Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky has become one of the most anticipated WNBA matchups in the league, and it didn’t disappoint on Sunday.
The matchup, featuring the most expensive WNBA seats on record, ended with the Sky winning 88-87 after a thrilling second-half comeback. It came just one week after the Fever beat the Sky with an impressive 91-83 win.
The first half this Sunday was incredibly tight, with seven ties and eight lead changes between the two teams. The second had both teams widening the gap, but only for so long: Chicago came out swinging in the second half, going on a 9-0 run to open the half, but the Fever quickly caught up.
As the third quarter finished, Indiana began pulling away, up by as many as 15 in that period. But Chicago surged near the end to cut that lead in half heading into the fourth.
The Sky scraped back to a tie game, 82-82, with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. With a minute remaining, and the score tied at 84-84, Angel Reese hit a go-ahead layup to give Chicago the lead for good. Though Indiana had several opportunities to take the lead in the closing seconds due to a series of missed Chicago free throws, the Sky held on for the win.
Caitlin Clark and Reese, Indiana and Chicago's top rookies, respectively, each picked up a double-double, in different stats. Clark ended with 17 points and 13 assists, while Reese picked up 25 points — a career high — and 16 rebounds. The game marked Reese's eighth straight double-double, extending her record as the only rookie to achieve the feat, and making her just the third person in the league to reach the milestone.
8 DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR ANGEL REESE 🔥
Angel is the 3rd player in league history with eight consecutive double-doubles joining Sylvia Fowles and Candace Parker#WelcometotheWpic.twitter.com/8VPHFch2kS
Seven of Clark's assists went to Aliyah Boston, who ended with 18 points. Guard Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever in points with 24, going 5-for-10 on 3-pointers.
Reese led the Sky in points, followed by Chennedy Carter, who had a massive game with 23 points and five assists. Kamilla Cardoso, the other Sky rookie, earned a double-double of her own with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Sunday's loss to the Sky breaks a four-game winning streak for the Fever, who play Thursday against the Seattle Storm. Chicago, however, will take the confidence boost ahead of Thursday’s matchup against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, who are on the rise after a slow start to the season.
Indiana and Chicago will face each other for the fourth and final time this season on Aug. 30 in another home game for the Sky. Indiana leads the season series 2-1.
LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER40 updates
Ryan Young
Angel Reese immediately found Sheryl Swoopes in the stands after their win over the Fever.
Cardoso misses the second. The Fever call a timeout, but there's confusion on the court.
Kari Anderson
Cardoso goes to the line for the final moments of the game. Misses the first...
Kari Anderson
Marina Mabrey misses both free throws, and there's chaos on the floor as both teams grapple for the ball. Fever takes possession and Boston misses a jumper, and the Sky pull off the incredible comeback win...seemingly.
The referees are checking on timing.
Kari Anderson
Boston gets in a massive three-pointer to bring Indiana within one point. There's 20 seconds left and plenty of time for more chaos.
Kamilla Cardoso wrestles the ball away from Aliyah Boston under the hoop and draws the foul. Wintrust Arena is on its feet as the Sky hold on to a small lead — Chicago 87, Indiana 84
Kari Anderson
Another huge layup from Reese to take the lead. The Sky rookie now has 25 points, a career high.
Kari Anderson
It's so loud in Wintrust Arena that Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon is seemingly having to call for the timeout directly in the referee's ear.
Kari Anderson
There's a minute left in the game, and the two teams have matched each other shot-for-shot, then miss-for-miss. 84-84...for now.
Kari Anderson
Reese draws another foulm but starts getting into it with NaLyssa Smith before taking the free throw. The three-point play ties the game, 82-82.
Kari Anderson
Another huge layup from Reese gives her 20 points and ties her career high.
Carter gets another layup to hit 20 as well, and Chicago is now within four points of Indiana.
Kari Anderson
Clark is 5-of-8 beyond the arc today, including this nasty three to open the fourth quarter... and another just a few minutes later.
Stoppage in play as Indiana's Katie Lou Samuelson gets a technical for tossing the ball behind her. The Sky are doing their best to chip away at the lead: Fever 77, Sky 68.
Kari Anderson
Huge shot from Reese under pressure — plus the extra free throw — gives the Sky a little bit of momentum as the clock runs out on the quarter.
Another huge three from Mitchell, with the and-one giving her a four-point play. Indiana is up 72-57, and Chicago is slowly but surely dragging behind.
