Chicago Sun-Times

Ice-cold Sky ousted from playoffs with 79-57 loss to Fever

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 16:01:47 -0500

INDIANAPOLIS — Tamika Catchings scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and the defending champion Indiana Fever eliminated the Sky from the WNBA playoffs with a 79-57 victory Sunday. The Fever won the best-of-three series 2-0 to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. Erlana Larkins added 14 points and Shavonte Zellous 10 for the Fever, which will play the Atlanta Dream or Washington Mystics in Game 1 of the conference finals Thursday. The Fever was the only team with a losing record to reach the playoffs, but it had the Sky’s number this season. Including the postseason, the Fever was …

Sky’s Game 1 loss spoils party for Fowles, Delle Donne

Sat, 21 Sep 2013 02:13:04 -0500

The day began pleasantly enough. About an hour before its first-ever playoff game, the Sky revealed that Elena Delle Donne was unanimously voted WNBA rookie of the year and Sylvia Fowles was defensive player of the year. Then the game started. The top-seeded Sky was unable to slow the fourth-seeded, defending-champion Indiana Fever in an 85-72 loss in Game 1 of the best-of-three Eastern Conference semifinals. The Fever shot 10-for-16 from three-point range in its highest-scoring effort of the season. The Fever (17-18) shot 50.8 percent from the field to the Sky’s 41.4 percent after averaging 70.8 points and shooting …

Sky, Vandersloot ready for defending champs

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 23:04:05 -0500

Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot knew from the first drills of training camp that this season would be much different. “We were really disappointed that we didn’t make the playoffs last year,” Vandersloot said. “We felt as if we should have been in, so the team’s mentality is a little different.” Vandersloot’s training-camp intuition proved correct. The Sky finished with the best regular-season record in franchise history (24-10) and secured home-court advantage for the team’s first-ever playoff berth. “We’re not surprised,” Vandersloot said. “This is what we expected.” Vandersloot, who was the third overall pick in the 2011 WNBA draft, …

Saturday’s result: Lynx 79, Sky 66

Sat, 14 Sep 2013 21:22:00 -0500

MINNEAPOLIS — Maya Moore had 22 points and 11 rebounds and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Chicago Sky 79-66 Saturday night in their final regular-season game to secure home-court advantage throughout the WNBA playoffs. Lindsay Whalen added 23 points and Seimone Augustus had 14 for the Lynx (26-8), who have won eight of nine. Minnesota finished the season 15-2 at home. Janel McCarville grabbed 10 rebounds. Sylvia Fowles led Chicago with 17 points and 11 rebounds and Elena Delle Donne had 14 points. The Sky (24-10) lost for just the second time in 11 games and will be the top …

View from top is a refreshing change for Sky

Sun, 08 Sep 2013 23:47:04 -0500

Drake’s song “Started from the Bottom” might as well be the Sky’s theme song. When the Sky beat the New York Liberty 82-64 on Aug. 23 to clinch a playoff spot for the first time in franchise history, forward Tamera Young said she and her teammates all sang along to the song’s chorus that resonates deeply with the team’s eight-year journey to their first playoff berth. For Sky veterans such as Young and center Sylvia Fowles, sitting in the top spot couldn’t feel any sweeter. The Sky, which already had clinched the top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, improved …

Sky clinches first-ever postseason berth with win over N.Y.

Wed, 25 Sep 2013 06:17:12 -0500

Sylvia Fowles might have worn the biggest smile of all. The wait is over after eight years. The Sky clinched its first playoff berth in the team’s eight-year history by beating the New York Liberty 82-64 on Friday at Allstate Arena. Fowles has played six of those eight losing seasons with the Sky (19-8). “It feels good, just thinking about it from the first training camp and the first preseason game, knowing what you have around you, all these good players we’re surrounded by,” said Fowles, who scored a team-high 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. “[It’s] just making it …

Friday’s result: Sky 82, Liberty 64

Fri, 23 Aug 2013 21:55:35 -0500

Sylvia Fowles scored 14 points to lead Chicago to an 82-64 win over the New York Liberty on Friday night in Rosemont, clinching the Sky’s first playoff berth in the team’s eight-year history. The Sky (19-8) have won four straight and six of seven, locking up their first winning record with a victory Tuesday at Washington. Chicago leads the Eastern Conference by 3Ω games over Atlanta, which lost 74-64 to Washington. Chicago led 38-33 at halftime and outscored New York 29-12 in the third quarter to take control of the game before resting its starters the entire fourth quarter. The …

