Every time Indiana Fever faces Chicago Sky, it’s a real spectacle. And although many fans were left wanting to see the clash between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, there was no shortage of excitement this time around either.
A back injury meant that the Sky forward was sidelined against the Fever, while CC’s persistent groin injury meant that she watched the game from the sidelines once again. Unfortunately, there is no exact date for her return.
Despite their absences, both teams put up a good fight at the United Center, but in the end, Indiana (14-12) came away with a 93-78 victory, its third consecutive win over the Sky and Chicago’s fifth consecutive loss (7-18).
And although Sky tried to resist, it wasn’t enough. Rachel Banham scored 26 points, including 6 three-pointers, and led Chicago’s offense. Kamilla Cardoso, meanwhile, had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, but Fever was superior.
Kelsey Mitchell continued to shine and, with 35 points and seven three-pointers, was the game’s top scorer. In addition, this game was her ninth game with more than 30 points in the WNBA, and she reached 200 steals.
Marsh reacts to the defeat
After the game, Sky coach Tyler Marsh spoke to the press and, far from lamenting, sent a powerful and defiant message and praised the way his team played:
“You learn to be proud of efforts like these. One thing about us is we’re not going to give up… I thought we played three quarters of really tough basketball,” he said, via Sky reporter Karli Bell.
The truth is that not only was Reese a significant loss for the team, but rookie point guard Hailey Van Lith, Ariel Atkins -who suffered a left ankle injury- and Moriah Jefferson, who recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on her right ankle, were also added to the inactive list.
Now, Sky will need to get better results in their next game, when they travel to face the Washington Mystics (12-13) on Tuesday at CareFirst Arena. It is still unknown whether Reese will be available for this game.
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