Angel Reese injured on bench watches game! Bri Turner hit in eye, Angel Reese checks on her – Chicago Sky vs Dallas Wings WNBA basketball.
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Dallas Wings officially eliminated from playoffs with loss to Chicago Sky
Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale, left, drives against Chicago Sky guard Marina Mabrey (4) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game May 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas.(Brandon Wade / AP)
CHICAGO — Chennedy Carter scored seven of her 28 points in the first couple minutes Sunday and the Chicago Sky never trailed in their 92-77 win over the Dallas Wings.
Chicago (13-22) has a one-game lead game lead over the Atlanta Dream for the eighth and final playoff spot with five games remaining in the Sky’s regular season.
Carter, the No. 4 pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, made 10-of-17 from the field, hit her only 3-point attempt, went 7 of 9 from the free-throw line and finished with six assists. The 5-foot-9 guard returned Friday from a four-game absence due to illness and helped the Sky beat the Los Angeles Sparks 92-78 to snap their seven-game losing streak.
Dallas (9-26) has lost four games in a row following a three-game winning streak.
Isabelle Harrison made her first start of the season and finished with a season-high 21 points and nine rebounds for the Sky and Kamilla Cardoso added 11 rebounds to go with 10 points. Dana Evans scored 11, including three 3-pointers, and Michaela Onyenwere added 10 points for the Sky.
Carter scored 11 points in the first quarter, and Chicago used a 13-1 run midway through the period to blow the game open. Carter’s free throw just before the buzzer gave the Sky a 33-19 lead going into the second period.
Arike Ogunbowale led the Wings with 23 points and Natasha Howard scored 17. Satou Sabally finished with 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Ogunbowale scored 16 points and combined with Satou Sabally for 28 of Dallas’ 35 first-half points.
Record-setting rookie Angel Reese did not play for Chicago after suffering a season-ending wrist injury in the Sky’s win over Los Angeles last time out. The 6-foot-3 forward set WNBA single-season records for total rebounds (446) and offensive rebounds (172) and her 26 doubles-doubles this season — including a league-record 15 in a row — are the second most in WNBA history.
Chennedy Carter Accuses Caitlin Clark Of Violent Move Before Cheap Shot.
Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Clark continued the well-known physicality Caitlin Clark has been receiving in the WNBA during their game against the Indiana Fever on Jun 1, 2024. But Carter took it one step further.
Clark was leveled to the floor by Carter late in the third quarter. Carter received only a personal foul for the hit during the game. However, the WNBA later upgraded it to a flagrant foul.
The Fever wound up winning the game by one point, but the story of the day was this cheap shot.
On Monday, Carter spoke to the media alongside Angel Reese and accused Clark of a violent move before the dirty foul.
“I think I got hit in the head the play before. It was just like one of those things that was in the heat of the moment. I don’t know Caitlin, I don’t know her from anywhere. But at the end of the day, this is hoops, it’s competitive, this is basketball. And you’re playing against somebody like me. I classify myself as a dog.” (Via WGN News)
The play Carter was referencing was posted online by a fan.
“So if you’re gonna throw a punch, I’m gonna compete with you. I’m gonna play at the level you’re giving,” Carter added.
Sky’s 19-point loss to Fever extends losing streak to five
As the Fever continue to jell, the Sky are crumbling.
Once on similar trajectories with young, rebuilding teams, the Sky and Fever have separated in dramatic fashion.
And on Friday night at Wintrust Arena, there was no comparison to be drawn as the Sky lost 100-81, dropping to 4-12 at home and 11-20 on the season.
As the Fever continue to become a stronger team, the Sky are on the brink of coming undone.
“We came out exactly how we wanted to and just lost it,” guard Rachel Banham said.
The Sky built up a 13-point lead in the first quarter but maintained it for just six seconds. By the time the first-quarter buzzer sounded, the lead was down to three.
From there, the Fever — with the top-ranked offense since the second week of July — flexed their muscle, leading by 25 by midway through the fourth quarter, at which point things began to get chippy. The Sky were called for two flagrant fouls against Fever guard Caitlin Clark, including one by veteran Diamond DeShields in garbage time. As Clark streaked down an open court in transition, DeShields ran with her in stride before lowering her shoulder slightly. Clark tumbled to the floor.
Her ensuing free throws extended the Fever’s lead to 27. DeShields wasn’t ejected but opted to head back to the locker room, raising her hands as fans cheered.
“Us vets have to step up in those moments,” Banham said in response to a question afterward about the heightened emotions. “We have to keep [the team] composed. I think we could have done a better job of that. We all were just kind of losing our minds at the end.”
Clark led all scorers with a career-high 31 points and 12 assists and was 8-for-14 from the field and 5-for-9 from three-point range. It was her third game with at least 25 points and 10 assists — the most in a season in WNBA history, according to ESPN. Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell extended her streak of 20-plus-point games to six, finishing with 23 points on 9-for-13 shooting.
Michaela Onyenwere led the Sky with 20 points, and fellow forward Angel Reese had her 23rd double-double — surpassing Tina Charles’ rookie record — with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Banham added 14 point shooting 4-for-10 from three.
The Sky and Fever’s previous three meetings were decided by a total of 10 points. This 19-point thrashing told a different story. It was the first time the Sky gave up 100 points this season.
“If you’re not motivated after getting your ass whooped, then you have a problem,” Banham said.
The Sky hung their hats on defense in the first half of the season but have won just one game since the Olympic break and now have the third-worst defensive rating in the league.
“Defense is a will and a want to,” coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “It’s a desire. Defense is the hardest damn thing you’re going to play in this game, and you do so under control without fouling. In that third quarter, we sent them to the line over and over and over.”
The Fever, currently sixth in the standings, could likely bounce whichever team they meet in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Sky’s season-worst five-game losing streak is threatening to erase them from the postseason altogether. They’re a game ahead of the Dream in the eighth and final spot with a two-game road trip coming up against the Lynx and Aces.
