Sky's Big Fourth Quarter Paved the Way in Latest Win
While the New York Liberty are last year's WNBA champions, the Chicago Sky were quick to remind fans at the Barclays Center that they won a title this decade, too, on Thursday night.
For three quarters in a row, the Sky scored one less point than the Liberty. The games close the entire evening as Chicago's biggest lead was six points and New York's was seven.
On the heels (or sneakers) of big night's from both second-year stars, Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, this was a feel-good night for the Sky. Cardoso had 22 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists.
She only missed once and made her other eight shots for Chicago. Her teammate, Reese, also chipped in 21 points and 10 rebounds.
The key factor for the Sky's 91-85 victory on Thursday against the Liberty was closing out the fourth quarter. Here's how Chicago got it done in New York.
The Sky outscored the Liberty when it mattered the most.
Arguably, this could be the biggest win for not only the Sky this year but in first-year head coach Tyler Marsh's season. Chicago found a way to win for just the ninth time in 2025.
After trailing by just three points heading into the game's final quarter, the Sky turned it on defensively. The Liberty scored more than 20 points as a team in the first, second, and third quarters. Chicago put the clamp down on that by giving up a measly 17 points in the final period.
It only took about 80 seconds in the fourth quarter for either team to score. Reese, in her second game back from injury, connected on a field goal to bring the Sky within one point of the Liberty.
The leading scorer off of Chicago's bench, Elizabeth Williams, made two free-throws moments later to give the Sky a 68-67 lead. The Liberty's Natasha Cloud was credited with an assist and added a shot of her own to give New York four more points and the lead back.
Reese responded with a layup before Jonquel Jones' three point shot, 75-72 Liberty on top. Chicago took over the game down the stretch with easy points as they went 13-for-16 from the free-throw line.
As a team, the Sky were 25-for-29 from the stripe but had made multiple in the fourth quarter. After Williams made the first two, Cardoso made two of her own. Then, Reese and Ariel Atkins combined for nine more.
Once the Sky scored off of Atkins' floater with 2:09 remaining in the game, Marsh's team celebrated a rare victory. Chicago returns home this weekend where they will host the Connecticut Sun.
The Sky have a chance to win consecutive games for just the third time this season and the first without involving the Dallas Wings, who was also eliminated from the postseason with Chicago on Wednesday.
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My name is Scott Conrad and I am a Contributor for the Chicago Sky with Sports Illustrated.com. I am also a Contributor with FanSided on NinerNoise, as well as Da Windy City. In addition, I am the Site Editor/Expert for The View from Avalon. I spent two seasons (2015 & 2016) with the Tampa Bay Times as a Correspondent covering high school football. I am a two-time published author with more work to come. In my teenage years, I started watching both MLS and WNBA start in 1996 and grow to be the juggernauts they are in their respective sports. Much love to the career on and off the court for fellow-Napervillian and former Sky forward Candace Parker. Outside of the sports journalism world, I am a travel volleyball coach. I accepted the Head Coach position with Greater Cincinnati Volleyball Club for their U13-2 team. In terms of active sports, I play volleyball, soccer, softball, kickball and train in mixed martial arts.