Elena Delledonne

[dawrestling]

From: "Lauren Niemiera" <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
To: "Lauren Niemiera" <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 8, 2015 11:04:39 AM
Subject: Dwyane Wade and Chicago Sky’s Elena Delle Donne and Cappie Pondexter Host Youth Sports Academy in New Lenox, IL July 8th & 9th



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Contact: Jessica Dereschuk

Phone: 612.770.4575
Email: Jessica@jdstylegroup.com


Dwyane Wade and Chicago Sky’s Elena Delle Donne and Cappie Pondexter Host Youth Sports Academy in New Lenox, IL July 8th & 9th


Chicago, IL (July 8th, 2015) – On July 8th and July 9th, Lincoln Way Central High School, (1801 East Lincoln Way Hwy, New Lenox, IL 60451) will host the Dwyane Wade & Chicago Sky Sports Academy. Open to boys & girls ages 7 to 18, the academy features basketball and cheerleading instruction. This year’s campers will enjoy special appearances by WNBA Chicago Sky All Stars, Elena Delle Donne and Cappie Pondexter.


This is the eleventh year the Illinois native and 3-Time NBA Champion returns to host his annual camp. The Chicago Sky also returns for a second year of participation and will provide female basketball campers’ comprehensive instruction and the opportunity to spend time with Pondexter and Delle Donne. The partnership also provides all campers a ticket to attend the Sky’s much-anticipated game Friday, July 10th against the Minnesota Lynx. Basketball and cheer campers will spend the two days rotating through various instructional areas; including a stop at the Fit Speed Agility Station. Fit Speed is Chicagoland’s newest athletic training facility; co-founded by former Bear’s player and close friend to Wade, Brandon Marshall.


While the goal of the camp is sports instruction to youth of all backgrounds, it is also to provide life lessons. Through various camp activities time is spent cultivating healthy behaviors, discipline, academic importance, goal setting and overall positive thinking. Campers will interact and spend time hearing personal testimony from Wade, Delle Donne and Pondexter. A highlight of camp each year, the Celebrity Skills Challenge, will boast friendly competition between the NBA & WNBA stars. Adding into the fun, parents and youth will also have the opportunity to see how their basketball skills rank against the pros.


Giving back to their communities and inspiring the next generation of athletes is important to both Wade and the Chicago Sky. The Sports Academy is glad to welcome scholarship youth from Wade’s World Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Special Olympics. Executive Directors, Jessica Dereschuk and Lester McDaniel share this sentiment, “At the end of day, our camp goal is to impact each child positively, both on and off the court.” Media are invited to attend Thursday’s planned Celebrity Skills Challenge. For media credentials please contact Jessica Dereschuk.


The Dwyane Wade & Chicago Sky Sports Academy appreciates the generous support from the following: Village of New Lenox, Mayor Tim Baldermann, Li Ning, Gatorade, Wilson Sports, Dreamz Elite Cheerleading, Courtology, ATI Physical Therapy, Walmart of New Lenox, Gatto’s Italian Restaurant and Country Inn & Suites Tinley Park.


###


Lauren Niemiera» Media & Communications Coordinator ph 312.994.5984 | fx 847.676.4303Chicago Sky | 5500 W Howard Skokie, IL 60077For info, call 866.SKY.WNBA

 

[dawrestling]

Score by Quarter

Minnesota (8-3) 22 18 19 24 83

Chicago (7-5) 19 19 22 30 90


ROSEMONT- The Chicago Sky (7-5) returned to Allstate Arena on Friday night to take on the Minnesota Lynx (8-3) in the first contest of a three-game home stand. Much to the delight of the crowd of nearly 7,000 fans, the Sky defeated the Lynx 90-83 behind 24 points from Cappie Pondexter and a 24-point, 10 rebound double-double from Elena Delle Donne.


The Sky got off to a slow start, as Minnesota jumped out to an early 8-2 lead but it wasn’t long before Pondexter took over. At the end of the first quarter, Pondexter scored eight consecutive points to close the gap, however, the Lynx still led 22-19 after one.


The Sky began the second quarter on a 5-0 run, taking the lead for the first time in the contest on a jumper by Jessica Breland at the 8:29 mark. The two teams exchanged the lead eight times during the quarter. At the half, the Lynx led 40-38 behind 13 points from Seimone Augustus. Delle Donne and Pondexter led the Sky with 12 points and 11 points respectively.


The Sky began the third quarter on a 9-2 run, capitalizing on Minnesota’s early turnovers. The Lynx would not go away, however, as 2014 MVP Maya Moore came alive in the third quarter, scoring nine points after being held to only four total points in the first half. The Sky took a 60-59 lead into the fourth quarter on an alley-oop from Jamierra Faulkner to Allie Quigley at the buzzer.


The Sky never trailed in the fourth quarter and led by as many as eight but Minnesota hung around and Moore knocked down her fifth three-pointer of the night with 54 seconds left in the game to cut Chicago’s lead to only four. Despite Moore’s efforts, Pondexter contributed 11 points in the fourth to help the Sky secure a 90-83 victory over Minnesota.


“To start, I thought we were a little timid on the offensive end so I demanded the ball,” said Pondexter. “I wanted to be aggressive to let the team know that we can win this game easily, especially being at home.”


Chicago’s duo of Pondexter and Delle Donne combined for 48 points and Clarissa Dos Santos added 10 points for the Sky. Minnesota had four players score in double-figures, led by Maya Moore who scored 25 of her 29 points in the second half.


