The Liberty outscored the Sky13-0 in the final 3:31 of the game after the Sky took a 91-85 lead
The Chicago Sky started their quest for back-to-back Championships last night at Wintrust Arena and suffered a tough 98-91 loss at the hands of the New York Liberty. This best of 3 series started here in Chicago with home court advantage for the Sky, leaving the Liberty hungry for a win with the hopes of taking a possible Game 3 back to New York.
The Sky managed to keep a consistent lead over the Liberty until the 4th quarter where the Liberty outscored the Sky 13-0 in the final 3:31 of the game after the Sky took a 91-85 lead. What really stands out with this Liberty squad is that they came into the playoffs with a below .500 record (16-20) and were supreme underdogs coming to Chicago. Now they are one win away from advancing after shocking the Sky in Game1.
If the Sky want to force a Game 3 in New York on Tuesday, they need to be more efficient as they were aggressive defensively. Down the stretch, I saw a panic in the defending champs I hadn't seen all season. When asked what steps would be taken to ensure they make it to New York, the players spoke about not taking stats for granted. “There’s a lot of things we need to do better, and I would be saying that if we won that game,” said Candace Parker, who was selected as a member of the WNBA 1st team this season.
Notable Players:
* (NY) Sabrina Lonescu (22pts., 7rebs., 6 ast.)
* (NY) Natasha Howard (22pts., 7rebs.)
* (CHI) Kahleah Copper (21pts., 8rebs.)
* (CHI) Allie Quigley (18pts., 5rebs.)
Game 2 tips-off at 11am Saturday at Wintrust Arena.