CHICAGO, IL — Kamilla Cardoso delivered a breakout performance and Courtney Vandersloot made franchise history as the Chicago Sky edged the Dallas Wings 97-92 on Thursday night in a thrilling back-and-forth contest.
Cardoso, the Sky’s rookie center, had her best game yet, scoring a career-high 23 points to go along with a strong first-half showing that helped Chicago build early momentum. She poured in 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting before halftime and helped the Sky dominate the offensive glass.
While Cardoso was making noise in the paint, it was Vandersloot who etched her name into the record books. The veteran guard passed Allie Quigley — her wife and longtime Sky teammate — to become the franchise’s all-time leader in both points (3,728) and field goals made (1,394). Vandersloot tied the field goal mark with a three-pointer in the second quarter and officially took over the scoring lead with a jumper late in the third.
Vandersloot finished with 13 points, nine assists, and four steals in a performance that was both efficient and historic.
Still, the game nearly slipped away. Dallas guard Arike Ogunbowale exploded for a season-best 37 points, including a clutch three that gave the Wings a 92-91 lead with just over two minutes left. But she missed her final three shots, and the Sky capitalized.
Angel Reese gave Chicago the lead for good with a strong finish at the rim with 1:21 remaining. The Sky then locked in defensively and iced the game with a 6-0 closing run. Reese added nine rebounds, five assists, and six points in the win.
The Sky (1-4) had led by as many as 13 in the first half but needed late-game execution to seal their first win of the season. Meanwhile, Dallas (1-5), fresh off its first victory of the year earlier this week against Connecticut, couldn’t find a late-game answer despite Ogunbowale’s heroics.
What’s Next:
The two teams will meet again on Saturday, this time in Arlington, Texas, at the College Park Center.
