Elena Delledonne

[dawrestling]

From: "Scott W. Selheimer"
Sent: Saturday, September 7, 2013 10:08:51 AM
Subject: SUBJECT: Former University of Delaware Women¹s Basketball Standout Elena Delle Donne Garners ECAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award








SUBJECT: Former University of Delaware Women's Basketball Standout Elena Delle Donne Garners ECAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award





DATE: September 6, 2013





CENTREVILLE, Mass. ? The awards keep rolling in for former University of Delaware women's basketball standout Elena Delle Donne as she was named the Robbins/ECAC 2013 Division I Scholar Athlete Award winner.





Delle Donne will be recognized, in addition to Siena College's O.D. Anosike, at the 2013 ECAC Honors Dinner, held in conjunction with the 25th Annual ECAC Convention and Trade Show from Sept. 29 ? Oct. 1 in North Falmouth, Mass.





The ECAC Scholar-Athlete Awards honor the outstanding academic and athletic achievements of student-athletes representing ECAC schools in Division I, II and III. One male and one female athlete from each division are selected based on extraordinary achievements in academics, athletics and community service.





The candidate must have earned a cumulative minimum overall GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale and must have reached sophomore athletics and academic status. Additionally, the candidate must be a starter or significant reserve in a particular sport and must compete in at least 50 percent of the contests in that sport and other factors such as community service, exemplary citizenship or other extracurricular activities are taken into consideration.





"It is truly an honor to have been named the 2013 ECAC Division I Female Scholar Athlete of the year," said Delle Donne. "I have always valued the importance of success in the classroom as well as on the basketball court and am humbled to be receiving recognition for that success. I want to thank everyone involved in selecting me as the recipient of this award."





Delle Donne was the second overall pick in April's WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky and is a three-time WNBA Rookie of the Month honoree.





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Link: Elena Delledonne Info

Elena Delledonne

 

[dawrestling]

Fowles, Delle Donne and Vandersloot Chosen For USA Women's National

Team Pool

CHICAGO, January 13, 2014 ? USA Basketball announced Monday that three Chicago Sky

stars have been selected as part of the 2014-16 USA Basketball Women's National Team pool.

Sylvia Fowles, Elena Delle Donne and Courtney Vandersloot were amongst the 33 players

selected for the pool from which the 2014 USA World Championship Team and the 2016 U.S.

Olympic Team, if qualified, will be selected.

"It's an incredible honor to be included among the nations best athletes for consideration for the

2014 USA World Championship Team. When I consider the women that are also in this pool, I

am extremely grateful for this opportunity," explained 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year Elena

Delle Donne.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team Player Selection Committee may add athletes at

any time and will determine the 12-player team that will represent the USA at the 2014 FIBA

World Championship, the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, if the team qualifies, and several USA

training camps and exhibition games.

"The players that make up this pool spend most of the summer playing against one another, so

it's a really cool thing to see everyone come together on the same team with the same goal in

mind, which is representing our country and winning gold," said Vandersloot, a WNBA All-

Rookie selection in 2011.

Fowles, who earned two Olympic gold medals and a World Championship title with Team USA,

explained, "Selecting a list of 12 ladies for the 2014 USA World Championship Team will be

tough because there is crazy talent at each position." Adding, "That will make the committee's

job an extreme challenge."

The USA Basketball Women's National Team Player Selection Committee consists of USA

Basketball Women's National Team Director Carol Callan, WNBA Chief of Basketball

Operations and Player Relations Renee Brown, San Antonio Silver Stars Head Coach and

General Manager Dan Hughes, Connecticut Sun Vice President and General Manager Chris

Sienko along with three-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIBA World Championship

gold medalist Katie Smith.

The 33-player pool also consists of fellow Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird (Seattle Storm),

Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Tamika Catchings


(Indiana Fever), Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun), Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks), Angel

McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx), Kara Lawson (Connecticut Sun),

Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx) and Cappie Pondexter (New York Liberty).

WNBA talents included in the pool selection are Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars),

Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury), DeWanna Bonner (Phoenix Mercury), Stefanie Dolson

(University of Connecticut), Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Skylar Diggins (Tulsa Shock),

Glory Johnson (Tulsa Shock), Jantel Lavender (Los Angeles Sparks), Briann January (Indiana

Fever), Lindsey Harding (Los Angeles Sparks), Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks),

Danielle Robinson (San Antonio Silver Stars), Monica Wright (Minnesota Lynx) and Sophia

Young (San Antonio Siver Stars).

Collegiate talent selected for the pool include Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (University of

Connecticut), Kayla McBride (University of Notre Dame), Breanna Stewart (University of

Connecticut), Odyssey Sims (Baylor University) and Alyssa Thomas (University of Maryland).

###

About the Chicago Sky

The Chicago Sky will enter into its ninth season as a member of the WNBA's Eastern

Conference in May 2014. The Sky earned their first WNBA Playoff berth in franchise history

and finished the season atop the Eastern Conference with a 24-10 record in 2013. For

information on 2014 ticket packages to see the Sky play, call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit

http://www.wnba.com

 

[dawrestling]

Chicago Sky Tip-Off 2014 Season with May 16 Home Opener at Allstate Arena





CHICAGO, February 6, 2014 ? The Chicago Sky announced their 2014 regular season schedule Thursday. Led by fourth-year Head Coach Pokey Chatman, fourth-year Assistant Coach Christie Sides and second-year Assistant Coach Wayne "Tree" Rollins, the Sky enters their ninth WNBA season after a successful 2013 season, where they finished atop the Eastern Conference with a 24-10 record.



Armed with All-Stars Sylvia Fowles, Swin Cash, Courtney Vandersloot and Epiphanny Prince, along with 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year Elena Delle Donne, the Sky open the 34 game regular season on Friday, May 16, 2014 against Eastern Conference rival the Indiana Fever who are led by 4 time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Tamika Catchings. The Sky's 17 regular season home games will be held at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL.



"There is great anticipation and excitement around the start of the 2014 season. Coming off the best season in franchise history, we look forward to continuing to grow our performance on and off the court," said Sky President & CEO Adam Fox. "Starting the season with many high profile home games is a great way to get us ready for what we hope is a championship season."



This season will include star-studded match-ups with Naperville Central High School graduate and 2013 WNBA Most Valuable Player Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, June 6 at 7:30pm.The Sky also welcomes the 2013 first overall draft pick Brittney Griner, and teammate Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury on Friday, July 11 at 7:30pm.



The Sky will host an ESPN2 nationally televised showdown with the 2013 WNBA Champion Minnesota Lynx and Maya Moore on Memorial Day, Monday May 26 at 2:30pm. The 2013 third overall draft pick Skylar Diggins and the Tulsa Shock visit the Sky on Sunday, June 22 at noon in a second nationally televised game. The Sky will be featured in ESPN2 national broadcasts four other times throughout the season ? Tuesday, July 1 against the Los Angeles Sparks, Tuesday, July 22 against the Indiana Fever, Tuesday, July 29 against the San Antonio Stars and Thursday, August 7 against the Minnesota Lynx.



The Sky will host its annual theme nights such as Military Appreciation Night, Pride Night, Gospel Night, Police & Fire Night, Youth Sports Night, Faith & Family Night and will again partner with American Cancer Society to host Breast Health Awareness Night. The Sky will also welcome thousands of Chicago area youth to Allstate Arena to cheer on their hometown team for our two Camp Day games during the 2014 season.



2014 Chicago Sky Regular Season Schedule

Black (home) / Red (away)



May 2014

Fri. 16 Indiana 7:30 pm

Sat. 17 AT New York 7:00 pm

Wed. 21 Connecticut 11:30 am

Sat. 24 Atlanta 7:00 pm

Mon. 26 Minnesota 2:30 pm*

Fri. 30 Connecticut 7:30 pm

June 2014

Fri. 6 Los Angeles 7:30 pm

Sat. 7 AT Atlanta 7:00 pm

Tue. 10 Seattle 7:00 pm

Fri. 13 AT Washington 7:00 pm

Wed. 18 New York 11:30 am

Fri. 20 Indiana 7:30 pm

Sun. 22 Tulsa 12:00 pm*

Wed. 25 AT Connecticut 7:00 pm

Fri. 27 AT New York 7:30 pm

July 2014

Tue. 1 AT Los Angeles 7:00 pm*

Wed. 2 AT Phoenix 7:00 pm

Sat. 5 AT Seattle 7:00 pm

Wed. 9 Washington 11:30 am

Fri. 11 Phoenix 7:30 pm

Sun. 13 AT Atlanta 6:00 pm

Thu. 17 AT Indiana 7:00 pm

Tue. 22 Indiana 7:00 pm*

Fri. 25 AT Atlanta 7:30 pm

Sun. 27 AT Tulsa 3:30 pm

Tue. 29 AT San Antonio 7:00 pm*

Thu. 31 New York 7:00 pm

August 2014

Sun. 3 Washington 5:00 pm

Tue. 5 AT Connecticut 7:00 pm

Thu. 7 AT Minnesota 7:00 pm*

Sun. 10 Atlanta 5:00 pm

Wed. 13 AT Washington 11:30 am

Sat. 16 AT Indiana 7:00 pm

Sun. 17 San Antonio 5:00 pm

* ESPN2

- All times in CST & schedule is subject to change

 

[dawrestling]

Delaware 87ers link on Elena Delledonne http://info.sixers.com/nl/jsp/m.jsp?c=7b94adb97690bfacb0

 

[dawrestling]

Elena Delle Donne Returns home as Sky host WNBA Preseason game at University of Delaware





CHICAGO, February 18, 2014 ? The Chicago Sky announced that they will host the first ever WNBA preseason game in the state of Delaware on Tuesday, May 13 at 7pm. They will take on the Washington Mystics at the University of Delaware, the alma mater of the 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year Elena Delle Donne.



Elena began her esteemed career at the University of Delaware in 2009 where she became one of the most successful athletes in the school's history. She was awarded the Senior CLASS Award and Honda Award in 2013, and First Team All-American and National Player of the Year candidate in her junior and senior seasons. The Chicago Sky drafted Elena with the second overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft, and she will kick-off her second season with the Sky this May.



"We're thrilled to welcome back Elena and her new team the Chicago Sky to the BOB this coming May," said University of Delaware Athletic Director Eric J. Ziady. "We're so proud of Elena's accomplishments both on and off the court this past year at the professional level and know all of Delaware will welcome her back with open arms to the place where she and her teammates had so many memorable moments."



"We're so appreciative of the opportunity to bring our team to the University of Delaware to prepare for our upcoming season," said Sky Head Coach & General Manager Pokey Chatman. "The tremendous support of the Delaware faithful was evident throughout Elena's rookie campaign, so I anticipate a great environment for WNBA on the 13thof May."



The Sky is proud to partner with The University of Delaware, DuPont, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware, Delaware Sports Commission, Christiana Health Care System, Delaware Express, Courtyard Newark at the University of Delaware, Grotto Pizza, Blood Bank of Delmarva, Wilmington Airport (ILG) and National 5 & 10 to bring this WNBA game to the many loyal fans in Delaware who have shown unwavering support for their hometown hero, Delle Donne, and her newest team the Chicago Sky.



Tickets for the Chicago Sky vs. Washington Mystics preseason game will go on sale to the public on Monday, March 17, 2014. Fans can purchase tickets by phone, online or in person:



Online: Ticketmaster.com

[/URL]Phone: 1-800-745-3000

In Person: Delaware Ticket Office located at the Bob Carpenter Center, 631 South College Ave, Newark, DE 19716 between 8:30-4:30 Monday-Friday.



###



About the Chicago Sky

The Chicago Sky will begin its ninth season as a member of the WNBA's Eastern Conference on Friday, May 16 2014. The Sky earned their first WNBA Playoff berth in franchise history and finished the season atop the Eastern Conference with a 24-10 record in 2013. For information on 2014 ticket packages to see the Sky play at Allstate Arena, call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit

 

[dawrestling]

Chicago Sky Single-Game Tickets On Sale April 1



CHICAGO ? Single-game tickets for the 2014 Chicago Sky regular season will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, April 1, beginning at 11 a.m. CST. Individual lower bowl tickets start at $15 per game and groups (10 or more) can save up to $8 per ticket.



This season the Sky's 17-game home schedule features a May 16 season opener against Eastern Conference rival Indiana Fever and a Memorial Day matchup with the defending WNBA Champion Minnesota Lynx. Fans can watch the "Big Three" in their sophomore seasons when Skylar Diggins and the Tulsa Shock visit Chicago on June 22 and Brittney Griner's Phoenix Mercury look to avenge last year's Elena Delle Donne buzzer-beater on July 11.



In total, the Sky's schedule features seven nationally televised games, the most of any season to-date. In 2013, TV viewership of WNBA games on ESPN 2 reached its highest level since 2005 and the Sky saw a 29.0% increase in attendance, the largest gain by any WNBA franchise.



"We have great anticipation for the 2014 season. We look forward to growing both our on-court and off-court performance as we continue to build off the best season in franchise history," said Sky President & CEO Adam Fox. "We are excited to showcase our world-class athletes and keep evolving the Sky experience for our fans."



Theme night games on the 2014 schedule include: Pride Night, Police and Fire Night, Gospel Night, Hoops for Troops and Breast Health Awareness/Ladies Night. In addition to theme nights, the Sky offers a wide range of fan experience to give sports enthusiasts the unique opportunity to get their group in the game, and on the court. Groups can register to high five the Sky players, deliver the game ball to the referee, play on the same court as the Sky or sing the National Anthem. All fan experiences include discounted ticket pricing and in-arena recognition.



Sky games make for great company outings as well. From the Sky Deck, adult fans can enjoy a great night of basketball and all-inclusive food and drinks. Tickets for the Sky Deck start as low as $30 each and can be purchased for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday games throughout the season.



You won't want to miss the home opener on May 16 when 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year, Elena Delle Donne, returns to the court against an Indiana Fever team in a rematch of last year's playoff series. Delle Donne and the Chicago Sky enter the 2014 season on a mission to REDEFINE POSSIBLE in pursuit of the franchise's first WNBA title.





With flexible ticket packages, fans can make the Sky's schedule revolve around their own. Tickets can be purchased in 1 game, 5 game, 9 game (half season) and 17 game (full season) increments. Visit www.chicagosky.net to download the full 2014 schedule today. For more information or to purchase tickets call 866.SKY.WNBA today.





###

About the Chicago Sky

The Chicago Sky will begin its ninth season as a member of the WNBA's Eastern Conference on Friday, May 16, 2014 against the Indiana Fever. The Sky earned their first WNBA Playoff berth in franchise history and finished the season atop the Eastern Conference with a 24-10 record in 2013. For information on 2014 ticket packages to see the Sky play at Allstate Arena, call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit www.chicagosky.net.

 

[dawrestling]

DELLE DONNE SHINES IN DELAWARE HOMECOMING





DELLE DONNE SHINES IN DELAWARE HOMECOMING

NEWARK ? The Chicago Sky defeated the Washington Mystics 76-69 inside the sold out Bob Carpenter Center at the University of Delaware on Tuesday night. From the moment the ball was tipped the crowd was electric and the Sky were in attack mode.

Chicago grabbed the lead scoring the first basket of the game and never trailed the remainder of the first half. Former Colonial Athletic Association standouts Elena Delle and Tamera Young started the game feeling right at home at the University of Delaware's Bob Carpenter Center (Bob). Elena Delle Donne, who has played at the "Bob" since eight grade, scored seven points early on, including the first two points of the game, to help the Sky jump out to a 17-6 lead in the first six minutes of play. Tamera Young, who played at the "Bob" frequently when she was at James Madison University was able to deliver a quick four points as well.

At one point early in the second quarter the Sky led by as many as 16 points. The Mystics simply could not figure out a way to stop the Sky's balance scoring. After struggling from the field against the Lynx on Sunday afternoon in Orlando, Chicago was more assertive on the offensive end. In the first half the Sky scored 22 points in the paint and did not attempt a single shot beyond the three-point arch.

"I think we really wanted to focus on our start because we struggled in the first quarter of the last game," said Chicago Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot. "I think just attacking and getting to the free throw line really gave us a good boost and set the tone for the rest of the game."

Courtney Vandersloot had started the game with an attack mentality and turned in an early eight points and five assists to help the Sky stretch the lead to 31-18 midway through the second quarter. With the Sky's offense clicking on all cylinders the Mystics were unable to find any kind of rhythm in the first half. The Sky had eight assists in the first half to take the lead 41-33 going into the locker room.

Vandersloot and Delle Donne showed off their offensive chemistry to start the third quarter.

"She (Delle Donne) is a point guard's dream," said Vandersloot. "You can give her the ball at any time and she's going to be successful."

Vandeerlsoot opened the quarter with a thread the needle pass to set up Delle Donne in stride to score in transition. On the ensuing possession the dynamic duo used a series of passes back-and-forth to freeze the Mystic defenders allowing Vandersloot to knock in a wide-open shot on the right wing. Vandersloot finished the game with a career-high 11 assists and 15 points to record her first double double of the year.

Washington's veteran backcourt of Ivory Latta and Kara Lawson slowly plugged away at the Sky's lead in the third quarter. With three minutes left in the third quarter Latta had 15 points and Monique Currie hit a three-pointer at the top of the key to tie the game 49-49. With 1:36 left in the third quarter the Mystics took their first lead of the game. The two teams battle back and forth to close the quarter with eight lead changes before Delle Donne knocked down a fade-away jumper as time expired on the clock to regain the lead 57-56 heading into the fourth.

Sky forward Jessica Breland had a breakthrough performance and stepped up at key moments to help the Sky close the game. She finished the game with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots. The game was kept within four points through an exciting fourth quarter before Delle Donne sank a shot inside the lane to put the Sky up five with 31.9 seconds remaining.

Washington called a timeout and Kayla Thornton answered with a two point basket to pull the Mystics back to within three points. Chicago inbounded the ball to Vandersloot who was immediately fouled and knocked down two free throws. The Mystics hurried down the court to try for a quick two but Delle Donne met Tierra Ruffin-Pratt at the rim to defend her home court and the secure a Chicago Sky victory in front of the Delaware faithful. Delle Donne finished the game with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.

"It was nice to see us get a lead, lose it, get a lead, lose it and respond to some things," said Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman. "For us the biggest thing I liked was the fact that we were plus 16 on the boards."

The Sky outrebounded the Mystics 46-28. The Chicago Sky will look to continue their dominance on the boards and momentum from tonight's victory as they begin their ninth season as a member of the WNBA's Eastern Conference on Friday, May 16, 2014 against the Indiana Fever. The game features a rematch of last year's playoff series and one of the most-storied Eastern Conference rivalries. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. CT at Allstate Arena. The game will broadcast on The U Too.

For tickets to see the Sky play at Allstate Arena this summer call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit CHICAGOSKY.NET




Postgame Notes
Chicago Sky 76, Washington Mystics 69
Bob Carpenter Center (University of Delaware)
May 13, 2014


NOTES

· Courtney Vandersloot delivered a career-high 11 assists. She now has 485 career assists and will need 22 more assists to take over as the Sky's all-time assists leader
· Two Sky players recorded double doubles. Elena Delle Donne finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds while Courtney Vandersloot contributed 15 points to go with her 11 assists.
· The Sky did not have a three-point field goal attempt during the first half and only shot one three-pointer during the entire game
· With 46 rebounds the Sky tied their single-game record for most total rebounds. The last time the Sky recorded 46 rebounds was on June 9, 2013 against Connecticut
· Forward Jessica Breland had a breakout performance with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocked shots
· The Sky led by 16 points at one point during the game and led the entire first half.
· Tonight's game featuring the Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics was the first-ever WNBA game played in Delaware
QUOTES
Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne

(On what she felt coming into tonight's game...)

"These fans are so awesome. It was exciting. Obviously you're a little nervous you want to put on a good show for everybody but it was still an incredible night."

(On what she wants to do this season to build off last season…)

"As you can see we're a brand new team. We don't have many returners so I really need to be a leader this season for the team. Pokey and I have really been talking about that…to just be more of a vocal leader. Obviously I try to lead by example but the vocal part is going to come like it did at Delaware."

(On the Delaware faithful…)

"I don't know how they still remember me so well (laughter). I guess I'm doing well with social media and keeping them involved. They're so phenomenal and I'm seeing faces that I saw in eighth grade and it's incredible that they've followed me this long."


Chicago Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman

(On her experience in Delaware…)

"The minute we planted the seed to come here everyone has just been so welcoming…It's just nice to see everything come to fruition."

(On pulling out the close-margin victory…)

"It was nice to see us get a lead, lose it, get a lead, lose it and respond to some things. For us the biggest thing I liked was the fact that we were plus 16 on the boards."

(On the feeling inside the Bob Carpenter Center tonight…)

"It was fun…It was just nice obviously for both teams…a great environment."


Chicago Sky Guard Courtney Vandersloot

(On mindset going into tonight's game in Delaware…)

"I think we really wanted to focus on our start because we struggled in the first quarter of the last game and I think just attacking and getting to the free throw line just really gave us a good boost and set the tone for the rest of the game."

(On her on-court chemistry with Elena Delle Donne…)

"She is a point guard's dream. You can give her the ball anytime and she's going to be successful."

(On what the team will take from this win heading into Friday's regular season opener…)

"It gave us one of those grind-out win games. We were a little bit inconsistent but we got stops when we needed to and that's huge. Making plays down the stretch to keep the lead was huge too and to get that experience heading into the regular season will help us."


Chicago Sky Forward Jessica Breland

(On finding her rhythm in tonight's game…)

"I was just attacking and not thinking about things, just playing. I think I'm getting more comfortable with the team. They believe and I believe in myself as well."

(The biggest asset she can bring to this team…)

"Bringing more length to the team, energy and just the 'glue stuff.' The stuff that doesn't really show up on the stats sheet but that something that could really glue a team together."


Washington Mystics Head Coach Mike Thibault

(On his team's performance tonight…)

"I'm very disappointed with the start by our starters. I'm very disappointed with our rebounding. If we don't start getting better on the boards we're going to struggle. It's been a point of emphasis the last couple of days but it didn't make it better. We've got to decide on a post rotation and who is going to rebound the ball and go after it. I think that's going to make or break our season and people know it and they're going to go after us."


Washington Mystics Guard Ivory Latta

(On her thoughts following tonight's loss…)

"I think we played well down the stretch. The second half was much better defensively. We definitely need to rebound the ball way better than we did the first three preseason games and I definitely know coach is going to correct that in practice."
​

 

[dawrestling]

Former Ursuline Academy and University of Delaware Lady Standout Elena Delledonne returns to the "BOB" leads Chicago Sky in win over Washington Mystics




By David A. Willauer-Staff Writer-University of Delaware-Tuesday, May 13, 2014-Bob Carpenter Center-Newark, DE: Tonight was a very special night for former Ursuline Academy and University of Delaware standout Elena Delledonne. The 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year is ready for her second year in the WNBA's Chicago Sky as they came back to the sold out crowd of 4750 at Bob Carpenter Center where Elena has played in her home arena at the University of Delaware since she was an 8th grader at Ursuline Academy and put on an amazing performance where she scored 17 points and recorded 11 boards the Chicago Sky as they defeated the Washington Mystics in a pre season WNBA Basketball game by a 76-69 score.



Last year the rookie phenom finished fourth in the WNBA in scoring where she averaged 18.1 ppg, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 bpg, .438 3pt FG's .929 FT% finished with the 2nd highest free throw percentage for a player more than 150 attempts in a season. Broke a Sky rookie record for most points in a game with 32 vs. Minnesota, other credentials on Elena are 11 free throws with 1.8 seconds left in the game help the Sky defeat San Antonio on June 9th 72-70, currently ranks third in the WNBA rookie debut history. She was WNBA Conference Player of the Week on (June 24 to 30, July 2 to 7, August 5-11, August 19-25 along with being named Rookie of the month thus becoming the second rookie in history to record a clean sweep. On July 18, 2013 Elena won the All Star Voting in the WNBA thus becoming the first rookie to do so. On September 20, 2013, Elena Delle Donne was named WNBA Rookie of the Year for the Chicago Sky as finished their season of 24-10


Pokey Chapman Head Womens Basketball Coach of the Chicago Sky: "It's exceeded for the game from the opening minute to the close, it was so nice to see a big crowd here at the University of Delaware's home court in front of a sellout crowd we need to make a lot of improvements along with working on some plays before the next opening regular game as we need to work on rebounding off the boards timing chemistry I like winning this was positive." "The crowd here at the BOB cheering for you was good and it prepares us as we open up this coming Friday this was good exposure for both teams in a great arena like the BOB." "Elena Delledonne is the work horse for us that is how I described her she is 6'5" and when she rebounds she leaps around 7'2", she also has enough touch and poise as I put her in the game she does special plays for us as I have put her in 3 different positions but tonight she bought the ball up some of the other players that aren't effective like Elena and has helped her teammates as well as in the off season she has put on 12 pounds." "You can make a good decision she is making the best decisions for her own as she is poised and has the instincts to be a good ball player and I have wanted her to play 25 minutes game to work on her skills and her thought process is great."


