Top Takeaway from Sky's Loss to Dream
The league giveth and the league taketh away.
The Chicago Sky fell in an 86-65 loss to the Atlanta Dream just a few days after snapping an 8-game losing streak. Any hope of winning a closely-contested battle was all but lost after the Dream pulled away with 32 points in the third quarter through a balanced scoring attack from their guards. Rachel Banham and Kamilla Cardoso took point as the only two players who broke into double-digits for Chicago. The pair combined for 30 points as they hit just over 50% of their attempts from the floor. Cardoso added five assists as she tapped into her inner point guard in the second quarter while notching four blocked shots, including a tipped try from Naz Hillmon at the perimeter.
The Sky slipped to 8-22 on the season following Thursday's loss, or three games behind where they were at this point last year. They're still on pace with the Dallas Wings and just under three games ahead of the Connecticut Sun, but may continue to be tested as they work through their August schedule. What can they take away from their most recent matchup before they enter an important stretch of games before the three-quarter mark?
Sky can't keep taking their foot off the gas
In a game defined by runs, the last thing you want to do is slow yourself down.
Whether it be off a large lead or from a small string of miscues, the Sky occasionally find themselves in moments where they seem to take their foot off the gas and let the tide turn in their opponents' favor. They have gotten off to impressive starts against teams like the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx in their last ten games, but let the key matchups slip through their fingers after heavy scoring quarters put the games out of reach. Chicago held a 2-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter in a matchup against the Golden State Valkyries last week, but 12 unanswered points would ultimately keep them from sealing the deal against one of the league's newest franchises.
This game was no different.
A close halftime lead was all but erased when the Dream scored a combined 58 points in the second half to the Sky's 31. Atlanta ended the first half with 28 points while hitting about 30% of its shots, but flipped the switch from the moment they stepped back out with a blazing mark of just over 62% from the floor. As much as the Sky tried to turn things around, it wouldn't be enough to keep Chicago from logging its ninth loss in 10 games and from stopping a season sweep from the Dream.
The Sky will need to learn how to keep going strong and capitalize on their early runs if they want to get back on the right track this season. If they don't, it may be a while before they can iron things out and come close to righting the ship by earning some much-needed wins.
The Sky will play in the first of two straight road games when they take on the Indiana Fever at 7 p.m. CDT on Saturday in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
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.