Game has personal, playoff implications for Sky’s Tamera Young

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 06:38:57 -0500

Sky forward Tamera Young’s tattoos say it all. ‘‘My tattoos, they tell a story,’’ she said. A pink ribbon spells ‘‘Hope’’ on the inside of her arm in honor of her aunt, Patricia Nichols, a breast cancer survivor, and her grandmother, Massie Young, who died of breast cancer when Tamera was 9. Young, who is the Sky’s spokeswoman for the Breast Health Awareness Game on Friday against the New York Liberty, said the game brings her full circle because Nichols, a Liberty season-ticket holder, inspired her WNBA dreams as a child. ‘‘She used to take me to the Liberty games, …

Fowles leads Sky to 89-78 comeback win over Sun

Sun, 18 Aug 2013 21:30:00 -0500

Sylvia Fowles made sure the Chicago Sky didn’t pay for a sluggish start Sunday. Fowles had 20 points and 21 rebounds to help the East-leading Sky rally from a 25-point deficit for an 89-78 victory over the Connecticut Sun. Connecticut scored the game’s first 15 points, capped by a desperation 3-pointer by Renee Montgomery with 4:35 left to beat the 24-second shot clock. Montgomery’s layup with 1:58 remaining in the first half gave the Sun a 43-18 lead. But the Sky outscored Connecticut 62-35 in the second half, taking their first lead with 2:48 left in the game on Epiphanny …

Sky beats Lynx in overtime behind Elena Delle Donne, Sylvia Fowles

Sun, 11 Aug 2013 21:24:33 -0500

Elena Delle Donne’s impressive play is providing a big boost for the Sky. The Sky forward forced overtime with a clutch 3-pointer and closed with a career-high 32 points in a 94-86 victory over Minnesota in a matchup between conference leaders Sunday at Allstate Arena. Delle Donne had five points in overtime for East-leading Chicago (15-7) while Sylvia Fowles added 31 points, including six in the extra session. “Being down and to come back was incredible for us and many times before we haven’t been able to do that,” Delle Donne said. “To do that against the team with the …

Epiphanny Prince leads Sky to 77-61 road victory over Sun

Sat, 10 Aug 2013 00:40:00 -0500

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — There was no way the Sky was going to lose three in a row. Epiphanny Prince scored 23 points and Elena Delle Donne had 19 to lead the Sky to a 77-61 victory against the Connecticut Sun on Friday night. Center Sylvia Fowles added 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. The Eastern Conference-leading Sky (14-7) had lost their previous two games, both to the Indiana Fever, scoring just 58 points in both losses. “We want to stay at the top of the conference,” Prince said. “And we know that Atlanta is right behind us [at 11-6]. …

Sky struggles without Elena Delle Donne in loss to Fever

Thu, 05 Sep 2013 07:10:42 -0500

INDIANAPOLIS — Tamika Catchings had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead to lead the defending-champion Fever to a 79-58 win over the short-handed Chicago Sky on Saturday night. Karima Christmas scored 12 points, including two timely 3-pointers in the third quarter for the Fever (9-10). Catchings also had five steals and four blocked shots. “I thought we did a really good job as a team of just continuing to push forward no matter what,” Catchings said. “Offensively we were able to go off of our defense. That’s the kind of defense that we need consistently.” Courtney Vandersloot had 11 …

Sylvia Fowles helps Sky put end to threat in win

Wed, 04 Sep 2013 06:17:45 -0500

Sylvia Fowles came through with the big effort the short-handed Sky needed. The 6-foot-6 center had a season-high 32 points and 15 rebounds, and the Sky overcame the absence of injured leading scorer Elena Delle Donne to beat the Washington Mystics 85-78 on Friday night at Allstate Arena. “You know, she’s a beast,” Chicago coach Pokey Chatman said. “I call that her beast mode. ... Look at her toenail polish when you go in there (to the locker room). She’s got that Incredible Hulk Green on.” Fowles was the most visible player on the court, too. She went 10 for …

Candace Parker scores record 23 points in WNBA All-Star Game

Sun, 28 Jul 2013 00:34:00 -0500

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Candace Parker had a blast in her All-Star debut. Parker scored a record 23 points to lead the West to a 102-98 win over the East on Saturday and earn MVP honors. The Los Angeles Sparks star was voted a starter for the 2011 game, but she couldn’t play because of a knee injury. This time, she put on a show. Brittney Griner and top vote-getter Elena Delle Donne sat out because of injuries, but there was plenty of talent on display in a game that featured a ref cam and in-huddle mics. Griner has missed Phoenix’s …

Elena Delle Donne suffers concussion in Sky’s loss; All-Star game in doubt

Mon, 29 Jul 2013 18:59:22 -0500

Top All-Star vote-getter Elena Delle Donne has suffered a concussion and is questionable for the game on Saturday.

Sky’s Elena Delle Donne out for WNBA All-Star game

Fri, 26 Jul 2013 10:46:00 -0500

The Sky’s Elena Delle Donne, the top vote-getter for the WNBA All-Star game, will have to sit out Saturday’s contest because of a concussion.