2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year Elena Delledonne on her return to the University of Delaware: "It feels great when I ran out onto the court as I got chills immediately these fans are good supportive of me as I've play in front of a big crowd it was sort of odd coming back to play at the Bob Carpenter Center seeing a Delaware native on this team these fans are good and they want you want to put on a show." "In the 3rd period it was time that I made a shot even though we weren't running a lot of out of bounds plays but we saved them for later ." "My teammate Alley Quigley threw a lob pass to me as I got the ball it went in the basket at the buzzer and the fans went nuts." "We're a brand new team and don't have any returners back from last year. My Coach Pokey Chatman and I discussed it together as you know I'm a vocal leader but I more like to lead by example something that has to come everyone has to win a title being 6'5 I need to focus on crashing the boards or what I can contribute for the team I don't know how they remember me especially on social media I hope they come back to follow us." "Our coaching staff members are great but right now I'm focusing on the Sky along with winning the title." "After the game my sister Liz didn't make it today because she had a dentist appointment I was escorted by police as I wanted to talk to my piers from the Mary Campbell Center." "This is great being an Aunt as I like to spoil a little baby I warned the team and told them and they first didn't believed me but they were amazed at this crowd and we have an entire state of Delaware behind us we can't wait to get back to Chicago we have a lot of days to focus up on our first game our preseason went well the Allstate Arena is great facility as we put people in the seats will have been selling out the place."

 

[dawrestling]

Sky Fight Off Fever

CHICAGO - The Chicago Sky opened the 2014 season with a 74-71 victory over the Indiana Fever at Allstate Arena.

Chicago scored first on a short jump shot from Tamera Young just 30 seconds into the game to gain the early 2-0 lead. After trading baskets, the Fever took advantage of five Chicago turnovers to go on an 11-0 run and build a 14-4 lead. Jessica Breland led first quarter scoring with 5 points against her former team.

Behind Breland's nine points, three steals and four blocked shots in the first half the Sky pulled within ten points (46-36) heading into the break.

After trailing by as many as 18 points in the first half, Chicago picked up the defensive intensity to start the third quarter and cut Indiana's lead to three points. Four straight Fever layups put the visitors back up by 11, but the Sky rallied and pulled within five to end the quarter.

Jamierra Faulkner provided a spark off the bench to start the fourth quarter delivering an assist, scoring on a three-point play and driving to the basket for a layup at 6:28​ to play, giving the Sky their first lead (65-63) since early in the game.

Down two, Breland was fouled and headed to the line for a 1-and-1 opportunity and connected on both free throws. A technical foul on Indiana's Erlana Larkins gave the Sky a one-point lead with just over 30 seconds remaining. Two defensive stops by the Sky forced Indiana to foul with 11.1 seconds remaining and Sasha Goodlett knocked down both free throws giving the Sky a three-point lead. Indiana missed its final attempt to end the game.

"I thought Faulkner changed the rhythm of the game on the defensive end," said Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman. "She got the steal in front of me and saved it and ignited something within the team that carried throughout the rest of the game."

Faulkner finished her Sky debut with 7 points (3-of-4). Delle Donne led the Sky with 23 points and 5 rebounds, while Breland grabbed 9 boards along with her 13 points and 6 blocks in the game.

Natasha Howard led Indiana with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocked shots. Shavonte Zellous finished with 14 points.

The Chicago Sky will play their second game of a back-to-back as they head to New York to visit the Liberty on Saturday night . This game see's the Liberty return home to Madison Square Garden after being away for the past three seasons. Tip-off is set for 7pm CT and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.



Postgame Notes
Chicago Sky 74, Indiana Fever 70
Allstate Arena
May 16, 2014


Notes

? Sky outscored Fever 60-41 over final three quarters of the game.

? Chicago scored first basket of game (2-0), and held a brief lead in the opening minute but then fell behind big as the Fever erupted for 30pts in the first quarter.

? Elena Delle Donne scored 23pts, 16 in the second half. She also had 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

? The Fever's Natasha Howard had 16pts, 10 boards and 6 blocks in 33 minutes.

? Jessica Breland of the Sky had 13pts, 9 boards and 6 blocks in 34 minutes.

? Indiana Fever jumped out to early lead, scoring 30pts in the game's first ten minutes utilizing efficient shooting percentage at 12/20 (60%).

? The Sky took advantage of free throws, making 22/26 (84.6%) while the Fever struggled from the stripe, only making 13/18, (72.2%).

? The Sky tightened up their defense after the first quarter, only allowing the Fever to convert on 37.5% of their FGA (Field Goals Attempted).

? The Sky used an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter to take a 65-63, their first since 4-3.

? Both teams had multiple players in double figures; two for the Sky (Delle Donne, Breland) and three for the Fever (Howard, Coleman and Zellous).


Quotes

Head Coach Pokey Chatman

(Initial thoughts on the team's performance and defensive intensity…)

"I think especially early in the season when teams are incorporating new players and finding rhythm you need to make sure your have the defensive intensity turned up and your locked in and I thought several people (Breland) contributed to that intensity."

(Thoughts on the team's slow start and comeback…)

"They were in fifth gear, we were in fourth, we finally got to overdrive and that was the difference in the game…the fact that we kept being physical and attacking the basket was something that gives me what positive thoughts"

(On the performance of the Rookies…)

"I thought Faulkner changed the rhythm of the game on the defensive end. She got the steal in front of me and saved it and ignited something within the team that carried throughout the rest of the game."


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne

(Thoughts on how Indiana approached her defensively…)

"I had to get used to making different types of reads, this year they're (Indiana) focusing a little bit more on me so I had to continue to attack and be aggressive but see the open man."

Chicago Sky Forward Jessica Breland

(On how it's been adjusting to the Sky and what had it been like playing against old team)

"The adjustment has been pretty smooth, the coaches are great and the players have been wonderful. They've given me a lot of confidence"

Indiana Fever Head Coach Lin Dunn

(On the result of the game…)

"We had the lead when they got the technical foul. The momentum swung the whole other way when that happened. Chicago's good with or without Fowles, we didn't have Catchings. They didn't have Prince or Fowles, we didn't have Laysia Clarendon our backup point guard. We've got Carter playing point with three practices. We had a chance to win and we shot ourselves in the foot on what we did in the stretch."

(On Rookie Natasha Howard's performance…)

"We didn't do a good enough job of getting her the ball. I thought there were a lot of times when we rolled her down to the block and she's open and we don't get her the ball. The bad news is Catching is out but the good news is Howard is getting all these quality minutes now. I think it's going to help her down the stretch because she got to play now, I thought she played well for a rookie."

(On losing the lead…)

"I know when we start subbing things are going to change. It's too bad I couldn't play the five that got us the 18 point lead 40 minutes, but we can't do that. When I start putting the rookies in there things get hay wired but they have to play. We lost some of our momentum. "

Indiana Fever Guard Shavonte Zellous

(On her team's effort…)

"We played so well in the first half and then the second half we kind of played 50/50 and we almost had the chance to win the game. I give credit to Chicago defense but I don't believe it was Chicago's defense. I think it was us not being poised enough on offense, or just taking shots that gave us the lead in the first half, I don't think we shared the ball as well. I mean Chicago did play great defense but toward the end we kind of shot ourselves in the foot."

(On teammate Natasha Howard's rookie debut…)

"This is my first time seeing her play and she's going to be a good addition to this team. I think she has someone to look up to in Tamika. And Tamika is out right now so it's her time to step up and she's doing a great job at it. When you have someone to look up to like Tamika you get the grip on things. She had great rebounds she had two clutch free throws. She's going to be a good player and a great addition to the game."

(On the future of the season…)

"We have a long season ahead of us and we can't dwell on this one because we have a game tomorrow. It's going to be a great season I think and it's going to be a great year for the whole for the WNBA. There are great teams, great talents and there's going to be battles like this day in and day out. So, we just have to look forward and we have to learn from this lost."

Indian Fever Forward Natasha Howard

(On her first regular season game…)

"I think we need to work on both ends, rebounding and finish running it and free throws. Other than that I think we did good as a team. I didn't have any butterflies I came in with confidence and I knew my team would have my back. I wasn't worried about anything."

(On any improvements she wants to see…)

"I think I should work on my free throws and being poised on offense and defense and making sure were disciplined on both ends of the floor."

 

[dawrestling]

Sky Stand Tall in New York

Score by Quarter
New York (1-1) 18 17 20 10 65
Chicago (2-0) 16 27 12 24 79

CHICAGO- The Chicago Sky (2-0) spoiled the New York Liberty's return to Madison Square Garden (MSG) using a late surge in the fourth quarter to run away with a 79-65 victory. The Liberty (1-1) retuned to MSG for the first time in three seasons, having played home games at the Prudential Center in Newark from 2011-2013.

Both teams seemed to shake off the fatigue of playing on back-to-back nights early on as the first quarter was paced by several runs between the two teams, including 8-0 runs by each teams. Elena Delle Donne for the Sky, and Tina Charles for the Liberty both got off to hot starts, each scoring six points in the first quarter. The Sky trailed 18-16 after the first 10 minutes of play.

Sky guard Allie Quigley drained a three-pointer from the left baseline to ignite a 13-4 Chicago run to start the second quarter. Quigley delivered nine second-quarter points and Elena Delle Donne erupted for 10 points in the second quarter to help the Sky end the first half on a 14-6 run to take a 43-35 lead into the break. Delle Donne scored 16 points in the first half.

Four early second half Chicago points stretched the lead to12 (47-35) causing New York Liberty Head Coach Bill Laimbeer to call a quick timeout. The Liberty responded with an 11-2 run to cut the lead to just three points with 5:21 left in the third. Once down 12 points, New York closed the third quarter on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 55 heading into the fourth quarter.

In the end, the Sky's balanced scoring proved too much for the Liberty. When Elena Delle Donne saw the Liberty defenders focusing on her to start the quarter, the 6-foot-5 forward was able to find open teammates around the perimeter, but it was the team defensive effort that held the Liberty to just 10 fourth quarter points that allowed the Sky to pull away to a 78-65 victory.

Delle Donne shined in her first opportunity playing in the World's Most Famous Arena, leading all scorers in the game with 23 points. Breland recorded a double double for Chicago with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Courtney Vandersloot contributed 12 points and 8 assists. Tina Charles paced the Liberty with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Sky return to action on Wednesday, May 21 in Chicago against the Connecticut Sun. Tip-off is set for 11:30 a.m. CT. The game will be the Sky's inaugural School Field Trip game where students will experience a fun and educational day. All participating students will receive a workbook before the game to learn how basketball relates to subjects like math, science, language areas and social studies.


Postgame Notes
Chicago Sky 79, New York Liberty 65
Madison Square Garden
May 17, 2014


NOTESIn her first time playing at Madison Square Garden, Elena Delle Donne paced the Sky with 16 points in the first half and led all scorers in the game with 23 pointsSky guard Allie Quigley erupted for 9 points in the second quarter and finished the game with 12 points (2 below her career high)The Sky had four players post an Efficiency Rating over 15.00: Sasha Goodlett +27, Courtney Vandersloot +23, Elena Delle Donne +17, Allie Quigley +17Jessica Breland delivered her first double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 reboundsCourtney Vandersloot contributed 12 points, 8 assists and 5 reboundsThrough two 2014 regular season games, Elena Delle Donne is averaging 36.2 minutes per game, five minutes per game more than her rookie season (31.4 mpg)The New York Liberty played the first WNBA game at Madison Square Garden since the 2011 seasonLiberty center Tina Charles finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds in her New York homecoming to record her 81st career double-double
​
QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman

(On playing back-to-back games…)

"It's tough for a lot of reasons. We're all going to play back-to-backs, every team is dealing with injuries, new additions, and trying to find some rhythm. It was just nice to have a decent start with some adversity, then they tied it up and to see some of these youngsters and newbies keep it together (was nice)."

(On tonight's game…)

"I told them at halftime that they put up 40 points on the road in a back-to-back, that's pretty good. I felt comfortable that we would get quality looks, it was just about us getting stops. The good thing about it is that coming off the Indiana game we held them to 25 points in the second half, so we just talked defense, defense, defense. I never felt uncomfortable offensively. I felt that even when we struggled a little bit we got good shots. I thought we controlled our turnovers, it ended up being 13, but I felt comfortable. I liked the team's body language, even when they tied it up. Kudos to them for sticking to the game plan, and winning going away."


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne

(On the shift in play…)

"They're a phenomenal team, so you know that they're going to go on runs and try to match you. When that fourth quarter hit we said it was 0-0. New start, we started off with three stops on defense."

(On tonight's game…)

"We were able to make reads off of defense. They were focusing a lot on me. When I was setting screens and rolling, they were sending two. So someone else was open. We made sure to really simplify our offense at that point and just make reads off of their defense. My teammates were incredible making the correct reads."


New York Liberty Head Coach Bill Laimbeer

(On tonight's game…)

"I think what caught up to us tonight was our unfamiliarity with each other. We didn't execute offensively or defensively. We don't know our assignments right now, making mistakes both offensively and defensively, not being in the right spots. That has to be fixed. I understand we only had a couple practice days. In this league, it's rough. It's very difficult. You have to have a cohesive unit. Everybody has to know what they're doing, what they're executing. We're not there right now."

(On the third quarter…)

"I thought that we went looking for shots. We took bad shots, long shots. We didn't play to our strengths. We didn't get the ball to Tina (Charles) down low enough for her to go to work. We just got caught up in the middle of the game and we didn't execute. If we execute our offense, it takes advantage of everybody's strengths. We didn't do that."


New York Liberty Guard Cappie Pondexter

(On the team's performance…)

"We have a very good group of girls, who are willing to step up and get better. It is not going to take long. It is just a matter of going after it. We haven't had a full week of practice with each other."

(On playing in The Garden…)

"Everybody is excited. There's a buzz, there's an energy. Especially after last night's win, we know that it's going to be a lot of hard work. Everybody wants to play in the Garden, everybody wants to win on this floor and we have to protect it. That's our job."

 

[dawrestling]

Sky Block Sun En Route to 78-68 Victory


CHICAGO- The Chicago Sky returned to Allstate Arena today in a matinee matchup against the Connecticut Sun in the inaugural School Day Field Trip Game. The Sky (3-0) continued their winning streak with a 78-68 victory over the Connecticut Sun (0-3).

Chicago got off to their second quick start in a row, jumping out to an 11-6 lead only three and a half minutes into the game. Guard Courtney Vandersloot scored five of the Sky's first 11 points and finished the first quarter with 7 points. Sky players were aggressive attacking the basket putting the Sun in the foul bonus with over five minutes left in the first quarter. Katie Douglas had 7 points of her own to keep the Sun close as the Sky led 24-18 after the first quarter. Douglas finished with 14 points.

The Sky kept the heat on the Sun, opening the second quarter on an 11-4 run to push their lead to thirteen halfway through the second quarter. Delle Donne led the Sky's surge, scoring 8 points in the quarter as the Sky entered halftime with a commanding 45-26 lead. Vandersloot tossed in 5 points to push her point total to 12, tying a season high, in the first half.

Both teams struggled offensively for the first seven minutes of the third quarter. The action picked up late in the third quarter as the Sun used a 12-4 run to cut the Sky lead down to single digits. Courtney Vandersloot, who seemed to have injured herself midway through the quarter, was able to shift the momentum when she returned to the floor and helped the Sky rebuild a thirteen-point lead, 59-46 after three quarters.

The Sun used another extended run, this time 13-5 through the middle of the fourth quarter, to cut the Sky lead down to six, 68-62. That was the closest the Sun managed to pull within. The Sky tightened up their defense only allowing 6 points over the final 4:23 of the game to won their third straight game, and second by a double-digit margin. Three Sky players scored in double figures, paced by Delle Donne's 21 points. Jessica Breland recorded her second straight double double with 14 points and 15 rebounds to set a new career-high.

The Chicago Sky return to action on Saturday, May 24 at 7pm as they take on the visiting at Allstate Arena for Faith and Family Night.






Postgame Notes
Chicago Sky 78, Connecticut Sun 68
Allstate Arena
May 21, 2014


NOTESChicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot scored seven points in the first quarter and finishing with a season-high 18 points, along with 7 assists.Sky forward Jessica Breland recorded her second double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and pulling down a career-high 15 rebounds Elena Delle Donne scored 21 points to lead Chicago, along with 4 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. She has scored 20+ points in all three games so far this season.The Sky's defense blanketed the Sun in the first half, only allowing 26 points on 27% shooting, while Chicago's offense scored 45 points on 62.1% shooting.Sky center Sasha Goodlett recorded a new career-high with four blocked shotsThe Sky had three players in double figures scoring: Delle Donne with 21, Vandersloot with 18 and Breland with 14. Allie Quigley added 9 points off the bench, along with contributing 4 assists to tie her career-high.Connecticut rookie Chiney Ogwumike led the Sun with 18 points, she also grabbed 8 rebounds.​The Sun forced 18 Chicago Sky turnovers (a new season-high)


QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman

(On the importance of the little things…)

"In practice we chart those things that don't ever make it on your stat sheet. It's just a momentum boost. It's a part of the game that everyone can be a part of. You don't need to be a starter to get a deflection or start to get a loose ball. So we value what those things mean and translate into."

(On the team chemistry…)

"It all started in training camp. We knew early on we would be without people, so we're not adjusting on the fly. It was a matter of figuring things out. We really utilized the training camp."


Chicago Sky Guard Courtney Vandersloot

(On growing accustomed to her veteran role…)

"It's about being comfortable making the right plays when it's time to score, who to get it to, just being able to run the team and having the team look at you and then respond. I have learned a lot more at what to do at certain times of the game."


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne

(On having the offense run through her…)

"It just happens in game situations. When they switch it's time to attack and try to get a miss match. When they switch a small, I try to take them inside. When they switch a big, I try to drive past them, draw a foul and make them move their feet."


Chicago Sky Forward Jessica Breland

(On the team balance…)

"It all starts with us liking each other and supporting each other. We know each other's weaknesses and strengths. We just try to play to emphasize that."

(On momentum swing in the fourth quarter…)

"Sometime in the fourth quarter we turned it on and started executing. Most of the time it was me and "E" (Elena) at the four and five, so we had to get used to that. It was the first time we really played that combo."


Connecticut Sun Head Coach Anne Donovan

(On what happened during the second quarter…)

"We tend to lose our focus defensively. I think we have pretty good schemes defensively; in the second half we showed that. When we stuck to the game plan, I think we made it difficult for them … when shots don't fall we tend to get a little bit erratic defensively."

(On how to approach Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne defensively…)

"Just try to throw different looks at her. Last year I tried to go small and play physical with her, that didn't work. I tried to go big and she can get around people. Just give her credit; she's a great player that continues to improve her game. For us, we just try to give her different looks."

Connecticut Sun Forward Chiney Ogwumike

(On what she thinks of Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne's game…)

"I like how aggressive she is. I think for her it doesn't matter who she's out on the court with. Epiphanny [Prince] is not there, Sylvia [Fowles] is not there, doesn't matter who's she's out there with. She's just a winner. She plays hard and she competes and that's something I can definitely take from her. And I love her positive attitude. She plays the game the right way. She's not out here doing anything crazy, just playing skillfully. She's a tough matchup, so that's why I respect her game."

(On change in her play from first to second half…)

"I'm learning. It's not like every WNBA game is the same. Everything is different. The first two games were a little different than this third game. It just took a while for our inside game to get going and its really unfortunate because if we had gotten that earlier we wouldn't have been in that big of a hole. I think right now we have three different experiences as a team. We really didn't come to play against New York. We fought super hard and played 40-something minutes against Minnesota. We played 20 minutes here of team basketball. All these experiences will hopefully be fruitful and we can get a win … and we want it Friday."

Connecticut Sun Forward Kelsey Griffin

(On going up against Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne…)

"Everyone knows she's a very capable scorer, obviously someone we have to pay a lot of attention to when we scout Chicago. She's very consistent for them, doing it on all cylinders. We tried to focus on shutting her down as a team, it's not a job any one person can do."

(On needing to play a complete game…)

"What we need to do this year is put 40 minutes together, but it's our defense. Chicago was getting any shot they wanted. They were shooting at an incredibly high percentage when we came into halftime. We knew that if there was any chance of us being in it at the end of the game that we had to get our defense done and really talk and get any 50/50 balls and keep crashing the boards if our shots weren't dropping."

 

[dawrestling]

Chicago Sky 87, Atlanta Dream 73




Sky's Dream Start Continues


CHICAGO- Saturday night, the Chicago Sky welcomed the undefeated Atlanta Dream to Allstate Arena for an Eastern conference showdown. The Sky defeated the Dream 87-73 to start 4-0 for the first time in franchise history.

Using an 11-4 run in the first three minutes, the Sky jumped to an early lead. The Sky made a concerted effort to feed the post enabling them to score 10 of their first 14 points in or around the paint. The Dream fought back, using an extended 16-8 run to take the lead before Allie Quigley nailed a deep triple to give the Sky a 22-20 at the end of the first quarter.

The pace of play seemed to frustrate the Sky as the Dream continued to push the ball up the court and score points in transition which gave them a two point lead halfway through the second quarter. The Sky managed to regain a lead heading into the half behind 9 points in the from Elena Delle Donne and a strong first half for rookie Markeisha Gatling, who finished with 10 points and five rebounds.

Midway through the third quarter the Sky found a combination that Atlanta was unable to stop. With Vandersloot running the point and Quigley and Clements on either wing spotting up for jump shots the Sky offense was able to take advantage of what the defense threw at them. A three-pointer from the wing by Quigley pushed the Sky's lead to nine and after three quarters, the Sky led 65-57.

Quigley was hot in the fourth, scoring seven quick points to start the quarter. The Sky ultimately finished the game with five players in double digits.

"I thought the bench came in and did a really good job," said Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman. "They got the game ball tonight."

Gatling, Quigley and Clements contributed 33 points off the bench. Courtney Vandersloot recorded her first double-double of the year with 10 points and 11 assists. Elena Delle Donne kept her streak of 20+ point games going, scoring a game high 27 points.

Up next for the Sky is a Memorial Day matinee matchup with the defending WNBA Champion Minnesota Lynx, led by league-leading scorer Maya Moore, on Monday May 26, at 2:30pm at Allstate Arena. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.



Postgame Notes
Chicago Sky 87, Atlanta Dream 73
Allstate Arena
May 24, 2014


NOTES​


· At 4-0 the Sky are off to the best start in franchise history. Last season, they won their first three games before falling at San Antonio on June 7th, 2013.

· Sky rookie Markeisha Gatling set a new career-high, scoring 10 points. Gatling also grabbed five rebounds.


· Sky guard Courtney Clements set a new career high with 6 rebounds, tied her career high with two three pointers, and set a new season high with 10 points against her former team.


· Courtney Vandersloot tied her career high with 11 assists, which she previously set on August 28, 2012 against the Connecticut Sun.


· Elena Delle Donne has scored 20+ points in all four of the Sky's games this season, she scored a game high, and season high, 27 points on Saturday night


· Chicago hit a season-high seven three-point shots in Saturday night's game. For the game the Sky shot 53.8% (7-of-13) from downtown.


· Chicago had five players score in double figures, another season high, with only two being starters (Delle Donne and Vandersloot)


· The Chicago Sky bench outscored the Atlanta Dream's bench 35-28 thanks to 23 points from Allie Quigley and 10 points each from Markeisha Gatling and Courtney Clements.


· Chicago scored a season-high 87 points against Atlanta Saturday night, the first time they have broken the 80 point mark this season.


· Atlanta came into Saturday night's game averaging 84.5 points per game, second in the WNBA this season. The Dream only managed to score 73 points against the Sky's defense


QUOTES
Chicago Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman

(On the bench's performance…)

"I thought the bench came in and did a really good job. They got the game ball tonight."

(On Jessica Breland and her transition to the team…)

"I just like her spirit. It's a nice spirit to have on the team."

Chicago Sky Guard Allie Quigley

(On her production off the bench…)

"I think it's a huge thing to have a team that when the second unit comes in it's not just the same, you try and get better and just be aggressive. That is our goal, to just be aggressive and make something happen."

(On what it means to be the Player of the Game…)

"Like Pokey said I thought our bench won players of the game and we needed everyone tonight to get this win."

Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne

(On the importance of the bench…)

"It helps [the starters] just take a deep breath. The starters at first weren't flowing the way we usually do, we kind of started off slow. So to have them come in and lift us is so important."

(On her thoughts through the first four games…)

"I love this team. The team's ready to step up for any battle and even the bench is ready for us. I really like this team's fight, their energy, the focus and the ability to really get along and execute."

(Elena on going up against Swin Cash…)

"I enjoy going up against great players and great teams, so I always enjoy going up against the Atlanta Dream."


Atlanta Dream Head Coach Michael Cooper

(Overall comments on the game…)

"Obviously Chicago, being at home in their comfort zone was a very good basketball team. I thought we were a little timid in the game. We conquered in the first half, but didn't do what we needed to in the second to stay in the game".

(On Chicago's offensive performance…)

"They do a good job of moving the ball and I thought they ran their offense extremely well. They set good pace and doing those things that makes basketball easy and fun. They do a good job of running and executing their plays and we're at that stage now. What they've done last year as opposed to our team getting used to a new coaching staff and style, it's going to take us some time".

Atlanta Dream Guard Shoni Schimmel

(On what she needs to work more on…)

"I would definitely say defense. It's different to get used to all these big players. In college you only have one or two big players to worry about, but with them sitting screens left and right it's kind of hard to get around them or just read the offense and for me to just step my game up and continue to get better on defense is important".

Atlanta Dream Forward Swin Cash

(On what it was like playing against old team and defending against Elena…)


"It was a tough loss and Chicago played really well. I've been playing for a long time so whether it's defending Elena, Maya Moore, or Diana Taurasi, I defend great players all the time. But it was great to see Epiphany, Tamera and Sylvia when I got here. Tough game but we need to move on to Indiana next".

 

[dawrestling]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 27, 2014



Elena Delle Donne Opens 2014 Season as Eastern Conference Player of the Week




CHICAGO ? Chicago Sky guard/forward Elena Delle
Donne has been named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week to
start the 2014 season. Delle Donne's earned the recognition based on
her performance the week of May 16-25 where she
contributed 20+ points in each of the team's first four games.


On May 16th, Delle Donne scored 23 points to help the Sky
defeat Eastern Conference rival Indiana Fever. Her 16 points in the
second half helped the Sky overcome a 10-point halftime deficit to win
their home opener.


It was a quick turnaround as the Sky made a trip to Madison Square Garden on May 17th
to face the Liberty in the team's first game back at MSG since 2011. In
her first appearance at The Garden, Delle Donne contributed another
23-point performance
in 36 minutes.


The Sky returned to Allstate Arena later in the week to face the
Connecticut Sun led by Chiney Ogwumike, the first overall pick in the
2014 WNBA Draft. Delle Donne dropped 27 points on 8-of-15 from the field
as the Sky cruised to an 87-73 victory.



Against the Atlanta Dream on May 24th Delle Donne blocked
four shots and was a major reason why the Sky's defense only surrendered
68 points. She also contributed her fourth 20+-point performance as she
posted 21 points as the Sky moved to 4-0,
the best start in franchise history.


For the season, Delle Donne is also shooting 93.8 percent from the
free throw line. She currently leads the WNBA in free throw shooting
percentage, right on pace with her league-leading 92.9 percent last
season.


Delle Donne's WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor is the
fifth of her career. She also won WNBA Rookie of the Month four times
last year making her a unanimous selection as 2013 WNBA Rookie of the
Year.



Minnesota's Maya Moore received Player of the Week honors for the Western Conference.


###

About the Chicago Sky

The Chicago Sky (4-1) is off to the best start in franchise history.
Now in their ninth season, the Sky is coming off a 2013 season where the
team finished atop the Eastern Conference with a 24-10 record and
earned the first WNBA Playoff berth in franchise
history. For information on 2014 ticket packages to see the Sky play at
Allstate Arena, call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit
www.chicagosky.net.

 

[dawrestling]

Sky Defeat Sun


CHICAGO?The Sky used a commanding offensive attack at Allstate Arena to cruise to a 101-82 victory over the Connecticut Sun, their largest margin of victory of the season. The Sky knocked off the Sun for the second time in just ten days.

Chicago scored on three of their first five possessions to build an early lead. Tamera Young led the early surge scoring 9 of the Sky's first 14 points. The Sun battled their way back, taking a two-point lead with 3:20 left in the first quarter. The teams traded buckets for the rest of the first quarter with the Sky regaining the lead 26-23 to close the first quarter.

The Sun turned up the defensive heat to start the second quarter, and used that pressure to gain a quick lead. Allie Quigley connected on a three pointer to give the Sky back a slim lead. She finished the game with 15 points tying a career high. Courtney Clements provided a huge spark off the bench, scoring five straight points to give the Sky a seven-point lead at the midway point of the second quarter, a lead that the Sky extended to ten points by the end of the quarter, taking a 51-41 advantage into the locker room at halftime.

The Sky came out of the break extending their ten-point halftime lead to sixteen in the first two minutes of the third quarter. The Sky never let the lead dip below 10 the rest of the game. Chicago's offense exploded in the fourth quarter, steadily building their lead to 24 points with 2:27 left in the game and finished the game on cruise control.

The Sky reached the century mark for the first time since May 27, 2013, in their 101-82 victory. Elena Delle Donne rebounded from a tough shooting night against Minnesota to score a season-high 28 points, Jessica Breland stuffed the stat sheet, setting career highs with 18 points and six assists, along with 10 rebounds and five blocks. Courtney Vandersloot set a career high and Sky franchise record for assists in a game with 13 assists.

Chicago plays again Friday, June 6 at 7:30pm at Allstate Arena, hosting Naperville Central star Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks for 'Police and Fire Night' presented by Motorola Solutions.



Postgame Notes
Chicago Sky 101, Connecticut Sun 82
May 30, 2014

​
NOTESAfter being held to a season-low 16 points on Monday against the Lynx, Elena Delle Donne scored 16 points in the second half alone to finish with a season-high 28 points.Courtney Vandersloot, the Sky franchise leader in assists, added 13 more to her total. Friday was her third straight game with 10+ assists and Vandersloot's 13-assist performance set a new career high and franchise highThe Sky recorded had 39 made field goals, the most in franchise history.Chicago shot 52.7% from the field and 50.0% from behind the arch Jessica Breland set career highs with 18 points and six assists, to go with 10 rebounds and five blocks. This was Breland's fourth double-double in the last five games for the Sky.The Sky recorded a franchise-best 30 assists, surpassing the previous mark of 28 assists set back in 2011 also against Connecticut.Allie Quigley continued her brilliant play off the bench, tying a career high with 15 points for her third straight game scoring in double-digits.Kelsey Bone led Connecticut with 20 points off the bench. She also grabbed 7 rebounds.Gennifer Brandon delivered 3 points and 6 rebounds off the bench, a new career highChiney Ogwumike recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Sun.
QUOTES
Chicago Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman
(Her overall thoughts on the game…)
"I felt like offensively we were moving the basketball. We were taking what the defense was giving us. We were creating certain things. We just did a really good job for 40 minutes and that fueled us when we were struggling a little bit defensively."
(On knowing you have great production from forward Jessica Breland and guard Allie Quigley now with two All-Stars on the bench…)

"It's huge … what they're doing is not a surprise to anyone who knows their game and what they're capable of doing. It's just an opportunity presents itself, and players that work so hard, you know they're going to be ready."

Chicago Sky Guard Courtney Vandersloot

(On why she's seeing the floor so well…)

"I think it's just because I have so many options out there. Having Elena out there helps a lot because her defender doesn't help and that creates a lot … I have players making baskets, that's what it comes down to."

Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne

(On maintaining her composer throughout the game…)

"It's kind of just something I've learned growing up from my parents. They're going to try and get in my head, but don't let them see it."

(On the team to this point…)

"I have amazing teammates that are just reading so much right now, so early. It's a really special team."

Connecticut Sun Forward Chiney Ogwumike

(On tonight's lost…)

"I wanted our defense to be better, and we ended up giving away 100 points and that's not our team. They had great looks and got comfortable, and were knocking down shots and we didn't answer them."

(On what made it so difficult to defeat the Sky…)

"Their shooting was on point tonight. Not only was Delle Donne knocking down shots but the bench contributed. It made it difficult to contest with such a strong presence out there."

Connecticut Sun Forward/Center Kelsey Bone

(On tonight's game…)

"I scored 20 points but we took a loss. We had a game plan to attack inside-out. We did a good job but we fell short with them shooting 50% from the floor. Coach had challenged us from the beginning of the season to be a defensive team and when you're on the road you have to step up your defense that much more."

(On her team's biggest weakness…)

"Putting together multiple stops, we had some here and there. But when you have shooters and weapons like Chicago does you have to be more focused."

Connecticut Sun Head Coach Anne Donovan

(Thoughts on playing against the Sky…)

"Our focus was to come in and score more. Because we struggled to score last night we did that, but we didn't defend as well as we needed to. The Sky attacked. They served it off the dribble. They were trying hard to get mismatches and for the most part I think we handled that but dribble penetration was a problem all night."

(On turning the season around…)

"With every game we get experience. With every game our kids get better. We will continually learn and get better. This was a tough trip for us…We just have to stay confident and stay poised and look for the next opportunity to get better and get the win."

 

[dawrestling]

CHICAGO'S DELLE DONNE, MINNESOTA'S RECORD-SETTING MOORE NAMED WNBA EASTERN AND WESTERN CONFERENCE


PLAYERS OF THE MONTH PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG





NEW YORK, June 4, 2014 ? Elena Delle
Donne of the Chicago Sky and
Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx were named the WNBA's Eastern and
Western Conference Players of the Month presented by Samsung,
respectively, for games played in May.





The
Eastern and Western Conference Player of the Month awards, as well as
the WNBA Rookie of the Month, are presented by Samsung and are part of
the larger
WNBA Performance Awards presented by Samsung program. This marks the
first season that Samsung, an official WNBA marketing partner, will
present the WNBA's highest individual honors, including the WNBA Most
Valuable Player, WNBA Most Improved Player, WNBA
Sixth Woman of the Year, and WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.





Delle Donne scored 21 or more points in five of Chicago's six games and, despite All-Star teammates Sylvia Fowles and Epiphanny Prince both being sidelined,
guided the Sky to the top spot in the Eastern Conference (5-1). The second-year pro led the East in scoring (23.0 ppg, second in the league behind only Moore), while shooting .422 from the floor (46-of-109). Among Eastern Conference players, Delle Donne
ranked second in blocks (2 bpg) and third in free throw percentage (.950 on 38-of-40). She was also named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on May 27.





Highlights of Delle Donne's play in May included:
May
16 vs. Indiana: Her 23-point, five-rebound, three-assist effort
included 16 second-half points as the Sky overcame a 10-point
deficit to defeat the visiting Fever, 74-71.May 17 at New York: In front of a national viewing audience on ESPN2, Delle Donne led all scorers with 23 points and added five boards
in a 79-65 win over the Liberty.May 24 vs. Atlanta: 27 points in an 87-73 victory.May 30 vs. Connecticut: 28 points in a 101-82 win.Three
games in which she was perfect from the free throw line ? 6-of-6 at New
York on May 17; 9-of-9 vs. Atlanta on May 24; and 8-of-8
vs. Connecticut on May 30.




Moore's 29.2 ppg
led the WNBA last month as the defending champion Lynx posted the best
record in the league in May (6-0). Minnesota currently sits atop the
Western Conference at 7-0 and is the league's only undefeated team.





The runner-up behind Candace Parker in the voting for WNBA MVP presented by Samsung a year ago,





Moore
opened the season by scoring 135 points in her first four outings.
That effort ? the most prolific four-game scoring stretch in WNBA
history ? also
enabled the fourth-year pro to become the first player in league
history to post four consecutive games of 30 or more points when she
poured in 34 at Washington on May 16; 33 vs. Connecticut on May 18; a
career-high 38 at Tulsa on May 23; and 30 vs. New York
on May 24. For the month, Moore shot .516 from the floor (32-of-62),
while ranking first in minutes (35.7 mpg), third in rebounding (8.8 rpg), and fourth in steals (2.17 spg) among Western Conference players.





Highlights of Moore's play in May included:
May 16 at Washington: 34 points, nine rebounds, and three assists in an 89-77 win.May
18 vs. Connecticut: Moore's 33 points and 12 rebounds were only part of
the story as the fourth-year pro collected 10 points and
a WNBA-record-tying five steals in the fourth quarter to help Minnesota
erase a 16-point deficit in the second half to claim a 90-87 victory.May
23 at Tulsa: Her 38-point, 13-rebound output included the decisive free
throws with 11.8 seconds left to play. While that effort
enabled Moore to join Cynthia Cooper, Epiphany Prince and Angel McCoughtry
as the only players in league history with three consecutive 30-point
games, she became the first of the group whose effort included a pair of
double-doubles.May 30 vs. San Antonio: 26 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals in an 88-72 victory.




For more information on this year's WNBA Performance Awards presented by Samsung, visit www.wnba.com/awards.








2014 WNBA PLAYERS OF THE MONTH PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG WINNERS





Month East
Player Team West
Player Team


May Elena Delle Donne Chicago Maya Moore Minnesota








About Samsung Telecommunications America


Samsung
Telecommunications America, LLC, (Samsung Mobile) a Dallas-based
subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co.,
Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets, wireless
infrastructure and other telecommunications products throughout North
America. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.





About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.


Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere.
Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of TVs, smartphones,
tablets, PCs, cameras, home appliances, printers, LTE systems, medical
devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 286,000 people
across 80 countries
with annual sales of US$216.7 billion. To discover more, please visitwww.samsung.com.





About the WNBA


The
WNBA ? which features 12 teams and is the most successful women's
professional team sports league
in the world ? is a unique global sports property combining
competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment value with its status as
an icon for social change, achievement, and diversity. The league,
which counts Boost Mobile as its leaguewide marquee partner,
tipped off its 18th season in May 2014.





Through
WNBA Cares, the WNBA is deeply committed to creating programs that
improve the quality of life
for all people, with a special emphasis on programs that promote a
healthy lifestyle and positive body image, increase breast and women's
health awareness, support youth and family development, and focus on
education. For more information on the WNBA, log
on to www.wnba.com.

 

[dawrestling]

Postgame Notes Chicago Sky 88, Los Angeles Sparks 102



















​



​

Sky Fall to LA



CHICAGO?The Chicago Sky fell to the Sparks 102-88 in
the first matchup between the two teams in the 2014 season. Despite
the loss Elena Delle Donne recorded career highs in points (33) and
rebounds (14). The game was also a homecoming for
Sparks forward, and former Naperville Central standout, Candace Parker.



Opening the game with Parker on the bench, the Sparks jumped out to a
quick 10-3 lead. The Sky responded behind reigning Rookie of the Year
Elena Delle Donne, who had seven of the team's first nine points. The
Sky kept it close for the majority of the quarter
but a 16-7 run by Parker and the Sparks gave them a 32-21 lead at the
end of the quarter.


In the second quarter, Delle Donne scored 11 points to help the Sky
close the gap however the Sparks went on a 15-5 run to end the half. Led
by Nneka Ogwumike's 16 points the Sparks put up 61 first half points,
the most given up by the Sky in the first half
in team history.


The Chicago Sky came out strong to start the second half, with
Jessica Breland scoring four quick points. The Sparks regained control
of the game behind Kristi Toliver's eight third quarter points. Los
Angeles led Chicago 81-62 going into the final quarter
of play.


The fourth quarter saw the teams trade baskets but it was not enough
to erase the deficit and the Sky were defeated 102-88. Elena Delle Donne
finished the game with 33 points and 14 rebounds, career highs in both
categories. Rookie guard Jamierra Faulkner
registered a career high 13 points while Tamera Young added a season
high 15 points. Behind 31 assists, the Sparks had a balanced scoring
attack with four players scoring double digits. Nneka Ogwumike and
Kristi Toliver led the way with 18 points each while
Parker tallied 17 and Alana Beard chipped in 14.


"We just were not ourselves at all and we didn't come out very
strong," said Sky forward Elena Delle Donne. "As a leader I think about
what I could have done, but the good thing about this league is we have a
game tomorrow to right the wrong quickly."


The Sky heads to Atlanta to face the Dream in the second match of a
back-to-back tomorrow night at 6:00 PM CT. In their first meeting, the
Sky defeated the Dream 87-73 behind 27 points from Elena Delle Donne.
The game will broadcast on The U Too and also
WNBA LiveAccess. The Sky return to action at Allstate Arena on
Tuesday, June 10 at 7pm CT when they host the Seattle Storm.​







Postgame Notes

Chicago Sky 88, Los Angeles Sparks 102

Allstate Arena

June 6, 2014




NOTES

· Elena Delle Donne set new career highs in points with 33 and rebounds with 14 (six offensive rebounds)

· Delle Donne set a WNBA record for most free throws made without a miss by hitting all 16 of her attempts.

· Delle Donne became the fifth player in Sky history to score 33
or more points in a game, and just the third to do so in regulation.

· Jamierra Faulkner scored a career-high 13 points, along with four assists

· Tamera Young added a season-high 15 points shooting .875 from the field

· Los Angeles scored 61 points in the first half, a record for most points given up by the Sky in a single half.


· Los Angeles assisted on 31 of their 43 field goals made. The
31 assists are the most the Sky have given up in franchise history.


· Former Naperville Central graduate Candace Parker scored 17
points, grabbed 6 rebounds and dished out 6 assists off the bench.

· Los Angeles had eight players with 8+ points, four of those players scoring in double figures

QUOTES

Chicago Sky Head coach Pokey Chatman



(On the difference in the game….)



"From the beginning we let a really good team that had a couple
losses, and came in hungry, allowing them to get back on track early and
we could never recover from it. When you give up 100+ points at home
it's a defensive breakdown that needs to be corrected
quickly."


(On her team's 17 turnovers…)



"I always credit the opposition. We played a hand in at least six of them (turnovers). They are a great team."



Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne



(On her career night…)



"The only thing that matters is the score. We just were not ourselves
at all and we didn't come out very strong. As a leader I think about
what I could have done, but the good thing about this league is we have a
game tomorrow to right the wrong quickly."


(On the tempo of the game…)



"Our defensive transition wasn't where it needed to be, so they were
able to run the floor. They dictated the speed of the game because our
defense is not at all where it needs to be."


Chicago Sky Forward Tamera Young



(On the Sky's defensive effort…)



"I don't think it was as much them as it was us mentally. We have to
be there on the screens, but we were a step slow and that's what they
were capitalizing on."


Chicago Sky Point Guard Jamierra Faulkner



(On the loss tonight…)



"We weren't mentally stable and had a lot of unforced turnovers, with to many defensive mistakes."


Los Angeles Sparks Head Coach Carol Ross



(On the team's unselfish play…)



"We've been playing pretty well offensively, just sharing the ball
and being able to knock down shots at the end of it. It was the first
night where our offense and our defense has really been together at the
same time."


(On Candace Parker coming off the bench…)



"That's the only time I've ever had Candace Parker coming off the
bench; she turned her ankle and she couldn't practice yesterday, and
today she ran and was still hobbling so I just made an early decision.
By game time she was ready to go. In this particular
case, we got better when we subbed."




Los Angeles Sparks Forward/Center Candace Parker



(On playing against MVP contender Elena Delle Donne…)



"She's a great player, but I do know it's really hard to do it by
yourself. We wanted to limit her free throw shooting a little more than
we did and then take everybody else away, and I think we did that and
that's why we were able to come out with the win."


(On playing close to home…)



"I saw a lot of familiar faces. It was nice to play at home and
actually get the win, I don't think we've won here in a long time. It's
nice to finally get the win."



Los Angeles Sparks Guard Kristi Toliver



(On the team's performance…)



"The guys that started did a really good job setting the tone,
especially defensively and sharing the ball offensively. We did a great
job; we had 10 turnovers, 30 plus assists, we shared the basketball
really well. We played with the tempo and speed that
we wanted to and that we need to in order for us to be successful. It
stayed a pretty even field the whole time."


(On playing in Chicago…)



"I like coming back to Chicago because my family is from Chicago, so I
always have that support system here and in the Midwest. So there's no
love lost coming back, and I love coming back playing in front of these
fans."

 

[dawrestling]

Sky Fall in Atlanta



CHICAGO?The Chicago Sky dropped the second game of a
back-to-back 59-97 to a hot shooting Atlanta Dream team on Saturday
night at Philips Arena. The Sky is now 5-3 on the season.


The loss was just the second time the Sky has fallen to Atlanta in
the last six regular season meetings. To start the game the Dream went
on a 14-3 run to mount a double-digit lead early on that the Sky were
never able to overcome. Jessica Breland scored
8 first quarter points while Erika De Souza, shooting 68% from the
field, the highest in the WNBA, contributed 6 first quarter points to
help the Dream establish a 30-16 lead at the first intermission.



Elena Delle Donne coming off a career high 33-point effort against
the Sparks on Friday night was unable to find offensive rhythm, scoring
just two first half points and finishing tied for a career low with 7
points. The Dream led 56-31 at the half behind
16 points from Angel McCoughtry.


Turnovers and second chance opportunities dictated the game. The Sky
had 12 turnovers and gave up 24 rebounds to (10 offensive) in the first
half. The Sky and Dream traded baskets to open the second half, allowing
the Dream to maintain its 25-point lead
(73-48) heading into the final quarter of play.


The Sky were held below 60 points for the first time this season as
they scored just 11 points in the fourth quarter. Allie Quigley led the
Sky with 11 points off the bench while Jessica Breland chipped in 10
points and 4 rebounds. Epiphanny Prince made
her first appearance of the 2014 season, scoring 7 points off the
bench.


The Sky (5-3) will look to bounce back to the winners column as they
return to action at Allstate Arena on Tuesday, June 10 as they host Sue
Bird and the Seattle Storm (3-6). Tip off is set for 7 p.m. CT.






Postgame Notes

Chicago Sky 59, Atlanta Dream 97

Phillips Arena

June 7, 2014




NOTES
Chicago's Allie Quigley scored a team-high 11 points off the bench

Sky guard Epiphanny Prince made her season-debut, scoring 7 points in 9 minutes

The Sky and Dream, both 5-3 on the season, now share the lead of first place in the E​astern Conference

Courtney Vandersloot delivered a
game-high 7 assists, to maintain her position as the WNBA's assist
leader for the 2014 season, averaging 8.13 assists per game

Atlanta outrebounded Chicago 51-32, with 20 offensive rebounds

Following a career-high 33
points on Friday night, Elena Delle Donne's seven points tied a
career-low (last vs. New York on July 20, 2013)

For the second time this season, and just the third time in her career, Elena Delle Donne did record a single free throw attempt

Angel McCoughtry and Erika de Souza combined for 40 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists

The Dream held the Sky under 60 points for the first time this season

Chicago committed 18 turnovers, their most of the season

The 38-point margin of victory set an Atlanta franchise record

The Dream used 26 assists to connect on 35 field goal attempts






QUOTES





Chicago Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman


(Opening statement…)


"We had a great opportunity to come in here and bounce back after a
poor performance giving up 102 points last night at home. But we turned
around and let a very good basketball team get momentum early, in the
middle, and late in the game. It's just very
frustrating to see."



(On Delle Donne's performance…)


"Part of having Elena Delle Donne is that other people get good
shots. We play to her, we play through her, and we play off her. I told
Elena you're a leader of this team, you can't be a liability
defensively. But the really good players can take that. They
want that heat."



(On playing back to back nights…)


"Back to back is what we do. You prepare for that. We don't play for
five days, we are going to get that rest then. So I'm not giving them
that excuse."



(Giving credit to Atlanta…)


"There is a reason Atlanta is always in the finals; they are a
quality basketball team. They play fast, get second chance points, and
they rebound well. We just never got out of the gate."


Chicago Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne


(On the team's performance tonight…)


"Overall, it was an embarrassing performance for our entire team. We
had no energy, no pride, no heart. So it's really upsetting especially
after last night's performance. We have to figure some things out for
next game."


(On Atlanta's dominance in rebounding…)


"You're not going to win a game when the other team has 19 more
rebounds. Our defense was bad enough, then we give them several chances;
it's impossible to win that way."


(On team bouncing back next game…)


"We have to start stirring the ship in a different direction. Pokey
always has a great game plan for us. It's just about us giving the
effort and executing it."




Atlanta Dream Head Coach Michael Cooper



(On defensive strategy with Della Donne…)


"Just to go at her. Keep a fresh body on her. We know they played
last night so we wanted to bang her around opposed to the last game
where we let her play and if you can hold her down and keep her off the
free throw line it's tough for her to score. But
she is a talented lady and we were fortunate enough to hold her to
seven points."


