Chicago Sky Play 'Selfish Basketball' As Atlanta Dreams a Win in WNBA

Rosemont, IL—As the Chicago Sky took the court in Allstate Arena Tuesday night, the question on the minds of the 3,290 in attendance was, which Sky team would show up? Would it be the Sky that openend the season with a four game losing streak, extending their current streak to three, or would it be the Sky that dominated its opponents in four consecutive games for the franchise's longest streak in its five season history?

If omens mean anything, the opposition was the Atlanta Dream, the second domino to fall in the Sky's win streak. Would history repeat itself, this time on the home court, or would it be a revenge match for the visitors? 

Things looked hopeful for Chicago in the first half.

After trading baskets for the first few minutes the Sky took off on a 6-0 run until Atlanta called time at 6:43, trailing 13-7. Sylvia Fowles scored six of the team's first 13 points.

By 5:27, the Sky run was up to 12-2, with three more from Fowles and two from Jia Perkins, with the score up to 19-9.

Tamera Young (pictured above) had a rare start tonight, in place of Catherine Kraayeveld, apparently as an attempt by Coach Steve Key to tweak team chemistry after a two-game losing streak. Although she scored only once from the field during her first outing, her presence was felt away from the ball going both directions. Her basket extended the Sky lead to 21-9 before Atlanta took off on their own 10-3 run.

Fowles and Perkins had most of the Sky's offensive production in the quarter with 10 and eight points respectively. Atlanta's scoring was well distributed between the starters with no one dominating.

The first quarter ended with Chicago leading 24-19.

Atlanta continued to chip away at the Sky lead early in the second quarter. An acrobatic layup by the Dream's Angel Mccoughtry brought the visitors to within one at 26-25 before Chicago used a time out at 6:48 in the quarter.

Atlanta took the first lead of the night at 29-28, on a close jumper by Erika DeSouza. The teams traded baskets for a while. With an edge on offensive rebounds Atlanta managed to stay in the back and forth of scoring.

Still, the Sky showed a burst of energy near the end of the half, scoring six in a row and were out in front 39-35, forcing Atlanta to call time.

The half ended on a long two-pointer by Dominique Canty setting Chicago up to take a 41-38 lead into the locker room.

The Sky shot 44.8 percent from the field in the first half but made three of five from beyond the arc for 60 percent. Fowles and Perkins continued to dominate scoring the rest of the half with 14 and 12 points respectively. 

Atlanta had a slight edge in rebounds in the first half, 16-15, but doubled Chicago on offensive boards with a 6-3 margin. Both teams were hot from the charity stripe in the half, with Atlanta shooting nine for nine, while Chicago missed only one of 13 attempts.

Chicago dominated the half on defense with seven steals (to Atlanta's three) and a 12-10 advantage in defensive boards.

As the second half progressed, the momentum seemed to turn. Chicago missed several opportunities to hold and extend their lead early in the third. After missing three shots on a single possession, Atlanta took it home when Angel McCoughtry hit a long two. Chicago clung to a 47-45 lead. Another quick Atlanta score tied the game at 47.

The Dream's Sancho Lytle came back with a three, and Atlanta led 50-49 with a little less than six minutes remaining.

At 4:47 Fowles missed an easy shot, got her own rebound, and missed again. Atlanta took the ball the other way, missed, Chicago rebounded, and a pass came back inside to Fowles who hit to take the lead back for Chicago at 53-51. A moment later Fowles scored her 20th point to put Chicago ahead 55-53, at 3:43. Atlanta timeout.

Both teams wasted their first possesion after the time out, but Atlanta came back with a three and a foul. Iziane Castro Marques hit the free throw for a four point play putting Atlanta up by two. 57-55.

On the next play Epiphany Prince tied the game, stole the ball back and hit another bucket but it was disallowed on an offensive foul. 57-57. 

Atlanta replied with two consecutive scores off steals. With 1:20 remaining, the visitors took their biggest lead of the game. 61-57. Chicago time out.

