Brooklyn, NY — Kamilla Cardoso delivered a dominant double-double with 22 points and a career-best 16 rebounds, while Angel Reese added 21 points and 10 boards to help the Chicago Sky snap a five-game losing streak with a 91-85 victory over the New York Liberty on Thursday night.
The Sky, who had dropped 13 of their previous 14 games, also ended a five-game skid against the Liberty. A lively crowd of 15,887 packed Barclays Center for a game that featured intensity, pace, and plenty of drama — including 21 lead changes and 11 ties.
Ariel Atkins scored 19 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, and Michaela Onyenwere chipped in 13 to bolster Chicago’s offense.
New York’s Jonquel Jones matched her career high with five made three-pointers and poured in 25 points to lead the Liberty. Sabrina Ionescu scored 16 points and Natasha Cloud added 14 in the losing effort.
With just over two minutes left, Ionescu hit a pair of free throws to give New York an 85-83 edge. But the Sky responded quickly — Atkins sank a tough floater in the lane, then hit a free throw to complete the three-point play, giving Chicago the lead for good with 1:35 remaining.
The Liberty, defending WNBA champions, failed to score again. They missed all four of their shots down the stretch and committed a costly turnover, as Chicago closed the game on an 8-0 run.
The Sky were unstoppable inside, scoring a season-high 52 points in the paint, while shooting 50% from the field (31-of-62). Cardoso was nearly perfect, making 8-of-9 from the floor, a perfect 6-of-6 at the free-throw line, and also dished out five assists.
New York entered the night as the league leader in three-pointers made per game and lived up to that in the first half, going 10-of-20 from beyond the arc. But they cooled off dramatically after the break, hitting just 3-of-17 (18%) in the second half.
Chicago beat up the Libs on the glass, outrebounding them 42-27
Breanna Stewart was sidelined for the game due to a knee injury.
Up Next:
The Liberty travel to face Atlanta, while the Sky return home to host Connecticut on Saturday.