The Sky will look to win their third game in a row on Sunday when they take on the Connecticut Sun at 5:00 CT at Allstate Arena. Chicago will play its final game of a three game home stand on Wednesday, May 15 vs. Washington at 11:30 am CT.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 90, Minnesota Lynx 83


NOTES

• Elena Delle Donne recorded her team-high seventh double-double while she finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
• Jessica Breland had a season-high 11 points and four blocks.
• Betnijah Laney’s start tonight was the first of her WNBA career
• Jamierra Faulkner finished with a season high six assists.
• Faulkner also finished with four points, which marked the 300th point of her career.
• After trailing 66-44 with 8:27 left in the fourth quarter, the Sky went on a 7-0 run to lead 71-66 and never relinquished the lead.
• The Sky continued their trend of victories when leading after the third quarter. Since 2014, the Sky is now 18-4 when leading after three quarters.
• After scoring only four points in the first half, reigning MVP Maya Moore poured in 25 second-half points, finishing with a season-high 29 for the night.
• Maya Moore (37:04) and Lindsay Whalen (34:37) both recorded a new season-high in minutes.
• Prior to Friday night’s loss, the Lynx were undefeated on the season when scoring 80+ points (3-0).
• The Lynx tied a season-low in turnovers with nine

 

[dawrestling]

QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman



(Opening statement…)



“I’ll start with two areas we discussed at halftime, and that was our ability to rebound the basketball. They had nine offensive rebounds in the first half, and if the stat sheet is correct, we only gave up two of those in the second half. We also talked about our turnovers. We had nine at the half and cut it down to three in the second half. That was crucial because we gave ourselves an opportunity to be better offensively. Early on we didn’t find a rhythm- I thought Cappie [Pondexter] really stepped up and kind of loosened the defense up. And then we went to a point there where we were using Elena [Delle Donne] as a decoy offensively. I thought we made big plays and we had to. I mean, it felt like Maya [Moore] made 15 threes. But the bottom line is, it’s a nice win against one of the best teams in the league.”



(On her positive reaction to the team’s defense…)



“You won’t see on the stat sheet, but we had 29 deflections. That kind of limits some things for them because we are flying around a little bit, we’re getting tips, we’re getting some steals, we’re getting out of transition. It was nice to keep them in the low 80s, but on top of that what I don’t want to go unrecognized is the fact that we were 21 for 23 from the free throw line. I specifically told the team at half, ‘We only shot two free throws.’ So it’s one thing for me to say it, but they go out there and execute it, and then we go 21 for 23 so that was huge as well.”



(On the fun of coaching…)



“Believe it or not, sometimes that’s one of the things I write down on my board. Have some fun! We’re living the dream: playing basketball and getting paid for it, so make relax and enjoy it. It’s nice being home.”



Chicago Sky Forward Jessica Breland



(On what she did different tonight than other games…)



“We had time off and I think I’m adjusting well to playing the five position now so I think it’s a lot of little things that kind of add into it.”



(On improving for next game and keeping the flow going…)



“Rebound. You know I think the biggest thing I can do for my team is keep trying to crash the boards and box out. I think that would help a lot, going after the boards.”



Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne



(On defending Maya Moore…)



“It’s just fun to see where I’ve come from since my rookie year, and I’ve really taken so much pride in my defense over these years. I thought maybe changing her matchup and giving her someone with length might help a little bit. [Betnijah] Laney was doing a great job and was contesting everything, but Maya [Moore] was hitting shots and going off. We thought at that moment that it would be a good idea to change her look.”’



(On the Sky's strong paint presence…)



“It’s huge. It’s been something we’ve focused on. Obviously, we wanted to win the battle of the boards and I think we lost that by one, but we’re improving and that’s what we want to see right now at this point in the season.



(Elena on team chemistry…)



“I think the chemistry has always been there, that hasn’t been a problem. We love this team and we get along great. We play really well together and that’s why the offense flows so well and hopefully the defense will continue to improve.”



Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter



(On her 4th quarter spark…)



“To start, I thought we were a little timid on the offensive end and so I demanded the ball. I wanted to be aggressive to let the team know that we can win this game easily, especially being at home.”



Minnesota Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve



(On the play of the Sky…)



"I give these guys credit. Cappie [Pondexter] had a huge game. You know, we tried to make everything hard for [Elena] Delle Donne and that's sometimes what happens, not that Cappie [Pondexter] is a role player in any stretch, but they're two superstars that played great and you've got to give credit to [Clarissa] Dos Santos who gave them ten off the bench. That was the part that we didn't want to happen because we knew we had our hands full with a star player. So we didn't get it done defensively but we're looking forward to next week."



(On the play of the Lynx…)



"I didn't necessarily know that we moved the ball well I thought that when we did get easy [Shots] we didn't convert. Not that we're going to make all of our shots. I thought Seimone [Augustus] had some easy ones that didn't fall for her. That's all part of it. We felt like we identified some good things, especially early. Each team comes out with a game plan, I thought we executed ours really well early in the game and then they buckled down on defense. I thought that for the most part we ran our stuff pretty well but they made more plays then we did. If they score 90 it's going to be hard for them to lose. "



(On the play of Maya Moore…)



"If you're around Maya [Moore] you know that she can miss five in a row and then she can come back and make five in a row, it's just how Maya is she's just a star player and she's going to still find ways to help the team. She did have six assists in the first half so that was helpful to our team and then obviously she started making some of the perimeter shots and got us on a run and had us hanging in there. Her second half was really good and we needed it."



Minnesota Lynx Guard Seimone Augustus



(On what contributed to her shooting efficiency…)



“Just executing offensively, setting great screens, making great passes, and the shots just seemed to fall. That’s perfect execution on offense.”



