Sky Stars Will Thrive vs. Storm
There are a few names for the Chicago Sky that won't appear in the box score when they host the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night at Wintrust Arena.
Veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot remains out for the year following an injury to her ACL. Angel Reese is also sidelined with a back injury that has already caused her to miss more games this season than last year.
The last time that the Sky faced the Storm, Kamilla Cardoso wasn't the only starter to score in double digits. Though it didn't amount to much given Chicago lost to Seattle, 95-57, the second-year center had back up.
Elizabeth Williams and Rachel Banham were the two other players for the Sky to score ten points or more in the last home game against the Storm. Here's why both could break out on Tuesday night in a rematch and potential upset.
The case for Banham to have a big game for the Sky.
Along with Cardoso, Banham also scored 13 points against the Storm last month. Cardoso, the second-year center for Chicago, had a team-high plus/minus of -37. The former Connecticut Sun guard had a better one of -25 against Seattle.
Banham struggled from deep last month against the Storm. She only connected on two of her eight attempts from behind the arc while being a career 37.1% three-point shooter. The 32-year-old guard is likely not to have a bad night like that.
In her past five games at home this month, Banham has scored at least 14 points three times. That includes the Sky's recent 90-59 loss at Wintrust Arena on Sunday.
Going a combined 6-6 from the free throw line in the Sky's two home wins July, Banham scored more than 10 points in both of those contests, as well. The fourth-overall pick of the 2016 WNBA Draft has increased her season scoring average in each of the past four games.
If the Sky want to upset the Storm in their next game, Banham may need to make it a fifth.
The case for Williams to have a breakout night against the Storm.
For Williams, she is getting an increase in playing time with injuries to the Sky's roster, such as Reese, and others. So far, she has made the most of it during August.
In that seven-game span, the ten-year veteran has scored above her season average five times. The other two times, Williams was within a point of it on both occasions.
She has even recorded three double-doubles in August. Williams earned two of those at Wintrust Arena this month. If the Sky want to avoid a 26th loss this season and extract some revenge against the Storm, another double-double from the former Duke Blue Devil could go a long way for Chicago.
Tip-off between the Chicago Sky and the Seattle Storm is at 7:30 p.m. (CT) and 9:30 p.m (PT). These two former WNBA champions will meet for the third and final time this season on Sunday, August 30 at Climate Pledge Arena.
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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.