(On Chicago playing last night effecting strategy…)



"Not much. We are a running team anyway and we wanted to amp that up
even more. We understand the dynamics of going back to back, we have
done it the first four games of the season, so we knew it was going to
be difficult for them, so we just wanted to push
tempo and not rush into hurried shots and make them have to get back on
defense and when our play wasn't there, we started executing."


(On a dominant first quarter…)


"They are starting to understand each other. One of the things we
changed in our offense was the first 10 seconds of the shot clock I'm
letting them play. They go down and do what they want to, just don't
take quick shots and throw it away and play basketball,
and they like that. Angel is doing a lot of great things, passing the
basketball. So what we want to do is make them get back on defense and
not let them control the tempo of the game.


(On creating history…)


"It takes a lot of hard work and I think they are starting to
understand that defense is going to create a lot of offensive
opportunities for us and I liked our defense tonight and that is why we
were able to get that lead. One point or 38 points, as long
as we are winning the game that is all I am concerned about."



Atlanta Guard Shoni Schimmel


(On being dominant tonight…)


"It was a great team win and for us to go out there and play together
and gel. It was a great game for us to just go out and dominate."


(On finding her way as a rookie…)


"I'm learning every different night from a lot of different people.
Coach Cooper is a great coach and he knows what he is talking about, and
I just want to find whatever spark I can give."






​

 

[dawrestling]

Postgame Notes Chicago Sky 76, Seattle Storm 80















​

Sky Come Up Short


After dropping two straight games, the Chicago Sky looked to bounce
back on their home court against the visiting Seattle Storm at the
Allstate Arena, but was unable to overcome a shorthanded roster, falling
to the Storm 80-76.



The Sky scored first with a layup by Sasha Goodlett to take an early
2-0 lead but that proved to be their only lead of the night. The Storm
responded with a 7-0 run after a Sue Bird Jump shot to give the Storm a
7-2 advantage midway through the first quarter.
Chicago's Jamierra Faulkner came off the bench to help the Sky pull
within four (18-14) to close the quarter.


Seattle's scoring came alive in the second quarter with Camille
Little knocking down 6 points. Little led all scorers at the half with
10 points. The Storm used two 8-0 spurts in the second quarter to take a
12-point lead at the end of the half.



Markeisha Gatling provided a spark on the offense contributing nine
of the 24-points in the third quarter for the Sky, decreasing the
deficit to eight heading into the fourth. Gatling led the Sky with 11
points and 6 rebounds heading into the final quarter
of play.


Chicago continued to rally in the fourth quarter behind timely
scoring from Epiphanny Prince who delivered 12 of her game-high 18
points in the final quarter. The Sky pulled within four points, but was
unable to get any closer. Markeisha Gatling finished
with a season high in both points (15) and rebounds (10), while Tamera
Young finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds, tying her season high.



The Sky will head to Washington for a 6pm CT matchup with the Mystics. The game can be viewed on The U Too and WNBA All Access.











Postgame Notes

Chicago Sky 76, Seattle Storm 80

Allstate Arena

June 10, 2014




NOTES

· Allie Quigley and Gennifer Brandon started the first game of their careers

· Epiphanny Prince scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, 10 in
the final 5:22. She finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.


· Markeisha Gatling recorded her first double double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds

· Every player that entered the game on both the Sky and Storm scored at least 2 points.

· The Sky was without Elena Delle Donne and Jessica Breland
against the Storm. Those two starters averaged 34.2ppg combined, 43% of
the team's scoring punch.


· Each team had three players in double-figures. For the Storm,
Tanisha Wright led the way with 17, Camille Little added 13 and Sue Bird
scored 12. For the Sky, Epiphanny Prince scored 18, Markeisha Gatling
had 15 and Tamera Young scored 10.

· Jamierra Faulkner continued her strong play off the bench, scoring 9 points and dishing out 5 assists in 26 minutes.

· The Sky dominated in the paint and off the bench, outscoring the Storm 48-24 down low and 44-26 off the bench.



QUOTES





Chicago Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman


(On tonight's game…)



"I thought we did a good job in the second half of taking care of the
basketball, because at halftime even though we had seven turnovers they
had double-digit points off of our turnovers, and we cut that down in
the second half and were able to make some
runs. We just didn't sustain. I challenged them throughout the game and
they met a lot of those challenges; we just dug ourselves a hole that
was a little bit too deep."


(On improvements for next game…)


"The side of the basketball we struggled on in the last three games
is 80 points to a team that likes to score 60 is too much. That's some
pride, that's some discipline, but it's also something that's
correctable. The game of basketball is about adjustments,
so it's not a matter of changing because of three losses. It's just a
matter of adjusting to the next opponent with who we have available."


(On Elena Delle Donne's illness…)



"We've never had to talk about it because we've been fortunate. We've
been fortunate enough where she never got depleted on a game day. It's a
lot of stuff; it's IVs, medication, Vitamin C. And it's everyday. The
timing with this just happened to be on a
game day."


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne



(On her condition…)



"I just feel exhausted, kind of like how you feel when you have a
fever. I've had my better days but I'm all right. It's nothing I haven't
gone through before. The back-to-back is where I got a little bit
depleted."



(On the timeline of her return…)



"It's day-to-day. It's always been a day-to-day battle, but
especially right now. The team's phenomenal; they're getting me all the
treatments I need."


Chicago Sky Center Markeisha Gatling



(On her breakthrough performance…)



"I felt pretty good after I made a couple shots; it helped my confidence. After coach got on me, it made me go harder."


Seattle Storm Head Coach Brian Agler


(On earning a road win…)



"It feels good to have a win on the road. We didn't get off to the
greatest start this year but we've hung in there and we've steadily
improved."


(On controlling the game…)



"We played well in the first two quarters. We didn't turn the ball
over a whole lot. We had 19 assists to 13 turnovers so were improving
especially with Tanisha improving on her play lately. We need that
because when Tanisha, Sue, and Camille play well
our rate of success is high."


Seattle Storm Guard Sue Bird


(On tonight's win…)



"Tonight we played pretty well on offense and for us 40 points in the
first half is actually a lot. We were taking what they gave us and we
were aggressive at times and we executed at times. Our defense was there
for us especially at the end when we needed
it. We knew we had a lead going into the fourth and we didn't want to
give it up. We could have closed out better because we could have given
it up which you can't do with a player like Epiphanny Prince."


(On Chicago Sky missing players…)



"I've seen it a lot in this league, players go down and all it does
is give other players a chance to step up and earn more minutes or their
spot. So you can't go in relax, even though they were missing a lot. We
knew it wasn't going to be easy and it would
be business as usual."


Seattle Storm Forward Camille Little


(On tonight's win…)



"I had 13 points and we won so I'm very happy. At the end of the day it's about the win."


(On her team's focus…)



"We try to play basketball so we don't worry about who is on or off
the floor. It's an away game so it feels nice to win on the road. We
needed this to build momentum so we can continue to win."

 

[dawrestling]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2014

DELLE DONNE REMAINS IN CHICAGO TO RECEIVE TREATMENT

CHICAGO ? Chicago Sky guard/forward Elena Delle Donne did not travel with the team to Washington for the Sky's June 13 game against the Mystics. Delle Donne will remain in Chicago while she receives treatment for Lyme disease. She will be reevaluated on Monday.

###
About the Chicago Sky
Now in their ninth season, the Chicago Sky (5-4) is coming off a 2013 season where the team finished atop the Eastern Conference with a 24-10 record and earned the first WNBA Playoff berth in franchise history. For information on 2014 ticket packages to see the Sky play at Allstate Arena, call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit www.chicagosky.net.

Media Contact
Lauren Niemiera ? Chicago Sky
Media & Communications Coordinator
(312) 994-5984
lniemiera@chicagosky.net

 

[dawrestling]

CHICAGO'S ELENA DELLE DONNE EARNS


DAWN STALEY COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR HER INSPIRATIONAL OFF-THE-COURT EFFORTS



--2013 Rookie of the Year Unites Love of Basketball with Love of Acceptance, Inclusion, Dignity and Respect for Others-









NEW YORK, June 18, 2014 ? Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky is the recipient of the
Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award in
recognition of her outstanding work in the community in 2013, the league
announced today. The award recognizes the player whose outreach
inspires the community and reflects Staley's leadership,
spirit, charitable efforts, and love for the game.


"The minute she joined the league, Elena has done everything possible
to make a difference on the basketball court and in the community,"
said WNBA President Laurel J. Richie. "Her resilience and dedication as
an athlete is matched by her passion for making
a difference in the community. She's a genuine role model in
everything that she does."


Delle Donne's primary focus is working with the Special Olympics, a
cause that has a very personal meaning. Her sister Lizzie is autistic,
has cerebral palsy and is blind and deaf. Delle Donne participated in
several Special Olympic clinics and events throughout
the year, including several basketball clinics held in Chicago.
Additionally, she played in the NBA Cares Special Olympics Unified
Sports Basketball Game. Due to her work and dedication with the Special
Olympics, Delle Donne was named a Special Olympics
Global Ambassador. In honor of her sister, Delle Donne joined an elite
group of Global Ambassadors to elevate the Special Olympics movement
and advance opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.
Delle Donne made a pledge through R-Word.org
to respect all people ? those with and without intellectual
disabilities ? and end the use of the "r-word," a pledge that was part
of Spread the Word to End the Word Awareness Day, which took place on
March 5.



In addition to her work and passion for the Special Olympics, Delle
Donne helps to bring awareness and education to Lyme disease, an ailment
she herself is battling. She attended a Delaware 87ers game during the
2013 offseason to help raise awareness for
Lyme disease. Staying healthy continues to be a daily battle for Delle
Donne, who missed games on June 10 and June 13 to receive treatment for
a Lyme disease flare-up. Delle Donne's perseverance has provided
inspiration and education, and continues to fuel
a conversation among countless Americans about the physical and
emotional challenges associated with Lyme disease. For her contributions
to Lyme research and awareness, Delle Donne was honored with
the StarLight Award by Lyme Research Alliance on April 5.






"Elena's commitment to making a difference in her community has been
evident since her collegiate days at Delaware," said WNBA Legend and
University of South Carolina Head Coach Dawn Staley. "Her dedication to
bringing awareness to Lyme disease and working
with Special Olympics brings visible impact to two important causes.
It's my pleasure to honor Elena with this year's Dawn Staley Community
Leadership Award."


The Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award is presented annually.
Each WNBA team nominated one player and a designated committee selected
Delle Donne as the winner. The WNBA will make a $10,000 donation to the
Lyme Research Alliance on behalf of Delle
Donne.


"It's an honor to receive the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award.
I've always looked up to Dawn for her accomplishments on the court and
in the community," said Delle Donne. "As an athlete, you're given an
enormous platform to use however you choose.
By sharing my personal experiences with Lyme disease, along with my
sister Lizzie's challenges, I've been able to help educate and inspire
others to overcome obstacles that they're faced with. I'm thankful to
the WNBA, Special Olympics, Lyme Research Alliance
and Dawn for giving me an avenue off the court to make a difference."



About the WNBA

The WNBA ? which features 12 teams and is the most successful women's
professional team sports league in the world ? is a unique global
sports property combining competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment
value with its status as an icon for social change,
achievement, and diversity. The league, which counts Boost Mobile as
its leaguewide marquee partner, tipped off its 18th season on May 16, 2014.



Through WNBA Cares, the WNBA is deeply committed to creating programs
that improve the quality of life for all people, with a special
emphasis on programs that promote a healthy lifestyle and positive body
image, increase breast and women's health awareness,
support youth and family development, and focus on education. For more
information on the WNBA, log on to
www.wnba.com.




Press Contact: Sam Tager, WNBA,
stager@nba.com or (212) 407-8358

 

[dawrestling]

Postgame Notes Chicago Sky 105, New York Liberty 100
























Sky Outlast Liberty in OT


CHICAGO?The Chicago Sky shook off four consecutive
losses to beat the New York Liberty in overtime, 105-100, in front of
6,716 fans on Camp Day at Allstate Arena. Jessica Breland's return from a
lower leg injury inspired the team as she
scored a career-high 22 points in 31 minutes, including 8 points in
overtime.


Tina Charles and Cappie Pondexter combined for 54 points and Anna
Cruz chipped in 17 for New York, but Chicago had five players in double
figures, led by Epiphanny Prince with season highs in points (30) and
assists (7) as well as a career-high 6 steals.
Tamera Young delivered 11 points and 12 rebounds for her first
double-double of the season (second of her career). Markeisha Gatling
contributed 14 points, all in the second half, and Courtney Vandersloot
added 17 points and 8 assists.


Chicago got things started with a strong first quarter that saw the
Sky lead by as many as six behind Courtney Vandersloot's 8 points. They
opened the quarter with a 6-0 run and closed with a 6-0 run to take a
five-point lead at the end of the first period,
20-15.


Chicago stretched the lead to eight (28-20) to start the second
quarter. The Liberty rallied, going on a 16-3 run over 3:21 to turn that
eight-point Sky lead into a five-point New York lead (36-31). The Sky
got it back to one point after Prince got to the
line, making all four attempts, but Cappie Pondexter (29 points) closed
the half with a pull-up jumper to put New York back up 38-35 at
halftime.


The Sky used a 14-5 early in the third to regain the lead. After a
back and forth third quarter the Sky used a 13-2 run capped off by a
four-point play by Prince to gain their largest lead of the game at
62-52. Prince finished with 15 points in the quarter
as the Sky took a 64-59 lead into the fourth.


The Liberty used a 17-5 run at the start of the fourth quarter to
take a 69-67 advantage. The two teams battled back and forth before
Vandersloot nailed a huge three from the right wing with 1:24 to go to
put the Sky up by six. Pondexter responded with six
consecutive New York points to tie the game back up with 45 seconds
remaining. Both teams had the chance to take the lead in the final
minute, but Prince missed a tough layup and Pondexter's jumper as time
was no good as time expired, sending the game into
overtime.


The Sky established a lead to start overtime when Prince hit a three
to make it 95-92 with 2:28 remaining, and they led by four with 39
seconds left after Prince found Breland for a layup to make it 101-97.
Pondexter nailed a tough three out of a timeout
with 35 seconds left to pull it back to a one-point game. Breland hit a
clutch step-back jumper to ice the game helping the Sky run away with a
105-100 victory.



The Sky return to action at Allstate Arena on Friday, June 20, when
they host the Indiana Fever at 7:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast
on The U Too and WNBA LiveAccess.








Postgame Notes

Chicago Sky 105, New York Liberty 100

Allstate Arena

June 18, 2014​





NOTES

· Epiphanny Prince set season highs with 30 points and 7 assists. She also added a career-high 6 steals.

· Jessica Breland set a new career high with 22 points,
including 8 points in the overtime period. She also set a franchise
record with 4 field goals made during overtime.

· Tamera Young recorded her second career double-double with 11 points and a season-high 12 rebounds.

· The Sky set a franchise record for field goals made in an
overtime period with 6. The previous record was 5 field goals made, last
achieved on July 7, 2012.

· The Sky set a record for most assists in an overtime period with 6.

· The 105 points for the Sky are the most they have scored this
season and the second most points in franchise history. The franchise
record is 107, set on June 23, 2011, against Connecticut in double
overtime.

· The Liberty's 100 points is the most the team has scored
during the 2014 season. The team's previous high was 82 against
Minnesota on May 24.

· Cappie Pondexter set a season high with 29 points for the Liberty, with 23 coming in the second half and overtime.

· Tina Charles tied a season high with 25 points for the Liberty
for the third time this season with 11 of the 25 points coming in the
first quarter.

· Anna Cruz set season highs in points and assists for the Liberty with 17 points and 8 assists






QUOTES





Chicago Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman


(On today's game…)



"Epiphanny Prince was hot. [Jessica] Breland normally gets a lot of
points in the paint but she was knocking down 14 and 15-footers and they
were backing off of her. Tina [Charles] is a phenomenal player, and
it's really difficult to hold her in the teens.
It was nice having big bodies on her because she couldn't bury them in
the paint. We both made mistakes down the stretch. We had a few more
possessions than them and we took advantage of it."



(On Sylvia Fowles' return…)



"Sylvia is practicing full-go and it's a matter of how she responds
to it. We have these three games in three days, and she won't get a
whole lot of practice in but she looks good. There's nothing she's
limited from; it's her response. But it could be five
days, it could be 10 days, it could be 15. But I think it's a lot
closer. She's in control of her body and she's seen the doctor. So it
could be any day.



Chicago Sky Forward Jessica Breland



(On her performance after being injured…)



"Pretty good. My teammates were good with giving me energy because of
course I've been off the court for a while, 9 or 10 days. So they kind
of carried me with that and breathing wise."


(On playing with Ephiphanny Prince…)



"This is my first time playing with Piph on the court, and the flow of us is great. I enjoyed playing with her."



(On her shooting performance today…)



"Courtney does a good job of getting down there, and then she turns
around and looks for me. She shifts the defense down and I'm just wide
open out there. And Piph is out there on the 3-point line so you can't
really leave her. So we were just playing strengths."



Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne



(On the status of her illness…)



"I'm improving. Obviously not as fast as I want to be because I want
to be out there, but I'm working to get my health back. The team's been
great; they've just really been helping me. And I've had some great
doctor visits, and I'm working to get back and
healthy."


New York Liberty Head Coach Bill Laimbeer


(On the outcome of today's game…)



"We are struggling to get a win right now. We had a chance to get a
bucket and we didn't get it done. It was the little things that cost us
today."


(On going into overtime…)



"Our focus didn't change going into overtime. Tina [Charles] fouled
out in the game but Cappie [Pondexter] played very well in the second
half."


New York Liberty Center Tina Charles


(On her strong start in the first half…)



"I was trying to be aggressive just knowing that my team feeds off of
me and especially Cappie. The way I set the pace and the tone I think
everybody follows suit and it becomes a snowball effect."


(On trying to earn a win…)



"I think Cappie came up great in the stretch hitting those
threes and free throws when it counted. I think everybody is falling
into place as far as their roles. It's about our effort, the little
things…rebounding and free throws. It's about taking
the good from every bad situation. So we're going into Friday's game
against Atlanta giving our best effort."


New York Liberty Guard Cappie Pondexter


(On her teams focus…)



"Our focus is to win and it always is."


(On trying to turn the season around…)



"When you're competing against a team you have players who have skill
sets. Piph [Epiphanny Prince] is a great shooter and she knows the game
very well coming from Rutgers. I'm just trying to win for this
organization. Every game is a positive experience
whether we win or lose. We are trying to stay motivated having lost
these last games. That is tough for any team."

 

[dawrestling]

CHICAGO'S DELLE DONNE LEAD VOTE GETTER FOR EASTERN CONFERENCE IN
2014 WNBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING PRESENTED BY BOOST MOBILE

CHICAGO ? Chicago Sky frontcourt star Elena Delle Donne ? the 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year and the leading vote-getter for Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star a year ago ? topped the Eastern Conference and ranked second overall with 26,129 votes. Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star 2014 will take place at US Airways Center in Phoenix on Saturday, July 19, and will be nationally televised on ESPN, with tip-off at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT).

"There are so many talented players in this league so just to be selected as an All-Star is an honor," said Chicago Sky forward Elena Delle Donne. "Our fans are incredible. Having a Sky player finish ahead in the East for the second consecutive season is exciting and a real testament to the great support we have here in Chicago."

To start the 2014 season, Delle Donne earned WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week recognition based on her performance the week of May 16-25 where she contributed 20+ points in each of the team's first four games to catapult her team to a perfect 4-0 start to the season. Delle Donne went on to be named the WNBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Month for games played in May. Delle Donne scored 21 or more points in five of Chicago's six games and guided the Sky to the top spot in the Eastern Conference (5-1).

Against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 6, Delle Donne delivered career highs with 33 points and 14 rebounds, becoming just the third player in Sky history to score 33 or more points in regulation. In the same game, she set the WNBA record for most free throws made without a miss when she went 16-for-16 from the free throw line. Delle Donne boasts averages of 21.2 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game midway through the 2014 season.

Also voted to the Eastern Conference frontcourt alongside Delle Donne is Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry (17,562) and Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings (13,939). The starting guards for the East will be Atlanta's Shoni Schimmel (25,601) ? the No. 8 overall pick this past April ? and 2007 WNBA Finals MVP Cappie Pondexter of the New York Liberty (10,104).

Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore ? MVP of the 2013 WNBA Finals presented by Boost Mobile ? led all players with 28,389 votes following final returns of the 2014 WNBA All-Star Balloting presented by Boost Mobile. Joining three-time All-Star starter Moore in the Western Conference frontcourt are 2013 regular-season MVP and MVP of Boost Mobile All-Star 2013 Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks (23,555), as well as 2013 WNBA No. 1 overall draft pick Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury (18,432).

At the backcourt spots for the West will be seven-time All-Star and 2009 regular-season MVP Diana Taurasi of Phoenix (19,404) and Skylar Diggins of the Tulsa Shock (17,937), the No. 3 overall selection in the heralded 2013 draft class.

Eastern Conference Starters: Western Conference Starters:
Shoni Schimmel, Guard (Atlanta Dream) Diana Taurasi, Guard (Phoenix Mercury)
Cappie Pondexter, Guard (New York Liberty) Skylar Diggins, Guard (Tulsa Shock)
Elena Delle Donne, Frontcourt (Chicago Sky) Maya Moore, Frontcourt (Minnesota Lynx)
Angel McCoughtry, Frontcourt (Atlanta Dream) Candace Parker, Frontcourt (Los Angeles Sparks)
Tamika Catchings, Frontcourt (Indiana Fever) Brittney Griner, Frontcourt (Phoenix Mercury)

The 12 WNBA head coaches will select the reserves by voting for six players within their own conference, including two guards, three frontcourt players, and a player from either position. Coaches are not permitted to vote for players on their own team. The league will announce the reserves during ESPN2's national telecast of the Sparks and Fever on Tuesday, July 15 at 8 p.m. ET.

Replacement players, who will take the roster spot of players who cannot play due to injury, will be named by WNBA President Laurel J. Richie. Any changes to the starting lineup necessitated by injury will be made by the head coach of the respective All-Star team.


2014 WNBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING PRESENTED BY BOOST MOBILE

EASTERN CONFERENCE -- FINAL RETURNS LEADERS

Guards: Shoni Schimmel (Atl) 25,601; Cappie Pondexter (NY) 10,104; Ivory Latta (Was) 9,932; Briann January (Ind) 8,717; Courtney Vandersloot (Chi) 7,504; Katie Douglas (Con) 7,318; Epiphanny Prince (Chi) 6,006; Kara Lawson (Was) 5,064; Shavonte Zellous (Ind) 4,399; Anna Cruz (NY) 2,753; Matee Ajavon (Atl) 2,727; Allison Hightower (Con) 1,863

Frontcourt: Elena Delle Donne (Chi) 26,129; Angel McCoughtry (Atl) 17,562; Tamika Catchings (Ind) 13,939; Erika de Souza (Atl) 12,859; Chiney Ogwumike (Con) 11,980; Tina Charles (NY) 9,796; Jessica Breland (Chi) 5,841; Sylvia Fowles (Chi) 5,072; Sancho Lyttle (Atl) 4,615; Erlana Larkins (Ind) 3,970; Marissa Coleman (Ind) 3,344; Emma Meesseman (Was) 2,981; Kelsey Bone (Con) 2,239; Kelsey Griffin (Con) 2,209; Kia Vaughn (Was) 2,047; Monique Currie (Was) 1,818; Essence Carson (NY) 1,710; Plenette Pierson (NY) 1,533


WESTERN CONFERENCE -- FINAL RETURNS LEADERS

Guards: Diana Taurasi (Phx) 19,404; Skylar Diggins (Tul) 17,937; Seimone Augustus (Minn) 16,143; Lindsay Whalen (Minn) 13,691; Sue Bird (Sea) 8,210; Becky Hammon (SA) 6,663; Danielle Robinson (SA) 4,685; Erin Phillips (Phx) 3,895; Kristi Toliver (LA) 3,485; Alana Beard (LA) 2,892; Riquna Williams (Tul) 1,844; Tanisha Wright (Sea) 1,361

Frontcourt: Maya Moore (Minn) 28,389; Candace Parker (LA) 23,555; Brittney Griner (Phx) 18,432; Nneka Ogwumike (LA) 10,697; Kayla McBride (SA) 10,192; Janel McCarville (Minn) 8,210; Candice Dupree (Phx) 7,844; Glory Johnson (Tul) 6,261; DeWanna Bonner (Phx) 5,183; Rebekkah Brunson (Minn) 4,707; Courtney Paris (Tul) 3,568; Jayne Appel (SA) 3,475; Crystal Langhorne (Sea) 3,221; Sophia Young-Malcolm (SA) 2,534; Camille Little (Sea) 2,290; Jantel Lavender (LA) 2,114; Jordan Hooper (Tul) 1,963; Shekinna Stricklen (Sea) 1,798

About the Chicago Sky
Now in their ninth season, the Chicago Sky (8-10) is coming off a 2013 season where the team finished atop the Eastern Conference with a 24-10 record and earned the first WNBA Playoff berth in franchise history. For information on 2014 ticket packages to see the Sky play at Allstate Arena, call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit www.chicagosky.net.