(On the difficulty of stopping Cappie Pondexter and Elena Delle Donne…)



“It’s hard for any defensive game plan, how to game plan for [Elena] Delle Donne or Cappie [Pondexter] combined. You just try to make them take tough shots and tonight they were just on. They hit some contested shots. Players were there and they hit some great shots. Those are things you just have to live with, they are great players. You shake their hand and you keep pushing. But if you continue to do that you would hope that throughout the course of the game at some point they would stop falling, but tonight it was just their night. That’s what great players do, they make plays. "



Minnesota Lynx Forward Maya Moore



(On the Sky's defense…)



“I thought they were pretty aggressive at times. We scored 83 points. I think there were some instances where I don’t think we were as patient. We settled for more jumpers. You know, I’m definitely one of those players that there’s a fine line between instinct and attacking the rim at the same time. We can be more efficient on offense cause they’re long. They’re going to get deflections and they’re going to get out on transitions. I think it’s more about continuing to be persistent about what we want on offense.”



(On improving defense for Sunday's game…)



“Guarding the paint. We have to guard the paint much better. Make it harder for them to score in the paint and closing out quarters. Especially the fourth quarter that’s what we typically do really well. Let them get a rhythm towards the end of the fourth. Just continue to be aggressive and communicating on defense.”



(On how her mindset changed going into the fourth quarter…)



“My mindset never changes. I’m always looking to be aggressive and do what my team needs me to do in the moment. I’m always just sticking with it no matter if I’m shooting the lights out or if I can’t buy a basket. I’m going to continue to try and to scrap, to fight. Defensively I can always control how aggressive I am on defense and that generally gets me in a good rhythm and the team in a good rhythm. We can get stops and get out and run.”

 

[dawrestling]

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera<LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Sun, Jul 12, 2015 at 6:19 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 96, Connecticut Sun 76
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

PONDEXTER, SKY CRUISE PAST SUN


Score by Quarter

Connecticut (7-4) 23 18 18 17 76

Chicago (8-5) 30 19 27 20 96

ROSEMONT - The Chicago Sky (8-5) defeated the Connecticut Sun (7-4) 96-76 at Allstate Arena on Sunday night led by Cappie Pondexter’s season-high 29 points and seven assists. Tonight’s victory marked the Sky’s second win in three games against Connecticut this season. The two Eastern Conference foes will play twice more this regular season.


“It’s good to be back healthy,” said Pondexter. “Right now my body feels really good and I’m just happy that I can get out there and play the game that I love.”

Pondexter picked up right where she left off in Friday’s game against Minnesota, scoring 11 points in the first quarter while shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the field. Elena Delle Donne added seven points and a fade away jumper at the buzzer to give the Sky a 30-23 lead. The Sky shot a blistering 76.5% (13-17) from the field and scored a season-high 30 points in the first quarter.


Allie Quigley got the Sky going in the second quarter, scoring four consecutive points and finishing the half with seven. The first half, however, was all about Pondexter, as she finished with 19 points and shot 7-for-8 from the field. The Sky led the Sun 49-41 at intermission. Alex Bentley paced the Sun with 11 points in the first half.


The Sky began the third quarter on a 10-2 run and continued to build on their halftime lead. Pondexter poured in eight more points in the quarter, surpassing her season-high of 26 points before the fourth quarter even began. Jessica Breland added six points to help give the Sky a commanding 76-59 lead heading into the final quarter.


The Sun cut the lead to 13 points with 8:30 to play in the fourth quarter, but would get no closer as the Sky cruised to a 96-76 win. Pondexter finished the game with 29 points and seven assists while Breland added a season-high 12 points. Delle Donne finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Kelsey Bone led Connecticut with 18 points.


The Sky will look to improve to 5-1 at home on Wednesday, July 15th as they take on the Washington Mystics at 11:30 am CT.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 96, Connecticut Sun 76


NOTES


·With the Sky’s victory, Chicago now has the most wins in the Eastern Conference (8).

·The Sky’s 26 total assists were a new season high, previously 22 set on 6/5/15 vs. Indiana.

·The Sky’s 30 first quarter points were a season high, previously 29 set on 6/5/15 vs. Indiana.

·Cappie Pondexter had a season-high 29 points and seven assists after being held to a season-low eight points against the Sun earlier this season on 7/2/15.

·Clarissa Dos Santos’ start tonight was the first of her WNBA career. She finished with eight points & five rebounds in 15 minutes. Tonight’s starting lineup marked the fifth variation Coach Chatman used this season.

·Jessica Breland finished with a season-high 12 points.

·Jacki Gemelos recorded her first WNBA points on a three pointer with 8:11 left in the 4th quarter.

·All 11 Sky players entered the game tonight and scored at least two points.

·Kelly Faris scored a season-high 12 points for Connecticut.

·The Sky’s 96 points, 38 made field goals and 56.7% shooting percentage are all season highs by a Sun opponent.

·The Sun had a season-low 19 rebounds.

·The 76-96 loss for the Sun is their largest loss of the 2015 season.

·Connecticut’s bench outscored Chicago’s bench 31-26.


QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman

(Opening Statement…)

“I thought Cappie [Pondexter] got off to a great start and that got everyone else comfortable and we were able to close it out, play a lot of people, and do some really nice things to get ready for our next game. "

(On Delle Donne's play….)

“When Elena [Delle Donne] runs in transition then Cappie [Pondexter] can be one-on-one in the open floor and that has some positive results.”

(On the play of Clarissa Dos Santos…)

"She's [Dos Santos] a brute, you forget her height because she's strong. She didn't let Bone get comfortable under the basket. On top of that she can put some points on the board and get some rebounds. She was nice and I see her turning a corner."

Chicago Sky Guard/ Forward Elena Delle Donne

(On taking pressure off with the help of a scorer like Cappie Pondexter…)

“It’s amazing to have someone like Cappie [Pondexter] out there. She’s not only a great scorer but a facilitator as well so it’s amazing when she can just get us going like that and we can kind of just coast.”

