Sky Need a Bigger Gas Tank
The Chicago Sky dropped their fourth game in a row with a 90-59 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Friday. The battle between two former Las Vegas Aces assistant coaches would end with Golden State taking the regular-season series sweep behind a second-half scoring barrage the Sky just couldn't hold back. Chicago has lost 12 of its last 13 games, including two against the Valkyries, as it officially reaches the final quarter of its 2025 regular season run.
What is the biggest takeaway from the Sky's third and final regular season game against one of the league's newest competitors?
Sky need a bigger gas tank
For one full half, it seemed the Sky were finally close to being a force to be reckoned with.
The duo of Kamilla Cardoso and Elizabeth Williams, a recent bright spot for the sputtering squad, combined for 22 points and eight assists as they made their living from the inside. Williams added two blocks, including an emphatic swat off a Kate Martin drive that sent the ball to the Sky's bench. Chicago remained competitive and clawed back from a climbing deficit to nearly tie things up by the end of the first half, which provided a small glimmer of hope in earning a much-needed victory during what has been nothing short of a murky season.
To their bewilderment, the Sky seemed to forget they had to do that all over again for an entire other half of basketball.
Chicago followed up its competitive first half with nine points in the third quarter and 10 in the fourth. Golden State would counter with 48 points, including 27 in the third, as they would go on to drop 90 or more for just the third time this season. Despite continuing an inefficient night from the floor, Rachel Banham earned just over half of the Sky's second-half points despite hitting just three of her eight shot attempts.
The third quarter, in particular, can be nothing short of a challenge for a Sky squad who hasn't quite figured out how to keep their foot on the gas for 40 minutes.
Chicago is dead last in the WNBA in opponent field goal percentage in the third and near the bottom of the league in the second half. The Sky are tied with the Connecticut Sun at dead last in the WNBA with just under 37 second-half points per contest. Chicago can't keep running on fumes in the second half and keep their competitive fire going if they're to even make it to double-digit wins this season, which has proven more difficult after failing to score over 70 points in their last four matchups.
The Sky will move on to face the Seattle Storm at 7 p.m. CDT on Tuesday in Wintrust Arena. The game will be broadcast on The U.
Alex Sabri began contributing to the BIGPLAY Network in September 2025. He also contributes to Chicago Sky on SI and FanSided's High Post Hoops. The Purdue and Cleveland State graduate has over two years of journalism experience in collegiate and professional sports, as well as local journalism, and a few more years of sports blogging experience. Though he specializes in covering Ohio sports for BIGPLAY, his interests include the NBA, WNBA, NFL, Cleveland Guardians and college football and basketball.