Media Contact
Lauren Niemiera ? Chicago Sky
Media & Communications Coordinator
(312) 994-5984
lniemiera@chicagosky.net

 

[dawrestling]

SKY STRIKE BACK, SERIES TIED 1-1

Score by Quarter
1 2 3 4 1OT 2OT Final
Indiana (1-1) 18 21 13 19 8 5 84
Chicago (1-1) 16 15 17 23 8 7 86

CHICAGO- Sylvia Fowles delivered a career playoff-high with 27 points and seven rebounds as the Chicago Sky outlasted the Indiana Fever 86-84 in double overtime. With the win the Eastern Conference Finals series is tied 1-1 and will be decided at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Wednesday, September 3.

Epiphanny Prince handed out five assists in the first quarter to help the Sky establish momentum early. Tamera Young and Sylvia Fowles were the beneficiaries, as Fowles poured in six points in the quarter while Young added four. At the end of the first quarter, Chicago trailed 18-16.

Erlana Larkins helped Indiana extend their lead to double digits midway through the second quarter until 2014 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Allie Quigley nailed two clutch three pointers to keep the Sky within striking distance. At the half, the Sky cut the deficit to eight points, 39-31.

Chicago came out in the second half with the mindset to get the ball inside to Sylvia Fowles. After having just six points at the half, Fowles finished the game with 27 as the Sky continued to give her touches inside and she was able to capitalize.

"We fed the monster," said Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman. "She was in beast mode in every aspect."

Guards Vandersloot and Quigley scored a combined seven points in the third as the Sky regained momentum and cut the Fever's lead to just one point with less than 30 seconds left. Indiana's Karima Christmas closed the quarter with a three pointer to push the lead out to four, 52-48.

A three pointer by Elena Delle Donne early in the fourth quarter gave Chicago their first lead since the first quarter. As time continued to run out, the game became a battle of point guards with Courtney Vandersloot and Briann January trading impressive play after impressive play, each seemingly willing their teams to victory. Tamika Catchings hit a jumper from the wing with 11.6 seconds left in regulation to put Indiana up two. On the following possession, Young scored on a crucial put-back layup with one second remaining to tie the game and send it to overtime, 71-71.

Indiana and Chicago traded baskets through the first overtime with Sylvia Fowles and Tamika Catchings providing the bulk of the scoring. The first extra period ended even at 79-79, forcing a double overtime. In the second overtime, Young once again delivered, grabbing a defensive rebound as time expired to secure an 86-84 victory.

The Sky heads to Indianapolis to play an Eastern Conference series-deciding Game 3 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday, September 3 at 6:00 p.m. CT. The game will broadcast on NBATV and WNBA Live Access. The winner of Game Three will advance to the WNBA Finals starting on Sunday, September 7th against the winner of the Western Conference Finals.​


Postgame Notes
Chicago Sky 86, Indiana Fever 84

NOTES
· The Chicago Sky won its first Eastern Conference Finals game after coming back from a 14-point deficit in the second quarter. The Sky was down 37-23 with less than three minutes remaining in the first half, and regained the lead four minutes into the fourth quarter.
· Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals was the first time in franchise history that the Sky went into double overtime in a playoff game.
· With 27 points, Sylvia Fowles scored a new playoff-high. Her previous high was 20 points at Indiana on August 30, 2014. Fowles was also the Sky's leading scorer.
· After scoring just 6 points in the first half, Sylvia Fowles sparked the Sky's comeback by scoring 21 points in the second half and overtime periods. She scored 14 points in the third and fourth quarters, and she added seven points in both overtimes to push the Sky ahead.
· Courtney Vandersloot recorded a new playoff-high with 18 points. Her previous playoff scoring high was 13 points at Atlanta on August 22, 2014.
· Shavonte Zellous led the Fever tonight with 20 points. She was Indiana's highest scorer for the second consecutive game in the playoff series against Chicago.
· Game 2 marked the 55th playoff game that Tamika Catchings has played in her career. She is one game shy of tying with Katie Douglas for 56 career playoff games played.
· With three assists in tonight's game, Tamika Catchings passed up Vickie Johnson and Teresa Weatherspoon in postseason assists (187). Catchings is now fourth on the list behind Sue Bird.
· Indiana had two players with double-doubles: Tamika Catchings (16 points, 14 rebounds) and Erlana Larkins (15 points, 11 rebounds).
· The Fever's 87 field-goal attempts were the most field-goal attempts that a Sky opponent has recorded. Atlanta held the previous record with 82 field-goal attempts on July 13, 2014.

QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman

(On Courtney Vandersloot's performance today…)

"Pound-for-pound she is the toughest player. That's not me saying it, that's what her teammates voted. So you saw that physical toughness, today you saw a mental toughness in terms of a little bit of foul trouble but when she was in there and she was still effective. She's looking to the basket and attacking. She's giving up inches and pounds. She's crafty around the basket. We trust her and we kept the ball in her hands. I'm not surprised. I'm just proud she was able to bring it home for us."

(On Sylvia's 27- point game…)

"Sylvia played a long time in foul trouble, but she didn't melt on screens and she didn't disappear. She stayed aggressive. We fed the monster. She was in beast mode in every aspect. She was connected not just in her play but in huddles. I could see her having conversations with players. [I'm] just proud of her for grinding it out and staying in the game."

Chicago Sky Guard Courtney Vandersloot

(On her team overcoming a 14-point deficit…)

"This is the first time we've all been together. It finally feels like such a unit out there that no matter what happens we still have each other, we still have us and we're still going to fight. We know that we have the talent on this roster to come back from anything."

(On her defensive play…)

"I try to get in front of people and I don't hesitate to make contact. Once you get into the game your adrenaline takes over, you don't really feel anything and you play off that."

Chicago Sky Center Sylvia Fowles

(On playing in a double overtime game...)

"It was very exciting. Even though we were down, we never lost focus. We never got down when we were down. Everyone was talking on the bench and everyone's energy was going. At that point you don't really know who to listen to, but you know just to keep going out there and playing as a unit."

(On the team's mindset...)

"We all feel like we have nothing to lose. We started the season with so many ups and downs and right now we're in the playoffs. If we can weather what we went through during the regular season, now there is no fear."


Indiana Fever Head Coach Lin Dunn

(On Chicago's ability to fight back in games…)

"You have to understand that this was a team down twenty against Atlanta, in Atlanta, and they were able to come back. They have a comeback in them. They have so many pieces and so many bullets. They have great shooters around the perimeter, Delle Donne at the four and Sylvia down low. We expected them to make a run. I thought we had a chance to weather the storm and pull it out, but certainly did not expect to come in here and beat them by 14 points. They are too good."

(On guarding Sylvia Fowles…)

"We have to do what we did the other night (Game 1). Sylvia didn't go off on us and I thought we did a much better job pushing her over to the block. They don't have to run an offense. Their offense is to get the ball down to Sylvia and everyone else spot up. It's a unique situation because she is 6'6 and she's so good. When she is really focused it's difficult to deal with her. The other thing is whenever you drive, and I mean whenever you drive, you have to wonder where is she?"

Indiana Fever Forward Tamika Catchings

(On closing out the game…)

"I think we did a great job down the stretch both in regulation and in overtime running the plays we drew up. You live and learn from different situations. You never know what's going to happen next game. I'm sure it will be another battle like tonight, but maybe the shot goes in next time."

(On the Chicago Sky…)

"They are a lot like us. We're both resilient teams that never give up and will continue to fight, so you give credit to them. Syl (Sylvia Fowles) came out and when she plays like that she is unstoppable. The experience they got playing in the Atlanta series was key for them. They have great players, but that Atlanta series really helped them grow up."

Indiana Fever Center Erlana Larkins

(On losing Game 2 in double overtime…)

"They played hard and they didn't want to go home. Down the stretch they executed offensively and we didn't defensively and they outscored us."

(On returning home for Game 3…)

"I think going back home will help us a little bit but it's going to be another battle, a war, and the best team is going to win."


​

 

[dawrestling]

SKY STRIKE BACK, SERIES TIED 1-1

Score by Quarter
1 2 3 4 1OT 2OT Final
Indiana (1-1) 18 21 13 19 8 5 84
Chicago (1-1) 16 15 17 23 8 7 86

CHICAGO- Sylvia Fowles delivered a career playoff-high with 27 points and seven rebounds as the Chicago Sky outlasted the Indiana Fever 86-84 in double overtime. With the win the Eastern Conference Finals series is tied 1-1 and will be decided at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Wednesday, September 3.

Epiphanny Prince handed out five assists in the first quarter to help the Sky establish momentum early. Tamera Young and Sylvia Fowles were the beneficiaries, as Fowles poured in six points in the quarter while Young added four. At the end of the first quarter, Chicago trailed 18-16.

Erlana Larkins helped Indiana extend their lead to double digits midway through the second quarter until 2014 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Allie Quigley nailed two clutch three pointers to keep the Sky within striking distance. At the half, the Sky cut the deficit to eight points, 39-31.

Chicago came out in the second half with the mindset to get the ball inside to Sylvia Fowles. After having just six points at the half, Fowles finished the game with 27 as the Sky continued to give her touches inside and she was able to capitalize.

"We fed the monster," said Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman. "She was in beast mode in every aspect."

Guards Vandersloot and Quigley scored a combined seven points in the third as the Sky regained momentum and cut the Fever's lead to just one point with less than 30 seconds left. Indiana's Karima Christmas closed the quarter with a three pointer to push the lead out to four, 52-48.

A three pointer by Elena Delle Donne early in the fourth quarter gave Chicago their first lead since the first quarter. As time continued to run out, the game became a battle of point guards with Courtney Vandersloot and Briann January trading impressive play after impressive play, each seemingly willing their teams to victory. Tamika Catchings hit a jumper from the wing with 11.6 seconds left in regulation to put Indiana up two. On the following possession, Young scored on a crucial put-back layup with one second remaining to tie the game and send it to overtime, 71-71.

Indiana and Chicago traded baskets through the first overtime with Sylvia Fowles and Tamika Catchings providing the bulk of the scoring. The first extra period ended even at 79-79, forcing a double overtime. In the second overtime, Young once again delivered, grabbing a defensive rebound as time expired to secure an 86-84 victory.

The Sky heads to Indianapolis to play an Eastern Conference series-deciding Game 3 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday, September 3 at 6:00 p.m. CT. The game will broadcast on NBATV and WNBA Live Access. The winner of Game Three will advance to the WNBA Finals starting on Sunday, September 7th against the winner of the Western Conference Finals.​


Postgame Notes
Chicago Sky 86, Indiana Fever 84

NOTES
· The Chicago Sky won its first Eastern Conference Finals game after coming back from a 14-point deficit in the second quarter. The Sky was down 37-23 with less than three minutes remaining in the first half, and regained the lead four minutes into the fourth quarter.
· Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals was the first time in franchise history that the Sky went into double overtime in a playoff game.
· With 27 points, Sylvia Fowles scored a new playoff-high. Her previous high was 20 points at Indiana on August 30, 2014. Fowles was also the Sky's leading scorer.
· After scoring just 6 points in the first half, Sylvia Fowles sparked the Sky's comeback by scoring 21 points in the second half and overtime periods. She scored 14 points in the third and fourth quarters, and she added seven points in both overtimes to push the Sky ahead.
· Courtney Vandersloot recorded a new playoff-high with 18 points. Her previous playoff scoring high was 13 points at Atlanta on August 22, 2014.
· Shavonte Zellous led the Fever tonight with 20 points. She was Indiana's highest scorer for the second consecutive game in the playoff series against Chicago.
· Game 2 marked the 55th playoff game that Tamika Catchings has played in her career. She is one game shy of tying with Katie Douglas for 56 career playoff games played.
· With three assists in tonight's game, Tamika Catchings passed up Vickie Johnson and Teresa Weatherspoon in postseason assists (187). Catchings is now fourth on the list behind Sue Bird.
· Indiana had two players with double-doubles: Tamika Catchings (16 points, 14 rebounds) and Erlana Larkins (15 points, 11 rebounds).
· The Fever's 87 field-goal attempts were the most field-goal attempts that a Sky opponent has recorded. Atlanta held the previous record with 82 field-goal attempts on July 13, 2014.

QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman

(On Courtney Vandersloot's performance today…)

"Pound-for-pound she is the toughest player. That's not me saying it, that's what her teammates voted. So you saw that physical toughness, today you saw a mental toughness in terms of a little bit of foul trouble but when she was in there and she was still effective. She's looking to the basket and attacking. She's giving up inches and pounds. She's crafty around the basket. We trust her and we kept the ball in her hands. I'm not surprised. I'm just proud she was able to bring it home for us."

(On Sylvia's 27- point game…)

"Sylvia played a long time in foul trouble, but she didn't melt on screens and she didn't disappear. She stayed aggressive. We fed the monster. She was in beast mode in every aspect. She was connected not just in her play but in huddles. I could see her having conversations with players. [I'm] just proud of her for grinding it out and staying in the game."

Chicago Sky Guard Courtney Vandersloot

(On her team overcoming a 14-point deficit…)

"This is the first time we've all been together. It finally feels like such a unit out there that no matter what happens we still have each other, we still have us and we're still going to fight. We know that we have the talent on this roster to come back from anything."

(On her defensive play…)

"I try to get in front of people and I don't hesitate to make contact. Once you get into the game your adrenaline takes over, you don't really feel anything and you play off that."

Chicago Sky Center Sylvia Fowles

(On playing in a double overtime game...)

"It was very exciting. Even though we were down, we never lost focus. We never got down when we were down. Everyone was talking on the bench and everyone's energy was going. At that point you don't really know who to listen to, but you know just to keep going out there and playing as a unit."

(On the team's mindset...)

"We all feel like we have nothing to lose. We started the season with so many ups and downs and right now we're in the playoffs. If we can weather what we went through during the regular season, now there is no fear."


Indiana Fever Head Coach Lin Dunn

(On Chicago's ability to fight back in games…)

"You have to understand that this was a team down twenty against Atlanta, in Atlanta, and they were able to come back. They have a comeback in them. They have so many pieces and so many bullets. They have great shooters around the perimeter, Delle Donne at the four and Sylvia down low. We expected them to make a run. I thought we had a chance to weather the storm and pull it out, but certainly did not expect to come in here and beat them by 14 points. They are too good."

(On guarding Sylvia Fowles…)

"We have to do what we did the other night (Game 1). Sylvia didn't go off on us and I thought we did a much better job pushing her over to the block. They don't have to run an offense. Their offense is to get the ball down to Sylvia and everyone else spot up. It's a unique situation because she is 6'6 and she's so good. When she is really focused it's difficult to deal with her. The other thing is whenever you drive, and I mean whenever you drive, you have to wonder where is she?"

Indiana Fever Forward Tamika Catchings

(On closing out the game…)

"I think we did a great job down the stretch both in regulation and in overtime running the plays we drew up. You live and learn from different situations. You never know what's going to happen next game. I'm sure it will be another battle like tonight, but maybe the shot goes in next time."

(On the Chicago Sky…)

"They are a lot like us. We're both resilient teams that never give up and will continue to fight, so you give credit to them. Syl (Sylvia Fowles) came out and when she plays like that she is unstoppable. The experience they got playing in the Atlanta series was key for them. They have great players, but that Atlanta series really helped them grow up."

Indiana Fever Center Erlana Larkins

(On losing Game 2 in double overtime…)

"They played hard and they didn't want to go home. Down the stretch they executed offensively and we didn't defensively and they outscored us."

(On returning home for Game 3…)

"I think going back home will help us a little bit but it's going to be another battle, a war, and the best team is going to win."


​

 

[dawrestling]

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Fri, May 22, 2015 at 8:28 PM
Subject: DELLE DONNE SHINES IN RETURN TO THE BOB
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

DELLE DONNE SHINES IN RETURN TO THE BOB



Score by Quarter

New York (0-1) 16 12 15 12 55

Chicago (1-0) 14 26 21 22 83



NEWARK- On Friday night the defending Eastern Conference Champion Chicago Sky made their 2015 preseason debut at the Bob Carpenter Center hosting the New York Liberty in a game presented by the Delaware Lottery. Fueled by 16 points from Elena Delle Donne and the tremendous support of the Delaware faithful the Sky defeated the Liberty 83-55.



“It was a great win,” said Sky guard/forward Elena Delle Done. ”Obviously there is a ton of work to do, but it was a great first game.”



As the Sky took the court in Newark once again all eyes were on Delaware native and University of Delaware alum, Elena Delle Donne. Despite just three points from Delle Donne in first quarter, the WNBA’s 2014 Sixth Woman of the Year Allie Quigley picked up where she left off last season, by scoring four points in her first two minutes of action off the bench to keep the Sky within striking distance after one, 16-14.



A steal and layup by forward Tamera Young sparked a 16-0 Chicago Sky run midway through the second quarter as the Sky took a commanding 14-point lead and never looked back. The run featured back-to-back jump shots from Delle Donne and five points from guard Jacki Gemelos off the bench. The Sky outscored the Liberty 26-12 in the second quarter to carry a 12-point advantage into the half, 40-28.



Chicago carried its hot shooting into the second half, starting the third quarter on an 8-2 run as Courtney Vandersloot connected on a pair of three pointers. A timeout with just under four minutes in the quarter ignited an 8-0 Sky run that included rookie Cheyenne Parker’s first two points. At the end of three, the Sky led 61-43.



Chicago outscored New York 22-12 in the final quarter, and pulled away for an 83-55 victory. Delle Donne led all scorers in the game with 16 points and eight rebounds while Gemelos finished with 10 points in 16 minutes off the bench. Cappie Pondexter finished with five points and two rebounds in her Chicago Sky debut and first time playing alongside teammate Elena Delle Donne.



“I think we’re a good balance for each other,” said Pondexter. “We will take a lot of the pressure off each other.”



Chicago rounds out preseason play with a two-day tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. The Sky will play the Los Angeles Sparks at 4:00 p.m. on May 27th and the Chinese Olympic Team at 5:00 p.m. on the 28th. The team’s roster will be finalized to 12 by June 4, prior to the Sky opening its 10th season on June 5 at Allstate Arena against the Indiana Fever. To purchase tickets call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit CHICAGOSKY.NET.



Postgame Notes

Chicago Sky 83, New York Liberty 55



NOTES



· Elena Delle Donne led all scorers in the game with 16 points and eight rebounds as she played at her alma mater, the University of Delaware. Delle Donne went a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line.

· The Sky used a 16-0 run midway through the second quarter to pull ahead by 14 points. After the second quarter, the Sky never trailed and led by as many as 30 points as they routed the Liberty, 83-55.

· With Friday night’s win over the New York Liberty, the Sky remains undefeated at the Bob Carpenter Center, winning preseason games in two consecutive seasons (5/13/14 vs. Washington, 5/22/15 vs. New York)

· Guard Cappie Pondexter scored five points in her debut with the Chicago Sky against her former team, the New York Liberty. The Sky acquired Pondexter in exchange for Epiphanny Prince during an offseason trade.

· Guard Jacki Gemelos scored 10 points, on 4-of-7 shooting, in her Chicago Sky debut.

· Chicago went 7-for-11 from the three-point line, with Vandersloot, Quigley and Gemelos each connecting on two attempts.

· The Sky shot 90.0% (18-20) from the free throw line while the Liberty shot just 57.1% (8-14).

· Kiah Stokes turned in a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Liberty.

· The Liberty played without Tina Charles, Epiphanny Prince and Candice Wiggins


QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach/General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On the team and Elena playing without Fowles…)



"I think sometimes Elena [Delle Donne] doesn't get credit enough for her defense because of her length. With or without Sylvia [Fowles] we are demanding more of her defensively anyway. More importantly was rebounding. Last year Elena [Delle Donne] only averaged four rebounds a game, sometimes that's hard when you're playing the stretch four and you're not healthy, so that's a focus there. Offensively, I think without Sylvia [Fowles]’ presence in the paint, we play a little bit differently. We're moving the ball a little bit and getting a lot of touches for people being able to dribble hand off to some of the bigs. I think that actually compliments Elena [Delle Donne]'s game but compliments the roster then I'm hoping. "



(On Cheyenne Parker…)



“She [Cheyenne Parker] is decent at protecting the rim, she's also someone that attacks the glass and sometimes you don't get credit for the ones you tip, you only get credit for deflections. So, sometimes those post players you get blocked up, they may not grab the ball but they tip it and we get possession so we like that activity.”


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne



(On her second Delaware homecoming…)


“It was really cool and I actually found out the other day that our backup point guard was born in Newark, Delaware. So we have three Delawareans now. It was great that [Betnijah Laney] was able to play in front of her family and friends as well.”



(On many different players contributing in tonight’s win…)


“That was a very dominant win. Obviously they were missing Tina [Charles]- she’s a force inside. It was a great win and I love to see us subbing and there not being a drop off. Obviously there is a ton of work to do, but it was a great first game.”


Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter


(On first game in a Sky uniform…)



“I feel comfortable with the Sky uniform, but honestly I didn’t want to do too much. I took shots when I was open when I need to create some stuff but I’m just trying to flow right in because it’s still early, still trying to feel everybody out.”



(On playing alongside Elena Delle Donne…)



“It felt good. I think we’re a good balance for each other. We will take a lot of the pressure off each other.”


Chicago Sky Guard/ Forward Betnijah Laney


(On checking into her first game as a member of the Sky…)



“When we were warming up I was like ‘you know, this is real. You’re in the pros.’ It was still different at first.”


(On if playing in Delaware, being a familiar setting, helped her…)



“I suppose, just being here and just having fans and family from Delaware. So I guess it gave me a little edge.”


New York Liberty Head Coach Bill Laimbeer


(On what he wanted to see out of the game…)

"I wanted to see how our players play. We've got so many new [players], I wanted to see how they each can do. Practice is one thing but when you go in the game, it's who can play in the game, who can get it done and who can take what they did in practice going forward. I got a really good look at all the rookies. [Getting a look at the rookies] was a big key for us tonight. I wanted to see what the rookies could do or couldn't do and were there mistakes where and show them on film, as well as [getting a look at] the veterans and see how we all mesh."



(On what he saw out of rookie Brittany Boyd…)



"I thought Brittany has lots of energy. Her defense has to pick up but offensive wise it could be expected, a little out of control at times. She took some shots that in college would be easy layups but in the pros the bigs are there so it's going to be an understanding of when and how she can attack. But I liked her energy, I like the way she can penetrate and push the ball for us. I think it was a pretty decent start for her."

 

[dawrestling]

From: Lauren Niemiera<LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Wed, May 27, 2015 at 7:15 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 67, Los Angeles Sparks 76
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

VANDERSLOOT, SKY LOOK TO IMPROVE IN FINAL PRESEASON GAME



Score by Quarter

Los Angeles (1-0) 21 17 17 21 76

Chicago (1-1) 15 17 22 13 67



UNCASVILLE- On Wednesday night the defending Eastern Conference Champion Chicago Sky took the court for their second preseason game of the year as they hosted the Los Angeles Sparks at Mohegan Sun Arena. Despite a 15-point performance from point guard Courtney Vandersloot, the Sky was unable to overcome a 12-point deficit falling to the Sparks 76-67.



The game featured rookie Cheyenne Parker’s first WNBA career start with the Sky. Parker took advantage of the opportunity contributing two points and three rebounds in her first six minutes of action. The Sky, however, struggled to score in the fist trailing 15-21 at the end quarter.



Midway through the second quarter, Vandersloot went on a five-point run of her own to cut the lead to four, 24-29. The Sky lost momentum for a short time when Vandersloot was forced to the bench with her third personal foul, however, they finished the half strong with four unanswered points to put the halftime score at 32-38.


After a slow start to the second half, the Sky put together a 10-0 run to cut the lead again to just two, 42-44. Vandersloot initiated the run midway through the third with a three pointer, followed by three field goals from Elena Delle Donne.



“I’m just going to continue to be aggressive and be a threat because we have so many options that the defense tries to take away,” said Vandersloot. “Obviously we have Elena and Cappie to score but there’s been pressure on them so I have to be able to make open shots and I think that’s what happened tonight.”