(On not having to play a lot of minutes tonight…)

“It’s a long season so games like this are crucial. It’s great that other people were able to get some big minutes because we're going to need them down the stretch as well.”

Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter

(On her health…)

“It’s good to be back healthy. I can play at a top level and right now my body feels really good and I’m just happy that I can get out there and play the game that I love.”

(Cappie on her season high and role in the offense…)

“My game is totally different than Elena’s and we’re helping each other. The way I play, the way she plays, it opens up the floor for both of us. We’re going to have games like this, where I’m hitting every shot and she’s hitting every shot.”

Connecticut Sun Head Coach Anne Donovan

(Opening statement…)

“All credit to Chicago; they played lights out. I thought they showed great confidence and composure against Minnesota, and they took the next step tonight against us.”

(On focusing on Elena Delle Donne vs. Cappie Pondexter…)

“I coached Cappie [Pondexter] in New York, I know what kind of player she is. We were talking about it before the game and every time-out, but Cappie had one of those nights where she had her way with everyone one that guarded her.”

(On thoughts moving forward…)

“We need to regroup. This was definitely a low point for us. I don’t think we showed the same tenacity we’ve been showing. After ten days off hopefully we can get it back.”

Connecticut Sun Center Kelsey Bone

(On the Sun's execution…)

“I think the biggest let down for us tonight was on the defensive end of the court, and that’s not the team that we’ve been through the first ten games of the season. We’ve got to do a better job of understanding our game plan and committing to it from jump.”

(On the effect of being outrebounded…)

“It [being outrebounded] contributes a big part, but I think the biggest thing that glares on the stat sheet is that they [Chicago] shot 57% from the floor. When a team as talented as they are shoots that well, it’s impossible to beat them."

Connecticut Sun Guard Alex Bentley

(On the Sun's defense tonight and playing Cappie Pondexter…)

“Cappie’s [Pondexter] a great scorer. She’s a veteran. She’s going to score points, but I think we just took a break this game and we can’t go into games thinking that way. We have to be aggressive.”

(On mindset going into tonight’s game…)

“My mindset going into every game is our defense is going to win the game for us and tonight we just didn’t get it done.”

 

[dawrestling]

ate: Tue, Jul 14, 2015 at 3:47 PM
Subject: Fw: DELLE DONNE TOPS WNBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING 2015 PRESENTED BY BOOST MOBILE; CATCHINGS EARNS RECORD 10TH SELECTION
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>


The WNBA has announced that Sky forward Elena Delle Donne was the top vote-getter in WNBA All-Star Balloting 2015 presented by Boost Mobile. A full press release is included below.



Thank you,

Lauren Niemiera» Media & Communications Coordinator ph 312.994.5984 | fx 847.676.4303Chicago Sky | 5500 W Howard Skokie, IL 60077For info, call 866.SKY.WNBA




DELLE DONNE TOPS WNBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING 2015 PRESENTED BY BOOST MOBILE; CATCHINGS EARNS RECORD 10TH SELECTION


-- Diggins, Moore Pace Western Conference in Voting for July 25 Game --



NEW YORK, July 14, 2015 – Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky, who is on pace to set the WNBA single-season record for scoring average, finished as the top vote-getter in WNBA All-Star Balloting 2015 presented by Boost Mobile. Delle Donne (25.8 ppg) garnered 18,034 votes to lead the Eastern Conference for the second year in a row and all players for the second time in three seasons. In 2013, she became the first rookie in WNBA history to earn the most votes overall.


Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever will join Delle Donne in the Eastern Conference starting lineup after being selected to the All-Star Game for a record 10th time, all starts. The 2011 WNBA MVP presented by Samsung, Catchings (9,923 votes) had been tied with Tina Thompson for the most overall selections.


Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins, who was selected as a starter for the second straight year, and Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore, the 2014 WNBA MVP presented by Samsung, paced the Western Conference and ranked second and third overall with 15,895 and 13,706 votes, respectively.


Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star 2015, featuring the Eastern Conference All-Stars against the Western Conference All-Stars at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., will be nationally televised by ABC on Saturday, July 25 at 3:30 p.m. ET.


Joining Delle Donne in the Eastern Conference backcourt is Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star 2014 MVP Shoni Schimmel of the Atlanta Dream (8,881 votes), who was selected as a starter for the second straight year. Lining up alongside Catchings in the frontcourt for the East will be Angel McCoughtry of the Atlanta Dream (7,619) and 2012 league MVP Tina Charles of the New York Liberty (6,129), both selected for the fourth time overall. McCoughtry will be making her fourth start, Charles her second.


Moore, a four-time selection and four-time starter, will be joined in the West frontcourt by Phoenix Mercury stars Brittney Griner (7,138) and Candice Dupree (5,954). Griner, the reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Samsung, was selected as a starter for the third time in three seasons. Dupree, a five-time All-Star, was voted in as a starter for the first time.


Along with Diggins, the other backcourt player selected to start for the West is six-time All-Star Seimone Augustus of Minnesota (9,599). The MVP of the 2011 WNBA Finals presented by Boost Mobile, Augustus will be making the second All-Star start of her career.


In the case of players who are unable to play due to injury – such as Diggins, who has sustained a season-ending injury – replacement players will be named by WNBA President Laurel J. Richie. Any changes to the starting lineup necessitated by injury will subsequently be made by the head coach of the respective All-Star team.


No. 1 overall draft picks will make up half of the combined starting lineups. The top selections from 2006 (Augustus), 2011 (Moore), and 2013 (Griner) will be on the floor for the West, while the No. 1 picks from 2009 (McCoughtry) and 2010 (Charles) will be in the lineup for the East.