Indiana now has the biggest lead of the game, after a Clark steal sets up a three-pointer from Kelsey Mitchell and another Clark-assisted layup from Boston. Fever are now up by eleven, and are still in control of the ball.
Kari Anderson
Both Clark and Reese now have double-doubles, in different stats. Clark has 11 points and 10 assists, while Reese has 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Reese is now the third player in league history with eight consecutive double-doubles.
8 DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR ANGEL REESE 🔥
Angel is the 3rd player in league history with eight consecutive double-doubles joining Sylvia Fowles and Candace Parker#WelcometotheWpic.twitter.com/8VPHFch2kS
Chennedy Carter goes down hard with a foul from NaLyssa Smith under the basket, but seems ok. She makes the free throw, but misses the second.
Kari Anderson
Clark and Boston have been a magic duo today for the Fever: The rookie gets another assist to Boston, who goes for the layup. Clark is now at eight assists, and Boston at 10 points — most of which have come off Clark assists.
The Sky are now 52-46, tying the Fever for the biggest lead of this game so far. Indiana takes a timeout to reset.
Kari Anderson
A monster layup (with the and-one) from Cardoso to open the half. Things are already looking just as tight and scrappy as the first half, but Chicago has the edge...for now.
Kari Anderson
Indiana Fever 46, Chicago Sky 45 at halftime
Kelsey Mitchell still leads the Fever in points with 10, while Caitlin Clark has eight points and seven assists in the first half.
Chennedy Carter has 15 points for the Sky, and Angel Reese has eight points and eight rebounds. Reese and Clark are certainly on track for double-doubles tonight (with Reese's in rebounds and Clark's in assists).
After missing eight straight shots, Indiana got just hot enough to take the lead again, but the Sky are coming up right behind. It's been an incredibly close game, with seven ties and eight lead changes so far — and likely more to come.
Fever 46, Sky 45 at the half
Kari Anderson
Kamilla Cardoso with a big layup to give Chicago the lead again after a scoreless minute from both teams.
Chicago's Lindsay Allen scores a wild running layup off a great Marina Mabrey assist to tie things up again, 39-39. Around four minutes left in the quarter now.
OFF TO THE RACES 🔥
Lindsay Allen dashes down the court for the @chicagosky and ties up the score 39-39
Boston is finally starting to get some points, with three straight buckets coming off Clark assists. The rookie-sophomore duo has gotten stronger throughout the season, with the two connecting more frequently and more creatively.
Diamond DeShields has been successfully shutting down Caitlin Clark since coming off the bench. DeShields had a big block on Clark in the first quarter, and has kept her from getting a shot off so far in the second quarter.
It's been a fast-paced game so far, with six lead changes in the first quarter alone. The Fever are having better luck on the outside than the Sky, but Chicago is up 28-26 at the quarter break behind Chennedy Carter's 11 points. Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell leads Indiana with 10 points.
Kari Anderson
Kamilla Cardoso is now sitting on two fouls as well, after blocking former South Carolina teammate Aliyah Boston. Boston missed both free throws, and is still pointless so far.
Kari Anderson
Chicago's Marina Mabrey is already sitting on two fouls, halfway through the first quarter. Mabrey is averaging 15.1 points per game this season and would be a huge loss for the Sky if she ends up in foul trouble early.
Kari Anderson
And we're off! Clark gets things started quickly, getting Indiana on the scoreboard first with a huge three-pointer.
Startin' it off like that, Caitlin?! 😳
Caitlin Clark NAILS the step back triple for the first bucket of the matchup
Tickets for today's game in Chicago's Wintrust Arena are breaking WNBA records, with average prices ranging upwards of $300. Rivalry or not, it's certainly a highly anticipated matchup.
Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky on Sunday is on track to have the highest average WNBA ticket price on record since 2015 👏
Caitlin Clark has played coy about whether Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky is becoming a rivalry, and was asked the question again during a warm-up interview on ESPN.
"You guys ask some hard questions...while I'm warming up," Clark said with a smile.
She admitted that it might be the start of one, but said that it's not the main priority. "Hoping our teams can be the the best that they can is the biggest focus right now," she said.
Kari Anderson
For today's game, Angel Reese is wearing custom Reeboks in honor of Juneteenth.
Pregame, Reese said on ESPN that representation is important, and shouted out the other Black women in the league. "Being able to represent that (Juneteenth) today, it’s going to be super important,” she said.
Angel Reese is wearing custom Juneteenth Reebok's ahead of Sky-Fever 🙌
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