In the WNBA, Chicago Still Can't Break the Fever

Rosemont, IL (July 6, 2010) It was reminiscent of the U.S. World Cup team. The WNBA's Chicago Sky dug themselves a hole against the Indiana Fever comparable to a two goal soccer deficit, and then near the end of the game came roaring back.

Despite shooting 21.1 percent rom the field in the first quarter, compared to their opponents 78.6 percent, despite shooting less than 20 percent for the half and trailing by 18 points at halftime to a team that made the WNBA finals last year, Chicago found themselves making a three minute surge at the end of the third quarter that had erased all but two of the 18 point defecit.  Despite trailing the entire game, Chicago tied the score at 45 and again at 47 early in the fourth quarter.

At this point one is thinking it is the classic American comeback story. But that's where it ends. After that, Indiana went on a 11-4 run, completely shutting Chicago out for a full six of the last six and a half minutes, finally winning by a score of 58-51.

With the loss, Chicago remains unable to find the formula to beat Indiana, the only one of the league's top teams the Sky has not been able to vanquish.

"We've got one more shot at them," Head Coach Stephen Key said. "We've got to beat them once. It's likely we'll meet them again in the playoffs at some point, and we will need the confidence that comes from knowing we've beaten them."

In considering that challenge Key said, "It would be nice if we could play like that for more than a quarter. But you can't beat a team this good by showing up for one quarter."

Still, Key says he expects his team to make the playoffs when all is said and done. As the Sky goes into the All-Star break (season mid-point) Key cites the fact that unlike the other teams in the Eastern Conference, Chicago has only played three games against Western Conference opponents.

"Any team in the East would be in second place in the West right now," Key observed. "And that's why so many teams in the East are over .500. That's what it's going to take to make the playoffs. The teams that are .500 or better should make it. The others won't. We're close. Had we won tonight we would have been there. I tell the team we're going to get there. But they have to play more than one quarter of basketball."

Mistie Bass, who started her fourth consecutive game after displacing Catherine Kraayveld, said she agrees that the Sky will be a playoff team this year. "We just need the All-Star Break to get us focused re-oriented. We just can't let ourselves have these defensive lapses again."

With the loss, Chicago falls to 8-10. Indiana improves to 10-6, finishing their road trip with a 2-2 mark.

Attendance is running in the range of last year's numbers. Tonight's crowd of 3,732 was about average or a little above for a weeknight game, for Chicago, but still far below the league norms.

There's no doubt that the Sky is feeling the absence of Shameka Christon (pictured above) to a certain extent at least. She is scheduled for surgery on Friday July 9th, to correct a minor fracture near her left eye, resulting from a concussion. Her recovery will take 2-4 weeks.