Following are the starting lineups for Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star 2015:


Eastern Conference Starters: Western Conference Starters:

Elena Delle Donne, Backcourt (Chicago Sky) Skylar Diggins, Backcourt (Tulsa Shock)

Shoni Schimmel, Backcourt (Atlanta Dream) Seimone Augustus, Backcourt (Minnesota Lynx)

Tamika Catchings, Frontcourt (Indiana Fever) Maya Moore, Frontcourt (Minnesota Lynx)

Angel McCoughtry, Frontcourt (Atlanta Dream) Brittney Griner, Frontcourt (Phoenix Mercury)

Tina Charles, Frontcourt (New York Liberty) Candice Dupree, Frontcourt (Phoenix Mercury)


The 12 WNBA head coaches will select the reserves by voting for six players within their own conference: two backcourt players, 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 Los Angeles Sparks and Mercury on Tuesday, July 21 at 11 p.m. ET.


By virtue of winning their respective conference titles last season, Chicago head coach Pokey Chatman will coach the Eastern Conference and Phoenix head coach Sandy Brondello will lead the Western Conference.


Individual tickets for Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star 2015 start at $16 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, by dialing 800-745-3000 or by visiting the Mohegan Sun Box Office.

 

[dawrestling]

WNBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING 2015 PRESENTED BY BOOST MOBILE


EASTERN CONFERENCE -- FINAL RETURNS LEADERS


Backcourt: Elena Delle Donne (Chi) 18,034; Shoni Schimmel (Atl) 8,881; Cappie Pondexter (Chi) 4,877; Ivory Latta (Was) 4,159; Courtney Vandersloot (Chi) 3,833; Alex Bentley (Con) 3,363; Marissa Coleman (Ind) 2,528; Allie Quigley (Chi) 2,416; Briann January (Ind) 2,143; Tiffany Hayes (Atl) 2,033; Brittany Boyd (NY) 2,032; Kara Lawson (Was) 2,011; Bria Hartley (Was) 1,837; Shavonte Zellous (Ind) 1,365; Sugar Rodgers (NY) 1,304



Frontcourt: Tamika Catchings (Ind) 9,923; Angel McCoughtry (Atl) 7,619; Tina Charles (NY) 6,129; Emma Meesseman (Was) 4,710; Natalie Achonwa (Ind) 3,779; Stefanie Dolson (Was) 3,001; Erika de Souza (Atl) 2,746; Swin Cash (NY) 2,391; Kiah Stokes (NY) 2,352; Chiney Ogwumike (Con) 2,039; Kelsey Bone (Con) 1,993; Alyssa Thomas (Con) 1,833; Sancho Lyttle (Atl) 1,642; Camille Little (Con) 1,306


WESTERN CONFERENCE -- FINAL RETURNS LEADERS



Backcourt: Skylar Diggins (Tul) 15,895; Seimone Augustus (Min) 9,599; Sue Bird (Sea) 8,088; Lindsay Whalen (Min) 7,294; DeWanna Bonner (Phx) 6,154; Kayla McBride (SA) 3,537; Jewell Loyd (Sea) 2,911; Odyssey Sims (Tul) 2,807; Leilani Mitchell (Phx) 1,583; Monica Wright (Min) 1,570; Kristi Toliver (1,510); Renee Montgomery (Sea) 1,321;


Frontcourt: Maya Moore (Min) 13,706; Brittney Griner (Phx) 7,138; Candice Dupree (Phx) 5,954; Ramu Tokashiki (Sea) 5,512; Nneka Ogwumike (LA) 4,880; Rebekkah Brunson (Min) 4,138; Courtney Paris (Tul) 2,591; Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (Sea) 2,161; Plenette Pierson (Tul) 2,018; Devereaux Peters (Min) 1,553; Jantel Lavender (LA) 1,386; Damiris Dantas (Min) 1,365



WNBA ALL-STAR GAME HISTORY

Date Location W L

July 14, 1999 Madison Square Garden (New York) West 79 East 61

July 17, 2000 America West Arena (Phoenix) West 73 East 61

July 16, 2001 TD Waterhouse Centre (Orlando) West 80 East 72

July 15, 2002 MCI Center (Washington) West 81 East 76

July 12, 2003 Madison Square Garden (New York) West 84 East 75

July 9, 2005 Mohegan Sun Arena (Connecticut) West 122 East 99

July 12, 2006 Madison Square Garden (New York) East 98 West 82

July 15, 2007 Verizon Center (Washington) East 103 West 99

July 25, 2009 Mohegan Sun Arena (Connecticut) West 133 East 118

July 23, 2011 AT&T Center (San Antonio) East 118 West 113

July 27, 2013 Mohegan Sun Arena (Connecticut) West 102 East 98

July 19, 2014 US Airways Center (Phoenix) East 125 West 124



* No All-Star Game was held in 2004, 2008, and 2012 due to the Olympic Games in Athens, Beijing, and London, respectively. Similarly, no All-Star Game was played in 2010 due to the FIBA World Championships in Czech Republic. An exhibition game was conducted at Radio City Music Hall in the summer of 2004, and in 2010, an exhibition game was held at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., with a USA vs. WNBA format in the “WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Stars at the Sun.”



About Boost Mobile

Established in 2002, Boost Mobile, part of the Sprint Prepaid Group, redefines value for wireless consumers with more data for less and no long-term commitment to a subscription contract. Operating on the Nationwide Sprint 3G Network for data and the Nationwide Sprint Network for voice services, both reaching more than 281 million people respectively, as well as the nationwide Sprint 4G LTE Network, which reaches more than 280 million people. Its award-winning customer service has been recognized more than eight times.Learn more about Boost Mobile online on Facebook, Google+,Instagram and Twitter.


