Three Questions from Sky’s Loss to Valkyries
The Chicago Sky continued to slip in the Eastern Conference standings with a 73-66 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Friday, which marked their seventh loss in a row and their 20th of the season. The Sky nearly had it in a back-and-forth contest, but let a win slip through their fingers as the Valkyries took a lead they'd never lose with a fourth-quarter scoring surge led by a former Northwestern standout in Veronica Burton. The fourth-year guard ended the night with a team-leading 18 points with tough drives to the hoop and a 3-pointer.
Still, the Sky looked closer to taking a small step forward than they had in games past.
Center Elizabeth Williams countered with 15 points and three assists. The decade-long WNBA veteran proved she could be reliable on the interior with eight rebounds, including four on offense, and two swatted shots. Center Kamilla Cardoso used her size to be effective with her back to the basket on her way to 14 points of her own. She notched the seventh double-double of her sophomore season and her fifth in a row.
Will the Sky continue to take small steps in the right direction? What will they need to figure out as they push through their recent home stretch?
Can Chicago Find The Consistency It Needs From Long-Range?
Easy come, easy go.
From sky-high highs to noticeable lows, the Sky have been anything but consistent from beyond the arc over their last few games. They've alternated from lights-out shooting nights to some of their campaign's lowest marks, including a season-low 19% from 3-point range, since even before they hit the halfway mark of the 2025 WNBA season. They needed to find some stability after hitting just over 31% of their shots on Tuesday with some guidance from Rachel Banham and Rebecca Allen.
The Sky 's 3-point shooting sank to some of its murkiest depths of the season with six makes on 22 shot attempts on Friday. The guard trio of Kia Nurse, Banham and Allen combined for five scores on 19 tries as they just couldn't find their rhythm off screens, quick passes and when creating for themselves. It will be up to the veteran guards to get the Sky back on track and spark some hope during what could be an important home stretch for the Windy City squad.
Can Rachel Banham Continue to Play as a Point Guard?
Is Banham the stopgap point guard solution the Sky need for the rest of their 2025 campaign?
Chicago's options at the one were stretched incredibly thin following the departure of Moriah Jefferson, who was waived by the Sky last Monday. Hailey Van Lith sat out of Friday's game with an ankle injury and hasn't suited up since a late July matchup with the Seattle Storm. The Sky added to their guard depth by signing Sevgi Uzun, but have yet to find their No. 1 point guard for the rest of the season.
Banham stepped up on Friday with a season-high seven assists as she continued to bring the ball up and connect with Cardoso. She would add four turnovers off a few missed passes, including off a steal as she tried to push it up the floor. Still, if the Sky continue to trust her with the ball in her hands, she could be just what Chicago needs to get the ball rolling on offense as they approach the closing stages of their 2025 campaign.
Can Chicago's Bench Options Step Up To The Plate?
A team can only be as strong as its 12th player.
Chicago called upon a few more of its reserve options as three of their starters and Van Lith sat out on Friday. Uzun scored half of the Sky's 10 bench points in what would be her first recorded game with the squad. The 5-foot-10 guard added four boards and an assist in her time off the bench. Forwards Michaela Onyenwere and Maddy Westbeld each added one bucket of their own in about 14 minutes of play apiece.
The Sky have called upon their bench players for an average of just under 13 minutes per game, which ties them with the Dallas Wings at about fourth place in the WNBA. They've come up strong in the past, including in a sensational scoring outing against the Connecticut Sun that saw them combine for 36 points last June, but Chicago will need more out of them as they continue to sail through uncertain waters this season.
The Sky will take on the Phoenix Mercury at 5 p.m. CDT on Sunday in Wintrust Arena. The game will be broadcast on The U.
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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.