Chicago won the final minute of the quarter, closing the Atlanta lead to 64-66.

If the third quarter was a harbinger of doom, the fourth quarter was the consummation of it.

In the first minute Fowles missed two consecutive layups before hitting on her third attempt a few seconds later. Then Kraayeveld missed an easy one. Atlanta went right back for Castro Marques to score. Chicago, back with another miss—Epiphany Prince this time, on a layup.

Atlanta, shooting slightly better, extended their lead to six, another game high for the Dream.

Next trip down the court Chicago's Jia Perkins was fouled in the act, and hit both her free throws bringing the lead back down to four. On the next possession Atlanta missed. Erin Thorn came back for two more Chicago points. Another Atlanta bucket, and then Thorn again. 72-74, Atlanta.

For Atlanta, it was a threatening Sky. But the clouds would quickly pass.

Just as it looked as if the Sky would take the game back, they hit another cold streak while Atlanta was suddenly as hot as the weather back home. They extended their lead to 81-74.

Fouled at the other end, Chicago's Jia Perkins, hit two essential free throws, closing the gap to 81-76. But with only 3:32 left, time was running out.

The gap widened as Sancho Lyttle hit two free throws at the opposite end, but Canty came back with a short jumper.

Going back the other way, the Dream missed their shot. Back came the Sky in transition. A feed pass to Canty. Layup attempted. Fouled. Chicago trailed by five, 83-78. Time-out called.

Canty hit both shots from the line. 80-83. But Castro Marques answered with a three from the right corner. Chicago trailed by six again. 80-86.

The Sky proceeded to miss four easy shots on the same possession, thanks to three offensive boards. Mercifully, Atlanta missed on their next trip down. 

Still trailing by six with the clock down to 1:29, Chicago called time.

Time in. Atlanta inbounds. Atlanta scores.

The Sky gets back in a hurry. Kraayeveld hits a three from the top of the key. It's 83-88.

The Dream roars back. Chicago takes a foul. Marques Castro hits one of two from the line. It's 83-89 with 19.1 seconds left. Chicago time out.

Chicago inbound to Perkins. She hits a three. Chicago time out with 13.8 remaining. 86-89.

Atlanta inbound. Nowhere to go. Atlanta time-out. The clock hasn't moved. Still 13.8.

Atlanta inbound. Pass to Castro Marques. Chicago takes the foul. The clock is at 11.8. She hits both free throws. 86-91. Chicago time called. No time elapsed. 11.8.

Chicago inbound.  Steal by Castro Marques. She lays it in for her 29th and 30th points. Game ends.

Atlanta wins 93-86. Chicago loses number three in a row, as the season's second losing streak continues. Atlanta starts a new win streak with their second.

It was only the second time Atlanta has beaten Chicago in the two seasons the Dream has been in the league.  

It was a game Chicago could have and should have won. The Sky had so many opportunties in the fourth quarter to take over, but couldn't hit the easy shots and couldn't stop Atlanta from getting good shots or making them.  In all, Chicago missed 11 layups. If they'd made only half of them, they would have won.  

Chicago's three point percentage dropped almost 20 points from the first half to the second. If they'd kept up with their typical three point percentage, they would have won. If they'd kept up the degree of defense pressure they exerted in the first half thoughout the game, they likely would have won.     

The absence of Shameeka Christon didn't help. The All-Star suffered a concussion in the New York game, last Friday. Christon continues to suffer from headaches and her return date is undetermined at this time.

It was clear to coach Steven Key, after the game, why Chicago lost. "We played selfish basketball," Key said. "Take the ball down the floor and shoot instead of passing, don't play defense, you're gonna lose."

In contrast, "Atlanta got excited. They scored on transition and got excited. We just took selfish shots and didn't play defense."

When asked if he'd make any personnel changes to adjust, the coach said, "you've only got so many people, and some are injured, so what do you do?"

Chicago begins a two game road trip in Washington on Saturday June 19th, against the Mystics at 6 PM.