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 19th season on June 5, 2015.


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.


# # #



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

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

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Fri, Jul 17, 2015 at 8:56 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 66, Minnesota Lynx 84
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

SKY FALL TO LYNX, 84-66


Score by Quarter

Chicago (9-6) 21 13 14 18 66

Minnesota (11-3) 15 19 32 18 84



ROSEMONT – The Chicago Sky (9-6) fell to the Western Conference leading Minnesota Lynx (11-3) 84-66 at the Target Center on Friday night. Jessica Breland led the Sky with 17 points along with 11 rebounds for her first double- double of the season followed by 14 points from Elena Delle Donne. Despite being tied at the half, a scoring outburst by the Lynx in the third quarter allowed Minnesota to extend an 18-point lead and eventually hand the Sky its first loss in two weeks.


The Sky started a perfect 4-for-4 from the field as seven different players scored in the first quarter. Pondexter picked up right where she left off in the past two games scoring four points in the early going while Quigley came in off the bench on fire as she added seven points in her first four minutes of action. Lynx guard Anna Cruz stepped up in place of an injured Seimone Augustus contributing six points in the first. The Sky would lead by as much as ten until the Lynx came back in the final minutes of the quarter to bring the Sky lead to 21-15.


Chicago struggled from the field in the second quarter shooting just 33% giving the Lynx an opportunity to get back in the game. After going scoreless in the first, Lindsay Whalen put the Lynx ahead as she poured in 10 points in the second quarter. By halftime, the game was knotted at 34-34. Delle Donne and Quigley combined for 18 first half points to lead Chicago while Cruz led Minnesota with 12.


The Sky started the second half 5-for-5 from the field and used a 6-0 run early in the 3rd quarter to regain the lead 46-43, however that would be their only lead for the remainder of the night. The Lynx responded with 18 unanswered points of their own to extend a 15-point lead (46-61). Despite making their first five shots of the third, Chicago was unable to connect on a field goal in the final 6:28 of the third. They were outscored 23-2 to close the quarter as Minnesota led by 18 at the end of the third (66-48).


Jessica Breland helped the Sky chip away at the lead as she scored five points in the fourth quarter however the Sky could not find an answer for Maya Moore who finished with a game-high 29 points as the Lynx cruised to an 84-66 victory. Breland turned in her best performance of the 2015 season with 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Sky.


“It’s definitely frustrating when you feel like you’re getting the looks that you want and just not able to knock them down,” said Delle Donne. “In the end, we can’t let our offense dictate our defense, and it did.”


The Sky will look to bounce back as they return home to take on the San Antonio Stars on Sunday, July 19th at Allstate Arena. Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m. CT on The U Too.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 66, Minnesota Lynx 84


Notes

• Jessica Breland’s 17 points was a team high and individual season high. Her previous high was seven points at San Antonio on 6/19/15. Breland had season-highs in points (17), field goals attempted (14) and field goals made (7).
• Breland’s 17 points and 11 rebounds was her first double-double of the 2015 season.
• Clarissa Dos Santos’ game-high 13 rebounds marked a season high. Her previous high was ten rebounds at San Antonio on 6/19/15.
• Elena Delle Donne was held to 14 points. Through the last five games Delle Donne has averaged 14.6 PPG after averaging 28.7 PPG in the first ten games of the season.
• Tonight’s 84-66 win over the Chicago Sky marks the fifth straight win over Chicago at Target Center and ends the Sky’s four-game winning streak. Minnesota finishes the season series 1-1 against Chicago.
• In the July 10 meeting at Chicago, the Sky outscored Minnesota 15-4 in fast-break points. The Lynx turned things around tonight, outscoring Chicago 20-2 that category, including 11-0 in the first half. Minnesota has outscored its last three opponents 62-19 in fast-break points.
• Making her first start in a Lynx jersey, Anna Cruz made her presence known by filling up the stat sheet. She finished tonight’s contest with 16 points (7-for-10), eight rebounds and five assists. Cruz was matched up against Chicago’s Cappie Pondexter who scored 24 points the last time Minnesota faced the Sky and Cruz held her to just four points tonight. Pondexter entered tonight’s game averaging 17.6 points and posted
• After finishing with a season-high 29 points at Chicago last week, Maya Moore followed up that performance by matching her season-high with 29 points. Tonight marked her 60th career 20+ point game, including her sixth straight 20+ game and eighth of the season. Moore entered tonight’s game averaging 23.8 points on 53.0% shooting, 8.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists over her last five games.
• The Lynx trailed 46-43 at the 6:28 mark in third quarter and then went on a 23-2 run to take a 66-48 lead heading into the fourth quarter to lead the rest of the game. Minnesota held the Sky to 35.6% (26-for-73) from the field and is now 7-0 this season when holding its opponent below 40%. The Lynx have now won 67 of its past 68 games when keeping the opposition below 40%. The Lynx are also 7-0 when holding the opposition under 70 points and move to 51-3 all-time in that category.

 

[dawrestling]

QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On the game…)


“They made shots and we didn’t. We’ll go back and evaluate the game and see that those shots we missed were quality shots. I’ll take Quigley getting wide-open looks. I’ll take the shot chart with some of the shots that were missed in the paint. We missed them in the first half and my challenge to the team was to make sure we get those same shots – we got them and didn’t make them. That’s not to take anything away from Minnesota because I’m not that coach who gets their butts kicked and makes excuses. We didn’t make shots and they did.”


