Three Ways Sky Can Upset Storm
The Chicago Sky are looking to avoid a case of deja vu on Tuesday night when they host the Seattle Storm for the second time this season. In their previous contest, the Sky lost 95-57 to the Storm.
All-Star forward Angel Reese will miss this meeting, too. She sat out along with Ariel Atkins and Michaela Onyenwere. The Sky were reeling from missing their star point guard, Courtney Vandersloot. Former Sky and current Storm player Katie Lou Samuelson is out, too.
In the absence of both Sky forwards, Reese and Onyenwere, the Seattle Storm's All-Star Nneke Ogwumike did well for her team. She contributed 10 points, three rebounds, and two steals in just 20 minutes of play. Ogwumike also had a plus/minus of +28 in the game.
Despite the Sky being banged up and still searching for their ninth win of the season, there's hope for them on Tuesday night. Here are three reasons why the Chicago Sky upset the Seattle Storm.
1. The Sky Have Better Success at Home Against Western Conference Teams
Believe it or not, Chicago has won at home more against teams not in the Eastern Conference. The Sky have two wins at Wintrust Arena against the Dallas Wings. They also have big wins against the Los Angeles Sparks and the WNBA's best team, the Minnesota Lynx.
That shows that they are capable of catching playoff hopefuls and contenders from the WNBA's Western Conference on any given night. It will take that type of confidence to accomplish this feat once more on Tuesday night.
2. The Seattle Storm are 2-8 in their last 10 games.
Since the four-time WNBA champions last beat the Chicago Sky, the Seattle Storm have won just twice. One of those games was a two-point victory against the Atlanta Dream last Friday. If it weren't for that win, then Seattle would be entering Tuesday night's game against the Sky on an eight-game losing streak.
Of the Storm's last seven losses, all but two of them have been by five points or less. This includes the double-overtime loss against the Sparks.
Chicago's next opponent has been so inconsistent as of late. The last time Seattle won back-to-back games was over the 4th of July weekend.
3. History in the past four seasons show the Sky will win.
It's been since the 2020 WNBA season that the Chicago Sky have been swept by the Seattle Storm at home. Granted, the two teams only played each other twice that year, with each squad hosting one game.
In 2021, when the Sky won the WNBA title, they swept the Storm all three games including two victories at home. A year later, Chicago split games at home against Seattle.
Two seasons ago, the Sky beat the Storm three times in their four meetings. Despite winning both on the road in Seattle, Chicago split games against the Storm again, just like they did in 2021.
Last year, the Sky and the Storm split wins at Wintrust Arena. If history repeats itself, as it often does, then Chicago could pull off the upset and avoid losing their 26th game on the season. The Sky have less than a dozen games left to play this season.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (CT) and 5:00 p.m. (PT) at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The Sky are 5-12 at home and their guest, the Storm, are 9-8 on the road.
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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.