga accounted for nine of the Storm's 25 points in the fourth quarter
Ezi Magbegor accounted for nine of Seattle's 25 points in the fourth quarter (seven points, two points created from assists)
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