(On Anna Cruz…)

“I’m so familiar with her from abroad, so we talked about it when we knew Seimone wasn’t going to play. I used to have to guard her when she played in Spain all the time, so I tried to prepare for that, but converted to a point guard over here in America, we know she has two-guard mentality. She’s new to this league, but she’s not new to professional basketball. She just stepped up and took advantage of every opportunity to get them going early on.”


(On the Lynx containing Delle Donne and Pondexter…)



“That’s where everybody will look. Elena was 5-for-15, probably three of those shots weren’t the highest quality for her. A lot of times, the reason other people are open is because of how they’re scheming for Elena. The difference is, Breland got the wide-open shots.”


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne

(On the Lynx’ third-quarter run…)


“I feel like we came out really strong and then we hit a wall even in the first half and kind of were never able to just get over that. We stopped being the aggressor and kind of just let them have their way with us and do basically whatever they wanted. That’s the frustrating part, not being able to stop the run and get back to being the aggressor.”


(On Chicago’s shooting…)


“It’s definitely frustrating when you feel like you’re getting the looks that you want and just not able to knock them down – especially when they’re going on runs – that’s when you need to be able to hit certain shots to get yourself going again. In the end, we can’t let our offense dictate our defense, and it did.”


(On playing against Maya Moore and Anna Cruz…)


“You always know what you’re going to get out of a player like Maya, but when someone like Cruz steps up, that’s when things start to get a little bit more difficult. It was definitely tough.”


Minnesota Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve


“That was making lemonade out of lemons. With kind of tough news as of late – obviously Anna in her first start for the Lynx was absolutely terrific on both sides of the ball. She just gave us so much energy and determination that we fed off. I just thought from a team standpoint we did so many good things in throughout our personnel. Whether it was Anna’s defense, Anna’s offense, obviously Brunson we count on heavily, she can get in there to get rebounds. I thought Damiris, when she came in, we gave her a different look and we had her guard Delle Donne a little bit. I think Maya obviously, for the most part, both ends. It was just a really good team win. Tricia had her moments where I think Anna was able to get to the paint. We anticipated for it to be for Tricia if Anna could do that and collapse the defense, that we’d be able to find her in easy opportunities and she was able to knock them down.”


“This Chicago team was playing great - is playing great, they’re very much on a roll. Offensively, it seemed like every shot, they make all their shots. Cappie was shooting 80 percent from three over those last three games, so just really wanted to make a concerted effort that ‘not here, not tonight, not in our house,’ and I thought our team took it to heart. Our collective effort on defense was pretty good.”


(On Anna Cruz…)


“I think how she played, that’s her gear. She was just really determined and I thought that the matchup with Cappie was a really important one - really, really important.”


Minnesota Lynx Center Asjha Jones


“We just made sure every shot they took was difficult. We got rebounds and were able to run on them.”


(On facing Delle Donne and Pondexter…)

“Last time, we didn’t give Cappie enough attention and we should have – that’s how she got started. Tonight, we put a little bit more attention on her and made sure all her were difficult. From there, [Brunson] and Damiris did a great job on Delle Donne.”


(On building from this game…)


“I’m always looking for my teammates first. Tonight, I got more opportunities to shoot the ball and eventually they started to go in.


Minnesota Lynx Guard Anna Cruz


(On fitting in and contributing…)

“I think it’s easy to play with these kind of players. They are very good players, so it’s easy for me to adjust to this kind of place.”


“The last two years I was in Russia, so I think it’s good for all the players to go and play a different mix.”


“My English is not so good, but we can understand each other. We can communicate.”

(On facing Pondexter…)


“I tried to break our defense and this is what coach told me, that I have to play hard. She was on fire last weekend, so I just tried to be in front of her every time.”

 

[dawrestling]

Date: Sun, Jul 19, 2015 at 6:39 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 93, San Antonio Stars 82
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

DELLE DONNE, SKY COMPLETE SEASON SWEEP OF STARS


Score by Quarter

San Antonio (4-12) 20 15 22 25 82

Chicago (10-6) 30 20 21 22 93


ROSEMONT – The Chicago Sky (10-6) defeated the San Antonio Stars (4-12) by a score of 93-82 on Sunday night at Allstate Arena. Prior to tip-off, Elena Delle Donne was presented with her Eastern Conference Player of the Month Award for the month of June. She backed up her hardware with an impressive performance against the Stars, leading the Sky with 29 points and 13 rebounds. With tonight’s win, Chicago completed the season sweep of San Antonio for the first time since the 2010 season.


“When you have two of the best scorers, in my opinion, in the league and they do it in so many different ways, it’s really easy for me to get them the ball,” said Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot. “We’re playing really well together and I think that’s why our offense is flowing so well.”


Chicago scored four quick points in the first minute of the contest, forcing San Antonio Head Coach Dan Hughes to call an early timeout. Chicago benefited from a total team effort in the first quarter, seeing six different players score at least two points. Delle Donne paced the Sky with nine points and Allie Quigley added six, as the Sky led the Stars 30-20 at the end of the first.


Delle Donne led the Sky with nine more points in the second quarter, finishing with 18 points at halftime. She also pulled down 10 rebounds in the first half to record a double-double in the first 20 minutes of action as Chicago led San Antonio 50-35 at intermission.


The Stars began the third quarter on a 9-2 run, behind a pair of three-pointers by Danielle Adams and Kayla McBride. Jessica Breland countered for the Sky, scoring eight points in the quarter, including two separate three-point plays. The Sky led the Stars 71-57 heading into the fourth quarter.


San Antonio cut the Sky lead to seven on a Sophia Young-Malcom two-pointer with 7:48 remaining in the fourth quarter. That was the closest the Stars would get, however, as Chicago cruised to a 93-82 victory.