Vandersloot was the only Sky player that finished in double digits for the night with 15 points, including a 3-for-3 effort from behind the arc, as the Sky fell 76-67. The Sparks used a balanced scoring attack, led by 15 points and 10 rebounds from Nneka Ogwumike and 11 points apiece from Jantel Lavender and Erin Phillips.



“The biggest thing is we just need to clean up our defense from the start,” said Sky guard/forward Delle Donne. “Offensively we get to run in transition and do the fun stuff if we start with good defense.”



Chicago will look to tune up their defense as they round out preseason play with a game on Thursday night against the Chinese Olympic Team at 4:00 p.m. CT in Connecticut. The team’s roster will be finalized to 12 by June 4, prior to the Sky opening its 10th season at Allstate Arena on June 5th against the Indiana Fever. To purchase tickets call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit CHICAGOSKY.NET.



Postgame Notes

Chicago Sky 67, Los Angeles Sparks 76



NOTES



· Courtney Vandersloot led the Sky in scoring with 15 points. She connected on 5-of-6 shots from the field and went 3-for-3 from behind the arc.

· Despite trailing by as many as 12 points, the Sky cut the deficit to just one to close the third quarter, 54-55.

· Sky rookie Cheyenne Parker scored two points and grabbed five rebounds in her first WNBA career start.

· The Sky outrebounded the Sparkers 36-34 fueled by 12 offensive boards.

· In two preseason games the Sky has shot 86.8% (33-38) from the free-throw line. After going 3-for-3 from the line tonight, Delle Donne remains a perfect 100.0% (12-12) from the line.

· Nneka Ogwumike turned in a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Sparks.

· The Sparks played without Kristi Toliver who is fulfilling her obligations with the Slovakian National Team.


QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach & General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On what improvements the team can make in the last preseason game tomorrow night…)


“Well I think it’s just the basic fundamentals of the game. You think about it, you know we’re a team that has new pieces, so it’s about getting some of that chemistry and dots connecting. But it’s also just about basic fundamentals of the game and just getting our defense set and making sure we’re not missing assignments, we’re in the right position and also improving our offensive spacing. We just need to make sure we try to correct some of the things that we did in our last two preseason games and try to make some progress going into the game against China tomorrow.”


(On trying different lineups and what she’s looking for in her starting five…)


“Well I’ll say this and sometimes the stats don’t reflect it in the proper way, I think we need a little bit more rebounding from some of our fives. I also don’t like the fact that teams are outscoring us in the paint. That’s not just a post player thing that’s about ball reversals, spacing, attacking consistently. And then also just an awareness and playing the game and you know reading situations, so I’m looking for some of those things to come into the fold early on.”


(On what’s most exciting about this group heading into the regular season…)


“I like their energy. They’re receptive. I like their versatility… I’m able to move a two to the one… I’m able to switch Elena from a guard spot to a forward spot. I like that, and I like the fact that even in practice and even off the court there’s some chemistry that is there that hasn’t been there in the past. That’s going to help us throughout the season.”


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne



(On what the team needs to improve before the start of the regular season…)



“There’s so much but in general I would definitely say our defense was lacking, especially transition defense. I think we’re still just getting used to each other and trying to figure out different lineups so that’s a big thing. In practice we have to get used to one another and pick up our defense and the offense will flow.”



(On how to fill the void of not having Sylvia Fowles…)



“It’s not just a one day fix. She was a huge piece and a monster inside so we’re going to need a lot of different people to step up and try to fill her role as best we can.”



(On how Cheyenne Parker performed in her first start…)



“She’s doing great. It’s hard to ask a rookie to put on that uniform, start and do so much. She’s doing really well right now. She has so much to learn and to take in so I’m happy with the way she’s playing so far.”



(On what needs to improve in its last preseason game tomorrow…)



“The biggest thing is we just need to clean up our defense from the start. Offensively we get to run in transition and do the fun stuff if we start with good defense.”



Chicago Sky Point Guard Courtney Vandersloot



(On what needs to improve in the last preseason game tomorrow…)



“We just want to continue to get better. We’re all still trying to feel each other out and get down certain schemes and how we want to play and what we want to do. This is the time to do that, this is the time to work out the kinks and everything with the team so we just need to continue to get better and work on us.”



(On the main thing the team needs to work on…)



“Our rotations and schemes. Just being in the right place at the right time and obviously communication. We have some people that have never done these schemes before and we’re always playing with different lineups so it’s going to take some time to get used to each other and be able to be on the same page.”



(On Cheyenne Parker’s performance in her starting role tonight…)



“She’s been playing well for us in practice and she earned that spot. She’s good for us and she’s going to continue to get better. The sky is the limit for her.”



(On the role she’ll play as an offensive threat this year…)



“I’m just going to continue to be aggressive and be a threat because we have so many options that the defense tries to take away. Obviously we have Elena and Cappie to score but there’s been pressure on them so I have to be able to make open shots and I think that’s what happened tonight.”

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Thu, May 28, 2015 at 6:06 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes Chicago Sky 92, China Olympic Team 59
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

SKY RUNS PAST CHINA IN PRESEASON FINALE



Score by Quarter

China Olympic Team (0-2) 12 11 20 16 59

Chicago (2-1) 22 30 24 16 92



UNCASVILLE- On Thursday night the defending Eastern Conference Champion Chicago Sky took the court for their third, and final, preseason game of the year against the China Olympic Team at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Sky jumped out to an early 9-1 lead in the first four minutes of play and never looked back as they ran away with a 92-59 victory.



“I thought that [the two-day tournament] was a great experience for us,” said Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman. “It was nice to follow up last night’s game with some intensity and obviously it was a different opponent, but it was nice to see the bounce back from everybody.”



The Sky used a balanced offensive attack to start the game, as six different players contributed to the scoring to create a 22-12 advantage after the first. Cappie Pondexter led the Sky in the quarter with six points and three steals.



After a 7-0 run to start the second quarter, Chicago closed the half on a 21-4 run to take a 52-23 lead into the locker room. Elena Delle Donne led all scorers in the first half with nine points.



Just three minutes into the second half, Delle Donne doubled her point total, scoring nine unanswered points to start the quarter as the Sky mounted a 61-23 lead. Chicago led by as many as 39 (67-28) with 4:28 remaining in the third quarter and maintained the intensity through the end, cruising to a 92-59 win.



Delle Donne finished the game with 18 points in 11 minutes to lead all scorers. The Sky took advantage of the preseason event in Connecticut to gain momentum before the start of the regular season next week.



“We had a great season last year,” said Delle Donne. “Obviously there are some big names that aren't in the locker room this year but the addition of Cappie definitely puts a target on our back. I welcome that. It means we put together a few good seasons and now we're a front runner.”



The defending Eastern Conference Champion Chicago Sky’s roster will be finalized to 12 by June 4, before the Sky opens its 10th season at Allstate Arena on June 5th against the Indiana Fever. To purchase tickets call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit CHICAGOSKY.NET.



Postgame Notes

Chicago Sky 92, China Olympic Team 59



NOTES



· Elena Delle Donne scored nine unanswered points in a three-minute stretch to start the second half. She finished the game with 18 points in 11 minutes to lead all scorers.

· All 15 players on the Sky roster entered the game and scored at least one point. Courtney Clements was the only player other than Delle Donne to reach double figures with 11 points.

· There were no ties or lead changes in the game. Chicago led by as many as 39 (67-28) with 4:28 remaining in the third quarter.

· Chicago dominated the paint, outscoring the China Olympic Team 44-18 inside.

· The Sky shot 54.7% from the field and 50.0% (6-for-12) from behind the arc.

· The China Olympic team was led by 15 points from Mengxin Sun and 14 points, six assists and six rebounds from Xueya Ma.

· With the win, Chicago improves to 2-0 in franchise history against the China Olympic Team. The only other time the Sky played China was in a 2011 preseason game where they won 84-45.


Quotes


Chicago Sky Head Coach & General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On the two-day event in Connecticut…)



“I thought that [the two-day tournament] was a great experience for us. We actually got three days of basketball in because we had some controlled scrimmage time with Connecticut on Tuesday. It was nice to follow up last night’s game with some intensity and obviously it was a different opponent, but it was nice to see the bounce back from everybody.”



(On what she hopes to improve on heading into the season…)



“I always like to start on the defensive side of the floor because any time you start the season with new people and new pieces, it takes a little extra time to get that connectivity and chemistry going. I think we also need to become a better rebounding team. Everyone knows we are asking Elena [Delle Donne] to average a little more [than she did last year] and try to get her to average seven or eight [rebounds per game].”


(On if the team has a “target on their back” after winning the East in 2014…)


“The players here put in a lot of work when the tape wasn’t rolling and the lights weren’t shinning, so I think they are capable and understand that there are some holes to fill in order to do some of things we need to do.”


(On Elena Delle Donne’s health going into the season…)


“She looks healthy. I told her ‘she needs to eat a few more meals’ just giving her a hard time but she feels good and she would tell us if she wasn’t feeling good because she is so honest. I think with everything she went through last year, it will be in the back of your mind, but I know she is doing everything she has do.”


Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter


(On what it's like to play with the Sky so far…)


"It's a good atmosphere. I think my teammates are amazing and we know what direction we want to go in. There is no confusion. We're just enjoying the process of getting there."



(On if this team has the potential to contend for a WNBA championship…)


“Potential-wise, absolutely. You know you have one of the game's best in Elena [Delle Donne] and one of the best point guards to run the show in Sloot [Courtney Vandersloot] and one of the best defenders in the league [Tamera Young]. So it's all there… the pieces are all there. Pokey [Chatman], Christie [Sides], and Tree [Rollins] are amazing coaches. The staff is just great, everybody is on the same page and we know the direction we want to go to.”


(On what it feels like to come home…)


"It's a great feeling. I didn't have to adjust too much. The only adjustment I really have is my new teammates."


Chicago Sky Guard/ Forward Elena Delle Donne


(On her thoughts from today's game…)


"It's always great when you see things on film in the afternoon that look pretty terrible and then you're able to correct them that night. Team China is a resilient team and obviously there's still tons to work on but it's always good to get in the game atmosphere and see what you're made of."



(On her health…)


"I feel good, so that's always a great thing to see after two games in a row. I haven’t played normal minutes but with travel, I feel good."



(On the Sky being the favorite in the East…)


“We had a great season last year. This year it's a different spot though. Obviously there are some big names that aren't in the locker room this year but the addition of Cappie definitely puts a target on our back. I welcome that. It means we put together a few good seasons and now we're a front runner.”

 

[dawrestling]

DELLE DONNE, SKY ROUT FEVER ON OPENING NIGHT



Score by Quarter

Indiana (0-1) 19 19 20 14 72

Chicago (1-0) 29 22 22 22 95



ROSEMONT- On Friday night, the reigning Eastern Conference Champion Chicago Sky kicked off their 10th Anniversary season, defeating the Indiana Fever 95-72 at Allstate Arena in front of 8,123 fans, setting a new attendance record for a Sky season opener. Chicago has now won four consecutive season openers dating back to 2012. Elena Delle Donne led the Sky with 31 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.



Prior to the game, the Sky unveiled a banner commemorating their 2014 Eastern Conference Championship and each fan in attendance received a mini-replica of the championship banner. The game also marked the first contest in a Sky uniform for five players on the team’s roster, including Chicago native and two-time WNBA Champion Cappie Pondexter. It was an emotional night for Pondexter, as she was playing in front of her hometown for the first time as a member of the Sky.



“I know I can score at will. I’ve proven that, but that’s not why I’m here,” said Pondexter. “I’m here to help this team win a championship.”



Much to the delight of the record crowd, Chicago got off to a quick start, pouring in 29 points in the first quarter. Delle Donne, a 2014 WNBA All-Star, was Chicago’s catalyst in the first quarter, scoring six points and adding two blocks. Missing from action was Indiana’s own 2014 WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings, who did not play due to a knee injury.



The Fever began the second quarter on an 11-4 run, fueled by Marissa Coleman who would finish the game with 16 points to lead all Indiana scorers. Chicago quickly stifled the Fever’s run, however, behind a balanced offensive attack directed by Courtney Vandersloot. The Sky led 51-38 at intermission, tying their 2014 season high for points scored in a first half.



Chicago continued their offensive prowess in the second half, and maintained a sizeable advantage throughout, eventually cruising to a 95-72 victory in which every player on the Sky roster scored at least two points.



Delle Donne dominated the contest, finishing with 31 points and eight rebounds while shooting an impressive 11-for-20 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free throw line.



“The ball movement, the defense; that’s what made this game so incredible,” said Delle Donne. “You love seeing that type of defense and that type of communication this early on.”



Chicago will look to build off the momentum gained tonight as they travel to Tulsa tomorrow to take on the Shock at 7:00 pm CT at the BOK Center. The Sky will play their next five games on the road, before returning home to Allstate Arena on June 24th to battle the Atlanta Dream at 11:30 am CT. To purchase tickets call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit CHICAGOSKY.NET.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 95, Indiana Fever 72



Notes:


· Tonight’s attendance of 8,123 set a Chicago Sky franchise record for opening night attendance. The previous high was 6,721, set last season.

· Elena Delle Donne led the team with 31 points. She set a career high for season opener as she passed her previous high from 2014 with 23 points.

· Every single player on the 2015 Sky roster played and scored in tonight’s 95-72 victory over the Indiana Fever.

· All four rookies on the Sky roster debuted tonight and recorded their first WNBA points. Clarissa Dos Santos, Cheyenne Parker, Victoria Macaulay and Betnijah Laney all scored tonight.

· The Sky’s 51 first half points tied the franchise high for points in a half set in 2014.

· Chicago trailed for only 3:52 during the entire 95-72 victory over the Indiana Fever. After Courtney Vandersloot’s three-pointer with 6:48 left in the first quarter, the Sky never trailed.

· Sky forward Jessica Breland pulled down 13 rebounds; two rebounds shy of her career high of 15 rebounds.

· The Sky outrebounded the Fever 44-31 fueled by the Sky’s bench outrebounding Indiana’s bench 23-17.

· Tonight’s game was Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White’s first game at the helm of the Fever.

· Marissa Coleman scored the Fever’s first nine points of the game until Layshia Clarendon made a free throw with 3:01 left in the first quarter.

· Natalie Achonwa made her WNBA tonight. Achonwa recorded 10 points and six rebounds in her debut.

· The Fever played without Tamika Catchings who was sidelined with a knee injury.


Quotes:


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On Jessica Breland’s performance tonight…)


“It’s great and she did a great job of taking care of her body so we’re managing the minutes. You know you get so excited because the adrenaline is pumping but it’s huge because even though she’s not 6’5” she’s still a rim protector and she alters shots, she’s elusive down there and the thing that was showcased early on last year is that she can score the basketball so it’s about getting her timing because she hadn’t been playing since December 2014. So it’s about those things and she’s been working her butt off to be ready for us and it showed tonight.”



(On spreading the floor on offense…)



“I think it’s the defense first in transition because 40 of those 90 came in transition. Second part is, yes, we get to play with a little bit of our post players away from the basket, we can put the ball in the middle of the floor and that’s what’s fun. You get to move people around, put her at the three, put her at the two, put her at the one. There’s a little more space to work with some more dribble hand off action, some isolation plays that just free some things up. As the year changes and the players change, as a coach it’s on us to adjust to that. It’s easy to put it on paper but when they put it into play, you credit them.”



(On Parker and Delle Donne’s rebounding…)



“She can rebound the basketball, she’s a presence down there. I think Elena had eight tonight, we were talking about her, about getting rebounds and that’s the stuff that people don’t talk about but she is a presence down there, she has decent hands.”



(On Fever Head Coach Stephanie White…)



“I just feel like Steph’s season, it goes under head coaching, but being here and how they approach things, I don’t even think of her as a first year coach. But I really did, I said see you eight more times in June.”


Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter


(On contributing as a scorer…)



“I know I can score at will. I’ve proven that, but that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to help this team win a championship.”



(On training camp…)



“We had a great training camp. We worked really, really hard and we were able to showcase that tonight and hopefully we’ll continue that.”



(On playing a game that she loves…)



“A lot of different emotions, but the most important one was just to have fun tonight. I know Pokey stresses it, we always stress it before practice because at the end of the day, it’s a game that we love and you have to have fun no matter what.”



Chicago Sky Guard/ Forward Elena Delle Donne



(On her performance tonight…)


“The ball movement, the defense; that’s what made this game so incredible. It, being our first game, you love seeing that type of defense and that type of communication this early on. My teammates were the ones who were able to lift me up and get me to play that way.”


(On communication on the floor…)


“Just tons of talking and you know that comes from Cappie. Our team lacked a lot of that last season where we get down, we get quiet. We would start a game really quiet not having energy. Just from day one in training camp she brought noise and that is something that we had lacked for so long. It’s just special being able to have her as a comfort and someone you know who is going to bring something like that every single day.”



Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White


(On the team moving forward…)



“We’re trying to play at a pace that we’ve never played before. We have to eliminate so many of the unforced turnovers. You look at somebody like Briann January, she’s only been on the floor for about five days total. We have to continue to learn to play with one another.”



Indiana Fever Forward Shenise Johnson


(On the cause of so many turnovers…)


“What led to so many turnovers is we were trying to play quick. We were trying to implement a new style here; normally we play slow and play off our defense, and today we tried to play a little bit too fast. There’s going to be peaks and valleys in every game. This game we had too many valleys.”



(On nerves leading to turnovers and missed shots…)


“Not to take anything away from Chicago, I just feel like we turned the ball over. I don’t feel like their pressure got to us at all. But you have to have short-term memory loss and we have another one tomorrow. So we have to take our peaks out of this game and implement them in the game against Minnesota.”



Indiana Fever Forward Marissa Coleman


(On the outcome of the game…)


“We didn’t play our best basketball. We had a lot of turnovers that led to a lot of easy points for them. It’s game one, so there’s a lot of things we can go back and learn from. We have a game tomorrow so it’s good we don’t have to sit and dwell on this one.”



(On improvements the team can make…)


“Definitely the turnovers and being a lot tougher. We got a lot of rebounds and they were just snatching them out of our hands. Definitely just being tough and taking care of the ball.”

 

[dawrestling]

DELLE DONNE’S CAREER NIGHT COMES UP SHORT



Score by Quarter

Chicago (1-1) 20 23 22 28 93

Tulsa (1-1) 34 28 15 24 101



CHICAGO- On Saturday night, Elena Delle Donne and the reigning Eastern Conference Champion Chicago Sky returned to the court for the second game of the 2015 regular season as they battled the Tulsa Shock at the BOK Center. Despite Tulsa leading by 19 points in the first half, Chicago made a ferocious comeback in the second half to cut Tulsa’s lead to 95-90 in the final minute of the fourth quarter thanks to a brilliant performance from Elena Delle Donne.



Delle Donne led all players in the game finishing with a career-high 40 points and nine rebounds while shooting an impressive 13-for-24 from the field and 11-for-11 from the free throw line. Delle Donne and Pondexter combined for 66 of Chicago’s 93 points in the game.



“I'd trade a two-point game for a win,” said Delle Donne. “We just created way too big of a deficit in the first half, and we just weren't able to overcome that in the second."



Cappie Pondexter scored the first two points of the game to give Chicago its first, and only, lead from the tip. The Sky struggled defensively early on as they gave up 34 first quarter points in a scoring fury led by 14 points from Skylar Diggins.



Despite trailing by as many as 24 points early in the second half, the Sky used a 9-0 run midway through the third quarter to rally within 12 heading into the fourth. Delle Donne ignited the third-quarter comeback with 15 points in less than eight minutes.



In the fourth, the Sky pulled to within five, 95-90, with 1:03 remaining but that is as close as they would get as the Tulsa pulled away with a 101-93 victory.



“When you score 93 points on the road in the second game of the season that should be enough to win,” said Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman. “But the problem is this: we gave up 62 in the first half. You dig yourself a hole and that's a big cushion.”

Chicago will look to bounce back as they play their next four games on the road, before returning home to Allstate Arena on June 24th to battle the Atlanta Dream at 11:30 am CT. To purchase tickets call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit CHICAGOSKY.NET.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 93, Tulsa Shock 101



Notes:

• Saturday’s loss to the Shock marks the first time that the Sky has lost its season-series opener with Tulsa. Chicago has lost three straight to the Shock and has now lost three straight games at the BOK Center.
• Despite Tulsa leading by 19 points in the first half, the defending Eastern Conference champions made a ferocious comeback in the second half to cut Tulsa’s lead to 95-90 in the final minute of the fourth quarter thanks to a brilliant 40-point performance from Sky forward Elena Delle Donne.
• Elena Delle Donne’s 40-point performance is a career high. Her spectacular performance included her leading the Sky in rebounds with nine.
• Three of the five Sky starters scored in double figures. Together, Chicago’s starters combined form 10 assists, six blocks and three steals.

· The Shock earned its first home-opening victory since the franchise relocated to Tulsa. The victory is also the Shock’s third straight against Chicago.

· With the victory, the Tulsa Shock achieved a .500 record for the first time since June 4, 2010. The victory also ends Tulsa’s five-year streak of opening the season 0-2.

· Tulsa scored 30 points in a quarter for just the ninth time in the last 147 quarters, including overtime periods. The Shock also scored 30 points in both quarters of the first half for the first time in Tulsa.

· The Shock scored 62 points in the first half. Tulsa had never scored 60 or more points in a half until tonight. The Shock’s 62-point half is the most in Tulsa’s history. However, Tulsa has scored 59 points and 58 points in a half in previous seasons.

· The Shock’s 101 points is a single-game record for Tulsa. Tulsa’s previous single-game record came in 2012 when the team scored 99 against Los Angeles.

· Four of the five Shock starters scored in double figures. Two of them scored 20-plus points.


Quotes:


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On the Sky's comeback effort…)


"I'll be honest with you; I talked to them about when you score 93 points on the road in the second game of the season that should be enough to win. But the problem is this: we gave up 62 in the first half. You dig yourself a hole and that's a big cushion. They battled back, cut it to six and had some opportunities…The good thing about this is it's easy to determine what we need to work on."


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne


(On scoring a career-high 40 points…)


"Well, it doesn't matter. When you lose, you lose no matter how well you play. I'd trade a two-point game for a win. We just created way too big of a deficit in the first half, and we just weren't able to overcome that in the second."



Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter


(On the Sky's first-half defensive breakdown…)


"They got in the paint a lot. A lot of dribble penetration and found the open shots. They knocked them down. I thought they were pretty clean from three point, so that makes a huge difference."



Tulsa Shock Head Coach Fred Williams


(On how to keep his team under control when the Sky was making a run…)


“It’s a game of runs and when you got a lead like that it time to relax and focus the team. I’ve been in the playoffs, Chicago’s been in the playoffs, so we just want to go out and maintain our lead, and stray strong. We’re going to make mistakes this time of the year, of the season, and we’re going to learn from it. And tonight we learned how to maintain a lead”



Tulsa Shock Forward Plenette Pierson


(On what it took to hang on to win the game…)


“It took us just battling together on defense. Chicago’s a great team, they’ve been playing great, they made it to the Finals last year. And we knew that just not one person could beat them. We all had to band together, and that was the difference for us. Coach was telling us to just grind it out. We were going to make shots, and we were going to miss shots, but most importantly we had to play defense.

Tulsa Shock Center Courtney Paris


(On how the team feels the crowd during the game…)


“Yeah the crowd was awesome. That kind of environment is great to play in. Anybody knows home court advantage is everything, so we need to try and win on our home court especially, and that’s so important in our pace to try and make the playoffs this season. So the fans definitely helped us a lot. “

 

[dawrestling]

CHICAGO DROPS CLOSE GAME IN CONNECTICUT


Score by Quarter

Chicago (1-2) 16 22 14 13 65

Connecticut (2-1) 26 13 11 17 67


CHICAGO-On Thursday night, the WNBA’s leading scorer Elena Delle Donne and the Chicago Sky returned to the court for the third game of the 2015 regular season battling the Connecticut Sun at the Mohegan Sun Arena. In a game that came down to the final seconds of regulation, Connecticut forward Alyssa Thomas connected on two free throws to help the Sun escape with the 67-65 victory at home.



Despite being held scoreless in the first three minutes of the game and trailing by as many as 14 points in the first half, Chicago did not give up. After scoring just two points in the first, Delle Donne poured in 12 in the second to begin a scoring onslaught where the Sky outpaced the Sun 20-7 in the final eight minutes of the second quarter. Six of Delle Donne’s 12-second quarter points came as part of a 12-2 run to close the half, cutting Connecticut’s lead to just one, 39-38.



