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On Tuesday night, the Sky will face a team that
also has struggled in that department when they visit the
Indiana Fever in Indianapolis.
The Fever were eliminated from playoff contention Friday but
regrouped for Sunday's overtime victory against the host Dallas
Wings.
"I think everything that we've been through individually and as
a group, we deserve to take this win," said Kelsey Mitchell, who
with teammate NaLyssa Smith, led the Fever with 30 points
apiece.
"I think for us, it was about making sure that everyone played
well and played together. Going forward, that's the mentality
we're gonna have."
Indiana (12-25) and Chicago (15-22) haven't met since July 2,
when Courtney Williams provided the late heroics in the Sky's
89-87 road win.
Williams finished with 28 points and eight assists while
displaying a poise in the clutch that has wavered for the team
this season. Her game-winning jumper with 18.1 seconds to go
helped the Sky fend off the Fever, who had rallied from a
six-point, fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game on Smith's
trey with 1:07 to go.
A closing kick eluded Chicago in Sunday's home loss to the New
York Liberty. After taking a 61-60 lead on Sika Kone's basket
with 8:35 left, the Sky were outscored 26-8 the rest of the way.
"We couldn't execute this game," Sky interim coach/general
manager Emre Vatansever said. "They really turned it up and we
just couldn't respond to it. We should have, but we couldn't."
Kahleah Copper (23 points) and Marina Mabrey (12) led the
Chicago attack, but it wasn't enough as the team fell one game
behind the Los Angeles Sparks for the league's eighth and final
playoff spot.
The Sky hold the tiebreaker over the Sparks after winning three
of the teams' four meetings during the regular season.
--Field Level Media
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