Chicago took its first lead of the game, 41-40 early in the second half and battled back-and-forth with Connecticut throughout the third quarter. The Sun led 65-60 with 1:15 remaining in regulation but the Sky scored five unanswered points, capped off by a Pondexter driving layup to tie the game at 65 with 10 seconds left on the clock. Connecticut quickly inbounded the ball and went the full length of the court to find Alyssa Thomas open in the lane. Vandersloot attempted to save the basket with a foul, however, Thomas hit both free throws to help Connecticut escape with the 67-65 victory.



Delle Donne led all scorers in the game with 27 points. Cappie Pondexter added 14 points and eight rebounds and Vandersloot finished with 13 points and four assists for Chicago.



“You have to give credit to Connecticut,” said Vandersloot. “They played hard, they had a game plan especially for Elena, she was not getting many easy looks and she worked real hard for everything. We have to be ready for that and knock down shots and play off of Elena (Delle Donne) because every team knows what she can do. It’s a learning experience for us and we will watch film and get ready for the next game.”



Chicago will look to bounce back as they play their next three games on the road, before returning home to Allstate Arena on June 24th to battle the Atlanta Dream at 11:30 am CT. To purchase tickets call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit CHICAGOSKY.NET.

 

[dawrestling]

Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 65, Connecticut Sun 67



Notes:

• The Sky played without 2014 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Allie Quigley who temporarily suspended as she joins the Hungarian National Team to compete in the EuroBasket tournament, which runs from June 11-28 in Hungary.
• Sky guard/forward Elena Delle Donne led all scorers in the game with 27 points. She has amounted 98 points in the Sky’s first three regular season games.
• The Sky entered the night averaging 94 points while shooting 48.6 percent from the field. Connecticut was holding opponents to 71.5 points per game on 36.8 percent shooting. The Sky finished with 65 points, and shot 36.2 percent.
• The Sun beat the Sky for just the second time in nine meetings dating back to the start of the 2013 season. Chicago won six in a row before the Sun broke that losing streak with a victory on June 25, 2013. Chicago won the last meeting 82-66 last August 5th.
• Second-year forward Alyssa Thomas finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, narrowly missing her second career double-double. Her first was against Chicago last June 25th. Thomas scored eight of her points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of clutch free throws with 1.9 seconds remaining to put the Sun ahead 67-65.
• Third-year guard Alex Bentley led the Sun in scoring for the third straight game, finishing with 16 points.
• Third-year center Kelsey Bone had her first double-double of the season, the sixth of her career, finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Bone had three double-doubles last season and two as a rookie with the New York Liberty. Bone had six rebounds and seven points in the fourth quarter.

Quotes:



Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman



(Opening Statement…)


“From the beginning it was disappointing to come out and give up 26 points in the first quarter, especially coming off a poor defensive performance in our previous game. In the second quarter we hold them to 13 and give ourselves a chance, but then some of the mistakes we made early on reared its ugly head, some matchups, some offensive rebound put backs and you can’t do that against anyone in this league especially against a good Connecticut team at home.”





(On if she was happy with her team’s defensive performance in the second half allowing just 28 points…)



“It is one of those things. Offensive is the side that gets all the highlights on SportsCenter, but as coaches and players know that you have to get it done defensively and we didn’t from the beginning and never quite recovered.”





(On whether she can take a positive on coming back from the 14-point deficit…)


“No, nothing positive about that. Comeback kids do not win a lot of games and people just remember the one that they win. You want to set the tone early and have people chasing you.”





Chicago Sky Guard Courtney Vandersloot



(On why her team struggled to score tonight…)


“You have to give credit to Connecticut. They played hard, they had a game plan especially for Elena, she was not getting many easy looks and she worked real hard for everything. We have to be ready for that and knock down shots and play off of Elena (Delle Donne) because every team knows what she can do. It’s a learning experience for us and we will watch film and get ready for the next game.”





(On her team rallying from the 14-point deficit to take the lead…)



“That says a lot about us, but that is not the type of team and not the reputation that we want to have that we get in a hole and have to fight our way back and that has been the case the last two games and both have been losses so I don’t think that is doing a lot for us right now.”





Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne



(On what changes they made after the slow start…)



“We finally stuck to the coaches’ schemes and did what we were supposed to do coming in. You can’t come out, especially after a loss to Tulsa and expect to win on someone’s home court. It’s awful to dig a hole to start the game and that is something that we need to fix immediately.”





(On what Connecticut did to shut her down in the first quarter…)



“Obviously they are going to focus all the attention on me, so at that point other people need to attack and I will find the open man. That is why you have to be a versatile offense and be able to attack in many different ways. Some nights they are going to want to take away me and other nights they are going to want to take away Cappie (Pondexter), but you have to adjust.” 





(On the lack of offense for both teams in the second half…)


“Our focus was defense in the second half and we were able to grit down and play much better defense and obviously they were able to do the same. I think it was more a great defensive effort than a poor offensive effort.”




Connecticut Sun Head Coach Anne Donovan


(Opening Statement…)



“There were a lot of positives after this one. Super, super happy. For us to hold Chicago to 27 points in the second half - we talked about that at halftime. We started off with great offense, great defense and then we lost it in the second quarter. In the second half, we made it our focus again. We made life difficult for Elena (Delle Donne). (Kelsey) Bone came in and took care of backboards today like we talked to her about, so it was some good stuff.”



(On the aggressiveness of Kelsey Bone…)



“Yes, we talked to her specifically about that. Going into this game, we talked to the posts about who our rebounding leaders were and who our leading rebounders were not and I think they took it a little bit more personally. If we can get a double-double from Bone on most nights, we’re in good shape.”



(On free throws…)



“I haven’t been real impressed with our free throw shooting. So the fact that we were in the bonus, we had another foul to give, that was the other piece of our defense. We had some great stops.”



(On team chemistry…)



“They really trust each other. When Alex (Bentley) makes those kinds of plays, it speaks a lot for this team because Alex is a confident player and she’s looking to find other people when they really step up and stop her, which they try to do. This team really enjoys playing with each other and there’s a lot of trust going on right now and that’s evidence on the floor.”



Connecticut Sun Center Kelsey Bone


(On the game…)



“It’s unnerving, but I feel like we did a really good job on minimizing our mistakes. There were some questions at the end, but we didn’t make them bigger than what it needed to be.”



(On Elena Delle Donne…)



“When you have a great player like that who is so good at getting to the free throw line, you do have to be careful, but we played a great game tonight. We fought, we stayed together, and that’s the product. That’s your Connecticut Sun this year.”



(On team chemistry…)



“We were able to exploit some match-ups early. I was able to get going early and then they keyed in on me. I’m always going to look for the open play. Alyssa Thomas had an advantage, we got her going in the stretch of the fourth and then something opened up for me. At the end of the day, we just play together. We’re looking for each other. We’re trying to find things. As long as we stay together and I think that’s the biggest thing you can hear in this locker room, it’s all about staying together.”



Connecticut Sun Forward Camille Little



(On Elena Delle Donne…)



“You just have to make the shots tough early, you have to be in her space. Make her adjust, pivot or something without just shooting it openly. We made it tough for her.”



(On the team…)



“This team is held to a very high standard. I don’t care how young or old we are.”

 

[dawrestling]

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Sun, Jun 14, 2015 at 2:09 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 98, Indiana Fever 72
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

SKY OUTPACE FEVER, 98-72


Score by Quarter

Chicago (2-2) 26 27 24 21 98

Indiana (1-4) 12 9 30 21 72


CHICAGO-On Sunday afternoon, the Chicago Sky returned to the court for a nationally televised game against the Indiana Fever at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on ESPN2. The Sky mounted an early 20-2 lead to start the game and never looked back as they cruised to a 98-72 victory.



“Our offense really flows when our defense is picked up,” said Sky forward Elena Delle Donne. “We knew how important a good defensive effort was going to be tonight, because then we’re able get out in transition. That’s when we’re at our best.”



Delle Donne contributed seven points in the first five minutes and led all scorers in the game as she finished with 24 points and nine rebounds. Between Delle Donne and Cappie Pondexter, the Sky caught fire early shooting 64.7% from the field while limiting Indiana to just 12 points in the first ten minutes of action. With 2:07 remaining in the first quarter, Pondexter delivered her 1258th assist to move into 11th overall on the WNBA’s All-Time Assist list, passing Katie Smith.



Vandersloot took control in the second quarter with seven points and three assists. Chicago then closed the half on a 17-4 run to carry a 53-21 lead into the half.



In the second half the Sky attacked the driving lanes, scoring eight unanswered points in the first two minutes to take their biggest lead of the night (41) with 7:13 remaining in the third quarter. The Sky closed the game with bench scoring as Clarissa Dos Santos, Betnijah Laney and Jamierra Faulkner each finished in double figures to help Chicago earn its largest victory over Indiana in the history of the series, 98-72. The Sky has now won three consecutive regular season games over the Fever.



Chicago plays its next two games on the road, before returning home to Allstate Arena on June 24th to battle the Atlanta Dream at 11:30 am CT. To purchase tickets call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit CHICAGOSKY.NET.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 98, Indiana Fever 72



NOTES



· With 32 combined layups made by Chicago and Indiana in today’s game, the Pacers Foundation’s Be YOUnique Fund will donate $9,600 to The Cure Starts Now Cancer Research Foundation in honor of Lauren Hill.

· Chicago has now won three consecutive regular season games over the Fever. The Sky ended a three-game regular season losing streak at Indiana with their first regular season victory over the Fever since June 22, 2013.

· Chicago’s 98 points marks the most the Sky have ever scored against the Fever as they earned their largest victory over Indiana in the history of the series. Chicago’s starting five combined for 59 of the team’s total 98 points.

· Chicago led by as many as 41 points as they led 62-21 with 7:35 left in the third quarter, matching the largest deficit the Fever have held in any game in franchise history.

· Cappie Pondexter moved up to the No. 11 spot on the WNBA All-Time Assists List, passing Katie Smith with her second assist in this afternoon’s game. Pondexter finished the game with 15 points and four assists. She now has a career total of 1,260 assists.

· Entering today’s game as the WNBA’s leading scorer, Sky forward Elena Delle Donne, finished with 24 points and nine rebounds to lead Chicago.

· Chicago had a season-high 10 blocked shots

· Indiana finished the first half shooting 18.8 percent (6-32) from the field, while Chicago shot 64.7 percent (22-34) from the field to open a 53-21 halftime lead.

· The Sky outrebounded the Fever, 46-27, Indiana’s second-largest rebounding deficit in franchise history. Indiana was outrebounded 21-44 against the Washington Mystics on July 30, 2010.

· Indiana’s 26-point loss marks the largest margin of defeat this season and the team’s first loss by 25 or more points since the Fever fell 55-83 at Connecticut on September 2, 2011.

· The 32-point hole marked the largest halftime deficit the Fever have held at home in franchise history.

· The Fever and Sky will meet two more times during the regular season, with the next matchup on June 26 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.


Quotes:


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On playing after a two point loss yesterday…)



“The mindset was getting off to a really great start. We’ve kind of struggled in the first quarter. That’s when you should be the most ready. And I think as a group, they got together and made sure they were ready from the beginning and that resulted in a 9-2 start. So that gave us early momentum and we were able to maintain it throughout the game.”



(How did you maintain the momentum and keep the Fever from getting back into the game?)



“I think it started defensively. We were really active and sticking to the schemes. But the best part about it was we kind of married that to rebounding. Sometimes you play good defense and somebody will sneak in there for and a rebound, so we get the rebound and it got us out in transition and got some easy buckets.”



Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne



(On shooting the team 64% from the field in the first half…)



“This team, our offense really flows when our defense is picked up. We knew how important a good defensive effort was going to be tonight, because then we’re able get out in transition, run transition offense. That’s when we’re at our best. If we’re playing good defense generally the offense is flowing for us.”



(Disappointed that you didn’t get to match up against Tamika Catchings?)



“It’s always disappointing when you don’t get to play against them full strength. Obviously we’ll have a couple more matchups where I’m sure she’ll be there. At this point, the focus was to get a win no matter who is out on the court. Sometimes when you’re out your best player, you come out really strong and you’re focused. We wanted to make sure to get a great start.”



Chicago Sky Guard Courtney Vandersloot


(On her team’s performance…)



“I think this is a good one for us, a good bounce back. We dropped two. I think it’s important for us to continue to get better and I think that we had a good start and that kind of set the tone for the rest of the game.”



(What did you see about the Fever that allowed you to jump on them like you did?)



“I don’t think it’s really about them. We were really focused on our start, because the last two games we dug ourselves a hole and couldn’t get back. That was one thing that we wanted to focus on, was just our start, getting into it defensively, get out and run.”



Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White


(On her team’s performance…)

“It was an embarrassment. We didn't play with pride and that's not acceptable. We were lackluster from the start. Fortunately we came out harder to start the third quarter, but you can't do that in this league ---- you can't choose when to play hard and when not to.”



Indiana Fever Guard/Forward Marissa Coleman



(Anything positive you can take from this game?)



“We can’t start game like we started and expect to dig our way out of a hole so deep. So we just have to find a way to find that energy that we played with in third and fourth quarters, and play with it the entire game.”



(On defense…)



“Our communication. They got a lot of wide open shots, lot of wide open layups, easy buckets in transition. All that is communication.”



(What the next step?)



“We just have to continue to get better. We just have to go into practice tomorrow and forget about today. We have another on Tuesday. We just have to continue to get better and put this one behind us.”



Indiana Fever Guard/Forward Natalie Achonwa



(On intensity…)



“It wasn’t just defensive intensity, it was all together intensity. I know I didn’t have the energy coming off the beginning of the game and I know we lacked it as a team in the first half. You could see it pick up in the second half. But we have to start games like that. In the league you can’t play one half of a game and expect to not lose by 30.”



(On better ball movement in the second half…)



“I think once we lacked the intensity in the first half, we got so tight that we were trying to force things. We were trying to get back the 20 points we were down in one play. So the second half we just took a deep breath and focused on the offense and what we work on every day in practice and just the flow and transition and we got that in the second

 

[dawrestling]

DELLE DONNE DOMINATES, BONNER HEATS UP MERCURY EN ROUTE TO

PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS


NEW YORK, June 15, 2015 – Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky and DeWanna Bonner of the Phoenix Mercury were named the WNBA’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played June 5 through June 14.


For Delle Donne, a two-time All-Star selection and the 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year, the Player of the Week award is the sixth of her career. The third-year pro currently ranks atop the league in scoring (30.5 ppg) after helping Chicago to a 2-2 record. Among Eastern Conference players, she leads the pack in blocks (2.25 bpg), is tied for second in rebounding (7.8 rpg), ranks third in field goal percentage (.533, 40-of-75), and sixth in free throw percentage (.949, with league-high figures of 37 made free throws and 39 attempts).


The University of Delaware product, who has been the leading scorer overall in each of her four games to date, opened the season with 31 points, eight boards, four blocks, and three steals in a 95-72 victory over Indiana. She immediately followed that with a career-high 40-point, nine-rebound effort in a 101-93 road loss to Tulsa. Delle Donne then posted 27 points in a narrow, 67-65 loss at Connecticut, before closing the week with 24 points, nine boards (including eight on the defensive end), two assists, a pair of steals and a block as the visiting Sky dominated Indiana, 98-72.


For Bonner, a seventh-year pro with a pair of championships and three WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year awards on her resume, this marks the fourth Player of the Week honor of her career. Through the first week of play, she paced the Western Conference in scoring with 19.3 ppg, while also ranking sixth in rebounding (6.3 rpg), tied for fifth in steals (1.5 spg), and 10th in both assists (2.8 apg) and free throw percentage (.862, 25-of-29), while helping the defending champion Mercury to a 2-2 start. The Auburn University product capped the week with a game-high 22 points, along with seven boards, in an 81-66 home win over Minnesota. That effort enabled Phoenix to extend its home winning streak to 22 games (including its last five home postseason games), and gave the Western Conference rival Minnesota Lynx its first loss of the year.


Bonner opened the season with 21 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two thefts in a 76-71 home win over San Antonio. She then followed that up with a nearly identical effort – 22 points, six boards, three assists, and a steal – in a 68-57 loss at New York, before tallying 12 points and six rebounds in a 77-74 defeat at Indiana. In all, she scored 21 or more points and grabbed six or more boards in three of four games.


Other candidates for the WNBA Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Angel McCoughtry, Connecticut’s Kelsey Bone, and the Washington Mystics as a unit in the Eastern Conference, and Minnesota’s Rebekkah Brunson, along with the Tulsa backcourt duo of Skylar Diggins and Odyssey Sims, in the Western Conference.


For more information on this week's Players of the Week, visit www.wnba.com/awards.



2015 WNBA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Week Ending East Player Team West Player Team

6/14/15 Elena Delle Donne Chicago DeWanna Bonner Phoenix





# # #


Contacts: Ron Howard, (212) 407-8641, rhoward@nba.com

 

[dawrestling]

*SKY EDGED BY DREAM AT THE BUZZER *



*Score by Quarter*

Chicago (2-3) 13 23 18 19*73*

Atlanta (3-4) 21 16 19 18*74*



*CHICAGO-* On Friday night, the Chicago Sky returned to the court for their
fourth consecutive road game as they battled the Atlanta Dream in a rematch
of the 2014 Eastern Conference Semifinals at Philips Arena. Despite
overcoming a ten deficit with five minutes remaining in the game, the Sky
lost narrowly as Dream forward Angel McCoughtry hit a buzzer beater to give
Atlanta a one point advantage, 74-73, as time expired.



“It’s a tough loss for us especially to lose at the buzzer like that,” said
Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot. “We dug ourselves a hole again early and
then we were able to bounce back a little. They made a couple runs and we
just couldn’t sustain it at the end.”



After a slow start, the Sky used a 9-0 run midway through the first quarter
take their first lead of the night, 13-11. Vandersloot delivered the
Chicago’s first seven points but eight first quarter turnovers were costly
for the Sky as the Dream extended a 21-13 advantage heading into the second
quarter.



Rookie guard Betnijah Laney stepped up with six points in the second
quarter and closed the half by drawing an offensive foul from Angel
McCoughtry and hitting a jumper to bring the Sky to within one point at the
half, 37-36.



Delle Donne scored first to start the second half helping the Sky
immediately regain the lead 38-37. The Sky overcame a ten-point deficit
with five minutes remaining to make it a one-possession game in the final
two minutes. With a Vandersloot jumper, the Sky regained the lead with 1:23

 

[dawrestling]

• • 
    
    HICAGO-After five consecutive road games, the Chicago Sky (4-3) returned to the sold out Allstate Arena on Wednesday morning to host the Atlanta Dream (3-6) at 11:30 am CT in the first of two “Camp Day” games of the season. Led by 45 points and 11 rebounds from Elena Delle Donne, the Sky outlasted the Dream 100-96 in overtime.
    
    
    
    This game marked the second matchup of the season between the Sky and Dream in 2015. The Sky fell to the Dream 73-74 in Atlanta on June 19th at the hands of Angel McCoughtry, who hit the game winning shot as time expired. Much like the previous matchup, Atlanta got off to a hot start, scoring many of their early points in transition. Elena Delle Donne kept Chicago in the contest in the first quarter, finishing the quarter with eight points and two blocks.
    
    
    
    “We just wanted to win. At this point, being 3-3, we wanted to show that we could be consistent and put two wins together; so, that was the biggest focus,” said Delle Donne.
    
    
    
    Chicago started the second quarter on a blistering 9-0 run, led by Cappie Pondexter, who hit two acrobatic lay-ups in transition and a free throw to convert a three-point play. McCoughtry kept the Dream in the contest, finishing the first half with 14 points. Delle Donne led the Sky with 19 first-half points as the Sky led 40-34 at intermission.
    
    
    
    The Sky put on an offensive clinic in the third quarter, scoring 29 points and shooting 50% from the floor. Delle Donne continued to score at will, as she delivered 11 points in the third quarter. Allie Quigley played all ten minutes of the third quarter, adding six points to help lead Chicago.
    
    
    
    The Sky led the Dream 69-57 to begin the fourth quarter but Atlanta battled back, gradually chipping into the Sky’s lead. Matee Ajavon‘s free throws with 3:16 remaining in the fourth quarter gave Atlanta a one point lead, the Dream’s first lead since the end of the first quarter. Atlanta went up by two with 2:18 to go but then Quigley’s jumper with 1:38 left tied the game at 84. Clarissa dos Santos and Pondexter both split a pair of free throws in the final minute giving the Sky an 86-84 lead with 26.2 seconds remaining. Atlanta once again went to McCoughtry, who hit a lay-up in traffic with eight seconds remaining to tie the game at 86 and force overtime as the Sky could not convert on their final offensive possession of regulation.
    
    
    
    A Quigley jumper gave the Sky the lead with 4:19 to play in overtime and the Sky never looked back, outscoring the Dream 14-10 in the extra period. Chicago would go on to defeat Atlanta 100-96, improving to 4-3 on the season, evening out the season series with the Dream. Delle Donne scored a career-high 45 points, recorded a career-high six blocks and pulled down 11 rebounds, marking her third consecutive double-double. Chicago’s starting five of Delle Donne, Vandersloot, Pondexter, Quigley and Breland combined for 95 out of the team’s 100 total points.
    
    
    
    The Sky will look to maintain momentum from two consecutive wins as they return to action on Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse against the Indiana Fever. Tip off is set for 6:00pm CT on The U Too.
    
    
    Postgame Notes:
    
    Chicago Sky 100, Atlanta Dream 96
    
    
    

 

[dawrestling]

• • NOTES
    
    
    
    • Elena Delle Donne scored a career high and franchise record 45 points along with securing her third straight double double of the season with 11 rebounds. She also set a new career high with six blocks.
    • With her 45 points today, Delle Donne shattered the WNBA mark for most points by a single player through her team’s first 7 games of a season. Through the first 7 games of the 2015 season Delle Donne has 221 points. The previous record was set by Maya Moore in 2014 with 193 points.
    • Elena Delle Donne today became only the 5th player in WNBA history with 2+ games of 40-or-more points in her career (the others: Diana Taurasi, 3; Maya Moore, Katie Smith, and Cynthia Cooper, 2 each). Delle Donne, with 40 points at Tulsa on June 6 this year and with 45 points today vs. Atlanta, becomes only the 4th player in WNBA history with two (2) games of 40-or-more points in the same season (the others, all with 2 each: Diana Taurasi in 2006; Maya Moore in 2014; Katie Smith in 2001)
    • Delle Donne’s 45 points in today’s game ranks sixth all-time in WNBA history for most points scored in a single game.
    • Delle Donne went 19-for-19 from the free throw line to set the new WNBA record for most consecutive free throws made without a miss (Previously 17 McCoughtry @ Chicago 6/2/14)
    • Delle Donne’s 19 made free throws tied for second in WNBA history for free throws made in a game with Tina Charles (Connecticut vs. Phoenix, June 29, 2013). Delle Donne has now made 34 consecutive free throws since her last miss on June 14th against the Indiana Fever.
    • The Sky scored a season-high 100 points and set a season high for blocks (11), free throws made (34) and free throws attempted (36).
    • The Sky’s starting five of Courtney Vandersloot, Cappie Pondexter, Allie Quigley, Delle Donne and Jessica Breland combined for 95 out of the team’s 100 points.
    • Atlanta out-assisted Chicago 27-11 today.
    • Down 17 with 2:44 left in the third quarter, the Dream made a 29-17 run forcing the game into overtime.
    • Angel McCoughtry led the Dream with a season-high 34 points and 10 rebounds to record her first double double of the season.
    • McCoughtry recorded 8 of Atlanta’s 13 turnovers in the game.
    
    QUOTES
    
    
    
    Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman
    
    
    (On Sky’s overall performance…)
    
    
    
    “I think the most important thing is we found a way to win our second overtime game in a row, but also more importantly, at home, protecting our home court. We know the high power, fast play of Atlanta, and I think the thing I was most impressed with was that we stayed in attack mode to the tune of shooting 36 free throws and that’s a mentality because sometimes you get a little bit down defensively and we become tentative. I think it starts with people that have ice water in their veins and are not afraid to take things to the action. I think it carries over. We’re excited about the win. We’ll rest and get ready for Indiana.”
    
    
    
    (On confidence in team in pressure situations…)
    
    
    
    “They work really hard. They’re engaged during the game. As coaches, we get them when they come to the sidelines, but they’re coaching themselves within possessions, and I think that is what separates them offensively. They’re recognizing switches, they’re recognizing actions, so it’s not me feeding stuff to them like their kids.”
    
    
    
    Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne
    
    
    (On her free throw groove…)
    
    
    
    “My foul shot is something I’ve worked since probably eighth grade. I changed it in the eighth grade to simplify it so it’s just something I’ve worked on for a really long time. In pressure situations, it’s needed; we couldn’t miss or we’d lose the game. We’re a pretty good foul shooting team and we’ll have to continue to improve.”
    
    
    
    (On the physicality of the game…)
    
    
    
    “That’s how both teams play; we’re really aggressive teams and with Angel, you know she’s going to make some incredible shots. She plays good defense, she goes for steals and you have to be careful when she’s guarding you. Angel never fails to disappoint, you just try to contain her. Luckily we were able to pull away with the win, but she had a great game.”
    
    
    
    (On today’s focus after Angel McCoughtry’s buzzer-beater on June 19th…)
    
    
    
    “We just wanted to win. At this point, being 3-3, we wanted to show that we can be consistent and put two wins together; so, that was the biggest focus. It wasn’t even about who the opponent was or what happened in that last game. We needed a win, and we were desperate for one.”
    
    
    Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter
    
    
    (On her adjustment to playing with Elena Delle Donne and the Sky…)
    
    
    “No adjustment at all. Honestly I think we complement each other very well. I’m on her side, she’s on my side, and I’m going to encourage her to keep going because that’s what it’s about at the end of the day.”
    
    
    
    (On the importance of being a leader…)
    
    
    “It’s important because sometimes you can lose sight in the course of a game where everything is going wrong. We forget how hard we worked the previous quarters, so I just want to be that reminder, that vet that’s actually been in situations like that.”
    
    
    
    (On what she has learned about her teammates…)
    
    
    “They are extremely skilled. They are a smart team, we execute really well. That was already expected. I think our biggest challenge is to continue to grow as a team and to just improve.”
    
    
    Atlanta Dream Head Coach Michael Cooper
    
    
    (On the Dream's comeback in the 4th quarter…)
    
    
    
    "In the 3rd quarter we got away from our defensive principles and what we had been doing to start the game and obviously it's going to be an up and down game for us right now. We're still trying to find ourselves a little bit but again I'm very proud of our team and the way we came back playing against a good basketball team. We just came up a little bit short."
    
    
    (On the performance of Elena Delle Donne…)
    
    
    
    "You're not going to stop a scorer like that. I thought what we didn't do was hold the other ones underneath I think Cappie [Pondexter], we let her get some open ones [Allie] Quigley we let get open so those are the players we have to do a better job on. [Elena's] that type of player to score those types of points. The people that were guarding her I thought did a great job but she's a great player and she's going get her share of points."
    
    
    (On the Camp Day crowd and the effect of the noise that comes with it...)
    
    
    
    "I don't think the noise affected us at all but it was nice to hear. Kids day is supposed to be exactly what that is about out there I saw the noise meter going up. One time for a moment I saw the official even holding her ears. That's great for the WNBA and for kids to come out and enjoy this game."
    
    
    Atlanta Dream Guard Angel McCoughtry
    
    
    (On the 4th quarter comeback…)
    
    
    “We dropped the ball inside and they had to come back.”
    
    
    
    (On overtime and stopping Delle Donne and Cappie…)
    
    
    
    “Rebounds. I think we did a good job on Delle Donne she got half her points. I think they were calling trippy fouls for them. She’s a great player and she is hard to guard but we can’t let a player go run through our defense.”
    
    
    
    (On the crowd affecting her game…)
    
    
    
    “No, we’re professional. It doesn’t affect me.”
    
    
    Atlanta Dream Forward Sancho Lyttle
    
    
    (On Atlanta’s fourth quarter spark…)
    
    
    “We started playing inside out, got some easy buckets in the paint. We started playing harder defense and running. But in overtime we kind of went away from what brought us back in the fourth quarter and end up with a loss”
    
    
    
    (On guarding Delle Donne…)
    
    
    
    “I think that is nothing you can prepare for, if I really set my mind, you can right it, but you know she is a good player, she can shoot and we just have to respect that and don’t make anybody else score. If she scored 50 points and they’ve got 50 points on the board at the end of the game, and we win, so be it.”
    
    
    
    
    
    

 

[dawrestling]

DELLE DONNE COLLECTS SECOND STRAIGHT HONOR, DIGGINS POWERS TULSA TO TOP SPOT IN WEST

EN ROUTE TO PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS


NEW YORK, June 22, 2015 – Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky and Skylar Diggins of the Tulsa Shock were named the WNBA’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played June 15 through June 21.


For Delle Donne, a two-time All-Star selection and the 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year, the Player of the Week award is the seventh of her career and the second in a row to start the 2015 season. She averaged a league-best 27.0 ppg during the week, helping Chicago to a 1-1 mark. For the season, Delle Donne ranks atop the league in scoring at 29.3 ppg. Through six games, Delle Donne’s scoring pace is 9.1 ppg more than the current No. 2 scorer, DeWanna Bonner of the Phoenix Mercury (20.2 ppg), and 4.0 ppg higher than the WNBA’s single-season record of 25.3 ppg, set by Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi in 2006.


For the week, Delle Donne also led all Eastern Conference players in rebounding (11.5 rpg), shared the top spot in free throw percentage (1.000, 11-of-11), and ranked fourth in both field goal percentage (.553, 21-of-38) and blocks (2.0 bpg).


The University of Delaware product has been the leading scorer in all six of her games this season, tallying at least 24 points in every contest. She also has pulled down at least eight rebounds in all but one game. Delle Donne opened the week with 26 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in a 74-73 loss at Atlanta and followed that up with 28 points, a season-high 13 boards, and a season-high-tying four blocks in a 95-87 victory over San Antonio.


For Diggins, who was selected by Tulsa with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm (one spot behind Delle Donne), the Player of the Week honor is the second of her career and her first of the season. The 2014 All-Star helped guide the 6-1 Shock to the top spot in the Western Conference. For the week, the third-year pro paced the conference in field goal percentage (.700, 7-of-10), was tied for third in scoring (17.7 ppg), and ranked third in assists (5.3 apg), as Tulsa went a perfect 3-0. The victories stretched Tulsa’s current win streak to six games, the longest such streak since the Shock moved to Tulsa from Detroit in 2010.


Diggins capped her week with a stellar effort in Tulsa’s 86-78 win at Minnesota, handing the Lynx its first home loss of the season. After both teams entered the game with identical 5-1 records, the star guard poured in a season-high 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, while also dishing out eight assists and recording two steals.


The Notre Dame product had opened the week with 13 points, three boards, three assists, and a pair of blocks in an 88-61 victory over the visiting San Antonio Stars. Diggins followed up that performance with a 14-point, five-assist, three-rebound effort in Tulsa’s 86-82 road win over the Washington Mystics, who had entered the game with a 3-1 record.


Other candidates for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Connecticut’s Alex Bentley and Kelsey Bone, Minnesota’s Maya Moore, Tulsa’s Courtney Paris, and Washington’s Emma Meesseman.


For more information on this week's Players of the Week, visit www.wnba.com/awards.



2015 WNBA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Week Ending East Player Team West Player Team

6/14/15 Elena Delle Donne Chicago DeWanna Bonner Phoenix

6/21/15 Elena Delle Donne Chicago Skylar Diggins Tulsa





# # #


Contacts: Ron Howard, (212) 407-8641, rhoward@nba.com

Sam Tager, (212) 407-8358, stager@nba.com

 

[dawrestling]

DELLE DONNE’S HISTORIC GAME LIFTS SKY PAST DREAM IN OT


Score by Quarter 1 2 3 4 OT F

Atlanta (3-6) 19 15 23 29 10 96

Chicago (4-3) 17 23 29 17 14 100


CHICAGO-After five consecutive road games, the Chicago Sky (4-3) returned to the sold out Allstate Arena on Wednesday morning to host the Atlanta Dream (3-6) at 11:30 am CT in the first of two “Camp Day” games of the season. Led by 45 points and 11 rebounds from Elena Delle Donne, the Sky outlasted the Dream 100-96 in overtime.



This game marked the second matchup of the season between the Sky and Dream in 2015. The Sky fell to the Dream 73-74 in Atlanta on June 19th at the hands of Angel McCoughtry, who hit the game winning shot as time expired. Much like the previous matchup, Atlanta got off to a hot start, scoring many of their early points in transition. Elena Delle Donne kept Chicago in the contest in the first quarter, finishing the quarter with eight points and two blocks.



“We just wanted to win. At this point, being 3-3, we wanted to show that we could be consistent and put two wins together; so, that was the biggest focus,” said Delle Donne.



Chicago started the second quarter on a blistering 9-0 run, led by Cappie Pondexter, who hit two acrobatic lay-ups in transition and a free throw to convert a three-point play. McCoughtry kept the Dream in the contest, finishing the first half with 14 points. Delle Donne led the Sky with 19 first-half points as the Sky led 40-34 at intermission.



The Sky put on an offensive clinic in the third quarter, scoring 29 points and shooting 50% from the floor. Delle Donne continued to score at will, as she delivered 11 points in the third quarter. Allie Quigley played all ten minutes of the third quarter, adding six points to help lead Chicago.



The Sky led the Dream 69-57 to begin the fourth quarter but Atlanta battled back, gradually chipping into the Sky’s lead. Matee Ajavon‘s free throws with 3:16 remaining in the fourth quarter gave Atlanta a one point lead, the Dream’s first lead since the end of the first quarter. Atlanta went up by two with 2:18 to go but then Quigley’s jumper with 1:38 left tied the game at 84. Clarissa dos Santos and Pondexter both split a pair of free throws in the final minute giving the Sky an 86-84 lead with 26.2 seconds remaining. Atlanta once again went to McCoughtry, who hit a lay-up in traffic with eight seconds remaining to tie the game at 86 and force overtime as the Sky could not convert on their final offensive possession of regulation.



A Quigley jumper gave the Sky the lead with 4:19 to play in overtime and the Sky never looked back, outscoring the Dream 14-10 in the extra period. Chicago would go on to defeat Atlanta 100-96, improving to 4-3 on the season, evening out the season series with the Dream. Delle Donne scored a career-high 45 points, recorded a career-high six blocks and pulled down 11 rebounds, marking her third consecutive double-double. Chicago’s starting five of Delle Donne, Vandersloot, Pondexter, Quigley and Breland combined for 95 out of the team’s 100 total points.



The Sky will look to maintain momentum from two consecutive wins as they return to action on Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse against the Indiana Fever. Tip off is set for 6:00pm CT on The U Too.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 100, Atlanta Dream 96



NOTES



·Elena Delle Donne scored a career high and franchise record 45 points along with securing her third straight double double of the season with 11 rebounds. She also set a new career high with six blocks.

·With her 45 points today, Delle Donne shattered the WNBA mark for most points by a single player through her team’s first 7 games of a season. Through the first 7 games of the 2015 season Delle Donne has 221 points. The previous record was set by Maya Moore in 2014 with 193 points.

·Elena Delle Donne today became only the 5th player in WNBA history with 2+ games of 40-or-more points in her career (the others: Diana Taurasi, 3; Maya Moore, Katie Smith, and Cynthia Cooper, 2 each). Delle Donne, with 40 points at Tulsa on June 6 this year and with 45 points today vs. Atlanta, becomes only the 4th player in WNBA history with two (2) games of 40-or-more points in the same season (the others, all with 2 each: Diana Taurasi in 2006; Maya Moore in 2014; Katie Smith in 2001)

·Delle Donne’s 45 points in today’s game ranks sixth all-time in WNBA history for most points scored in a single game.

·Delle Donne went 19-for-19 from the free throw line to set the new WNBA record for most consecutive free throws made without a miss (Previously 17 McCoughtry @ Chicago 6/2/14)

·Delle Donne’s 19 made free throws tied for second in WNBA history for free throws made in a game with Tina Charles (Connecticut vs. Phoenix, June 29, 2013). Delle Donne has now made 34 consecutive free throws since her last miss on June 14th against the Indiana Fever.

·The Sky scored a season-high 100 points and set a season high for blocks (11), free throws made (34) and free throws attempted (36).

·The Sky’s starting five of Courtney Vandersloot, Cappie Pondexter, Allie Quigley, Delle Donne and Jessica Breland combined for 95 out of the team’s 100 points.

·Atlanta out-assisted Chicago 27-11 today.

·Down 17 with 2:44 left in the third quarter, the Dream made a 29-17 run forcing the game into overtime.

·Angel McCoughtry led the Dream with a season-high 34 points and 10 rebounds to record her first double double of the season.

·McCoughtry recorded 8 of Atlanta’s 13 turnovers in the game.

 

[dawrestling]

QUOTES



Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On Sky’s overall performance…)



“I think the most important thing is we found a way to win our second overtime game in a row, but also more importantly, at home, protecting our home court. We know the high power, fast play of Atlanta, and I think the thing I was most impressed with was that we stayed in attack mode to the tune of shooting 36 free throws and that’s a mentality because sometimes you get a little bit down defensively and we become tentative. I think it starts with people that have ice water in their veins and are not afraid to take things to the action. I think it carries over. We’re excited about the win. We’ll rest and get ready for Indiana.”



(On confidence in team in pressure situations…)



“They work really hard. They’re engaged during the game. As coaches, we get them when they come to the sidelines, but they’re coaching themselves within possessions, and I think that is what separates them offensively. They’re recognizing switches, they’re recognizing actions, so it’s not me feeding stuff to them like their kids.”



Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne


(On her free throw groove…)



“My foul shot is something I’ve worked since probably eighth grade. I changed it in the eighth grade to simplify it so it’s just something I’ve worked on for a really long time. In pressure situations, it’s needed; we couldn’t miss or we’d lose the game. We’re a pretty good foul shooting team and we’ll have to continue to improve.”



(On the physicality of the game…)



“That’s how both teams play; we’re really aggressive teams and with Angel, you know she’s going to make some incredible shots. She plays good defense, she goes for steals and you have to be careful when she’s guarding you. Angel never fails to disappoint, you just try to contain her. Luckily we were able to pull away with the win, but she had a great game.”



(On today’s focus after Angel McCoughtry’s buzzer-beater on June 19th…)



“We just wanted to win. At this point, being 3-3, we wanted to show that we can be consistent and put two wins together; so, that was the biggest focus. It wasn’t even about who the opponent was or what happened in that last game. We needed a win, and we were desperate for one.”


Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter


(On her adjustment to playing with Elena Delle Donne and the Sky…)


“No adjustment at all. Honestly I think we complement each other very well. I’m on her side, she’s on my side, and I’m going to encourage her to keep going because that’s what it’s about at the end of the day.”



(On the importance of being a leader…)


“It’s important because sometimes you can lose sight in the course of a game where everything is going wrong. We forget how hard we worked the previous quarters, so I just want to be that reminder, that vet that’s actually been in situations like that.”



(On what she has learned about her teammates…)


“They are extremely skilled. They are a smart team, we execute really well. That was already expected. I think our biggest challenge is to continue to grow as a team and to just improve.”


Atlanta Dream Head Coach Michael Cooper


(On the Dream's comeback in the 4th quarter…)



"In the 3rd quarter we got away from our defensive principles and what we had been doing to start the game and obviously it's going to be an up and down game for us right now. We're still trying to find ourselves a little bit but again I'm very proud of our team and the way we came back playing against a good basketball team. We just came up a little bit short."


(On the performance of Elena Delle Donne…)



"You're not going to stop a scorer like that. I thought what we didn't do was hold the other ones underneath I think Cappie [Pondexter], we let her get some open ones [Allie] Quigley we let get open so those are the players we have to do a better job on. [Elena's] that type of player to score those types of points. The people that were guarding her I thought did a great job but she's a great player and she's going get her share of points."


(On the Camp Day crowd and the effect of the noise that comes with it...)



"I don't think the noise affected us at all but it was nice to hear. Kids day is supposed to be exactly what that is about out there I saw the noise meter going up. One time for a moment I saw the official even holding her ears. That's great for the WNBA and for kids to come out and enjoy this game."


Atlanta Dream Guard Angel McCoughtry


(On the 4th quarter comeback…)


“We dropped the ball inside and they had to come back.”



(On overtime and stopping Delle Donne and Cappie…)



“Rebounds. I think we did a good job on Delle Donne she got half her points. I think they were calling trippy fouls for them. She’s a great player and she is hard to guard but we can’t let a player go run through our defense.”



(On the crowd affecting her game…)



“No, we’re professional. It doesn’t affect me.”


Atlanta Dream Forward Sancho Lyttle


(On Atlanta’s fourth quarter spark…)


“We started playing inside out, got some easy buckets in the paint. We started playing harder defense and running. But in overtime we kind of went away from what brought us back in the fourth quarter and end up with a loss”



(On guarding Delle Donne…)



“I think that is nothing you can prepare for, if I really set my mind, you can right it, but you know she is a good player, she can shoot and we just have to respect that and don’t make anybody else score. If she scored 50 points and they’ve got 50 points on the board at the end of the game, and we win, so be it.”

 

[dawrestling]

PONDEXTER AND QUIGLEY SHINE AS SKY RALLY PAST FEVER





CHICAGO-On Friday night, the WNBA’s leading scorer Elena Delle Donne and the Chicago Sky (5-3) returned to the court at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the third game of their 2015 series against the Indiana Fever (3-6). Despite trailing by as many as 11 points in the second half, the Sky battled back behind the offense of guards Cappie Pondexter and Allie Quigley, who combined for 40 points, to seal an 83-77 victory on the road.


The Fever sent two and three defenders at Elena Delle Donne to start the game forcing her to become a facilitator. Coming off a career-high 45 points on Wednesday afternoon, Delle Donne was held scoreless in the first nine minutes of action but her teammates stepped up. Allie Quigley scored the Sky’s first five points and had eight in the first quarter. Cappie Pondexter added six on 3-of-5 shooting in the quarter but the Sky trailed 27-22 after one.


Pondexter and Quigley continued the scoring onslaught in the second, combining for a 6-0 run to pull the Sky within a single possession (30-28) two minutes into the second quarter. The two-guard duo led the Sky in the first half with 10 and 11 points respectively. Delle Donne scored her first field goal of the game to beat the buzzer as time expired in the first half, but the Sky trailed 52-43. The Fever maintained 56.3% shooting from the field in the first half, led by 13 points from Marissa Coleman and 12 from Jeanette Pohlen.


“Our coach [Pokey Chatman] at halftime came and challenged each one of us,” said Pondexter. “I think we took it to heart, which says a lot about this team. We really, really want to win. We made the adjustments we needed to and we came out with the energy and focus on the defensive end.”


Pondexter came out of the locker room aggressive, connecting on two consecutive jump shots to score the Sky’s first four points of the second half. The tag team between Pondexter and Quigley continued, as Quigley then added back-to-back jumpers to pull the Sky within three points (56-53). The Sky outscored the Fever in the third to close the gap, 68-64 heading into the final 10 minutes of play.


Chicago used an 11-4 run to start the fourth quarter, regaining the lead before the five-minute mark. In a game that came down to the final seconds of regulation, Jessica Breland found Delle Donne under the basket to extend it to a two-possession game (81-77) with 27 seconds remaining. Despite scoring just 10 points in the first 39 minutes of action, Delle Donne iced the game at the free throw line as she scored the Sky’s final four points to help Chicago escape with an 83-77 victory on the road.


Pondexter led all scorers in the game as she finished with 23 points while Quigley added 17. Despite struggling from the field, Delle Donne recorded her fourth consecutive double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Vandersloot also had an impressive performance as she delivered 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds.


The Sky will look to maintain momentum from three consecutive wins as they travel to the Verizon Center on Sunday afternoon to take on the Washington Mystics before returning home to Allstate Arena on June 30th to battle the New York Liberty. The nationally televised game beginning at 7pm CT on ESPN2 marks Chicago’s annual “Pride Night”. To purchase tickets call 866.SKY.WNBA or visit CHICAGOSKY.NET.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 83, Indiana Fever 77


NOTES


·After scoring a career-high 45 points against Atlanta on Wednesday, Elena Delle Donne scored just two points in the first quarter, tying her lowest scoring quarter in any game this season. Delle Donne was limited to fewer than 20 points in a game for the first time this season as she finished with 14 points. Despite a season-low point total, Delle Donne recorded with her fourth consecutive double-double as she tied her career high with 14 rebounds.

·Cappie Pondexter led the Sky with 23 points on 10-for-17 shooting – her third game with 20 or more points this season. Allie Quigley added 17, while Courtney Vandersloot contributed 13 points, seven assist and six rebounds.

·Indiana drew within 79-77 on a pair of free throws by Briann January, but after a miss and an offensive rebound by Jessica Breland, Elena Delle Donne scored an uncontested layup for a 4-point margin with 27.4 seconds to play. On its ensuing possession, Indiana missed and was forced to foul. Delle Donne hit a pair of free throws with 16.3 seconds to seal the win. Delle Donne has now made 38 free throws in a row.

·Chicago finished with 11 offensive rebounds on the night and outscored the Fever 16-2 in second-chance points.

·The Fever finished with nine points in the final quarter. Prior to that period, Indiana had recorded 15 or more points in 17 consecutive quarters dating back to the third quarter against Chicago on June 14.

·Indiana was outscored 25-40 in the second half as they shot just 28.0 percent (7-25) from the floor, including just 2-of-13 shooting (15.4 percent) in the fourth quarter.

·Marissa Coleman led the Fever with 16 points as she scored in double figures for the seventh time in nine games this season. She also pulled down a season-high eight rebounds to lead Indiana.

·Shenise Johnson tied season-highs with 15 points and seven rebounds.

·11 of Indiana’s 18 turnovers on the night came in the second half, including five in the fourth quarter.

·The Fever shot 6-for-8 from three-point range in the first half, but shot just 1-for-6 from long distance after halftime.

·The Fever have now lost three regular season games to the Sky for the first season in the 10-year history of the Indiana-Chicago series.

·The two teams will conclude the regular season series in Chicago on August 4


QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On the outcome of the game…)


“Obviously when you can get a win on the road against a very good team, it’s positive. More importantly for us, it was the second [half] on defense. We gave up 52 points in the first half and 25 in the second. We have to make sure that we continue improving on that end of the floor. It was nice to see us play off of Elena Delle Donne. You know she’s been putting up crazy numbers so they sent a double team. And it was nice to see my team make some reads and get [the ball] to open players. I think Cappie Pondexter and Courtney Vandersloot really stepped up.”


Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter


(On her offense…)


“My skill set was able to come alive today. I just focused in. I know what the team needed me to do, make some shots. I think we missed our first five field goals to start the game. They really scouted ways to stop our leading scorer, [Elena] Delle Donne, so it was my job as the second primary scorer to step up and make shots.”


(On the second half…)


“Our coach [Pokey Chatman] at halftime came and challenged each one of us. I think we took it to heart, which says a lot about this team. We really, really want to win. We made the adjustments we needed to and we came out with the energy and focus on the defensive end.”


Chicago Sky Guard Allie Quigley


(On trailing at the half…)


“I think that we have to get off to better starts. Our start wasn’t too great. You know we were still kind of only down by one for a little while there. I think the whole momentum changed in the second half with our defense. Everything starts with defense. And when we correct that, we can do a lot on offense.”


(On the second half…)


“In the locker room we just said ‘it’s enough talking about this.’ You know our defense has been bad for the last five or six games. Something had to change. It wasn’t anything technical; it was just from within. So we just had to have pride and play better defense. That’s what we did.”


Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White


(On the outcome of the game…)


“I felt like we competed. When things got a little tough, we had too many breakdowns on both ends. We’ve seen a stretch of these breakdowns in every game. We have to be able to minimize the stretches. There are no easy games or easy teams in this league. But if you shoot yourself in the foot with 18 turnovers for 17 points and stop moving the ball in the second half, only had two assists and had multiple defensive breakdowns, they’re going to make you pay. I thought Cappie (Pondexter) was awesome. She was terrific. She hit with a hand in her face all night long. She really carried them and put a lot of pressure on our defense because she just made plays one-on-one.”


Indiana Fever Guard Briann January


(On the positives in the first half…)


“I believe we had 11 assists in the first half. We were really talking on defense. We were communicating better, which is something we are continuing to grow on and we know we need to improve on. I think we did a great job of that, especially containing Delle Donne (Elena) in the first half. We had a great team effort. We were working together. That’s the main part, just working together. Our schemes weren’t perfect, but we were working hard. We were working together. And I think that’s something we need to build on and we will build on moving forward.”


Indiana Fever Forward Marissa Coleman


(Why did the Sky have 20 more shot attempts?...)


“I think that comes from our turnovers. We had 18. So that is a lot of possessions that we handed over to them and a lot of them were in crucial times. So we just have to clean that up, take better care of the ball.


(On the first half positives…)




“We fought hard. The coaches, they came in and said we fought hard. I guess that’s a positive you can take from it. We definitely looked a lot better than our first two games against Chicago.”