Delle Donne recorded her league-leading ninth double-double, finishing with 29 points and 13 rebounds. Courtney Vandersloot scored 14 points, including six in the fourth quarter and added eight assists. Quigley scored 15 points, Cappie Pondexter scored 12 and Breland added 10 for the Sky. Danielle Adams led San Antonio with 20 points off the bench.


The Sky will play Atlanta on Tuesday night for the final game before the 2015 WNBA All-Star break. Tip-off is set for 7:00pm CT at Allstate Arena. Following the All-Star break, Chicago will return to action on July 28th at 9:00 pm CT against Phoenix at Talking Stick Resort Arena.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 93, San Antonio Stars 82


Notes

• With a 93-82 victory over San Antonio tonight, Chicago has swept the season series (2-0) for the first time since the 2010 season.
• Delle Donne’s game-high 29 points and 13 rebounds marked her league-leading ninth double-double.
• Five Sky players scored in double-figures in tonight’s game including Elena Delle Donne (29), Jessica Breland (10), Cappie Pondexter (12), Courtney Vandersloot (14) and Allie Quigley (15). The Sky is now 8-2 when four or more players score in double-figures.
• The Sky’s ten wins in 16 games are the quickest the team has gotten to the ten win mark since the 2013 season.
• After tonight’s 93 points, the Sky 2-0 is now averaging a league-leading 85.1 points per game. The Sky is now 9-2 when they score more than 80 points.
• Delle Donne scored 29 points despite not attempting a free-throw for the first time since August 7th, 2014 at Minnesota. She came into tonight’s game averaging 7.8 free-throw attempts per game.
• After finishing with 14 points, Allie Quigley is now averaging 14.3 points in her last three games coming off the bench.
• San Antonio’s Danielle Adams scored a season-high 20 points. Her previous high was 14 points at Phoenix on 6/5/15.
• The Stars fall to 0-3 on the season in games played on Sunday.
• San Antonio’s bench out-scored Chicago’s bench 45-20.
• In her first game back since 7/2/15, Kayla McBride scored 14 points and recorded four assists.

QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On if she’s looking for something particular out of her team before the All-Star Break…)


"I want to go into the break with a win. I want that euphoric feeling of playing well against a good team so we can rest and the world can enjoy some of the athletes at the All-Star Break. I really want to play well and have some success, that’s going to help a lot."


(On the importance of winning at home…)


"It’s nice that we got that tough road stretch out of the way and we get to a point where we can unpack our bags and get into a routine. We talk about routine when it comes to preparing, but also routine as it comes to being home. It’s tremendous to protect home [court] and gain some momentum so you can go on the road and maybe steal one."


Chicago Sky Guard/ Forward Elena Delle Donne


(On struggling to score at times during the past few games…)


“I think it’s situational. Like Sloot [Courtney Vandersloot] said we have players who can come in and step up and score a lot of points. It’s going to vary from game-to-game and we just like to make the correct reads and we’ve been really successful with it.”


(On her shooting flow tonight…)


“I just felt more in an attack mode today after getting rebounds. I was just pushing it and trying to attack and getting them a different look. That’s something I’m going to continue to try and do.”


(On her ninth double-double and the importance of her scoring and rebounding…)


“It’s huge. I think it’s just as important or even more important to grab the rebounds because if we can get rebounds and we can get stops, we get into transition offense where we’re a really dominate team so it’s crucial.”


(On the All-Star game and being the lead vote-getter…)


“It’s a really humbling thing to know that I had the most votes out of all of these incredible players and I just want to have a really fun time. I’m glad our coaching staff will be there. That will be a lot of fun as well. It will be nice to get a little bit of a break but also have fun playing with the best players in the league.”


Chicago Sky Guard Courtney Vandersloot


(On facilitating the offense through multiple scoring threats…)


“I love it. It makes my job easy. When you have two of the best scorers, in my opinion, in the league and they do it in so many different ways, it’s really easy for me to get them the ball. We’re playing really well together and I think that’s why our offense is flowing so well.”


(On how physical tonight’s game was…)


“It was [physical], but that’s the name of the game. I think everyone on every team is beat up; that’s just the way it goes. But, we’re good.”


San Antonio Stars Head Coach and General Manager Dan Hughes


(Opening statement…)


“I thought we made progress in the second half, but you’ve got to give Chicago credit. They came out of the gate strong, they shot the ball extremely well, and [Elena] Delle Donne made a variety of plays. She goes inside, she works off the glass, and she hurt us in isolation. She played extremely well.”


(On areas for improvement…)


“First, getting our team back together. We’re coming off injury, so it was good to see [Kayla] McBride play. She hasn’t even had a practice with us yet, so it was great to get her on the court. Second, we have to rely on our ability to defend, and we had a hard time doing that today with Chicago.”


(On Samantha Logic’s adjustment…)


“It’s [her adjustment] been really good. She’s played more games than practice, so we haven’t had the ability to practice her, but we like what we see. We hope to get some time to actually get her on the practice court and penetrate her into what we’re doing.”


San Antonio Stars Forward Danielle Adams


(On her focus for tonight’s game…)


“Being aggressive. We needed that presence in the post, so it’s my job to come down and be aggressive.”


(On scoring a season-high tonight…)


“Being aggressive and contributing down low. I want to help the team in any way I can.”


San Antonio Stars Forward Sophia Young-Malcolm


(On team chemistry…)


“I think we started off the season really poorly, and right now I feel like we’re working on team chemistry and talking more. We’re working and playing with each other a lot better by knowing what each player can do and that’s helping our team chemistry.”


(On the Stars’ slow start to the game…)


“The slow start obviously affected the game negatively because we lost. I don’t think we were ready for the game’s tempo and they came out aggressive and we were playing back on our heels. With a team like this, we need to be focused because we know that they run a lot and score.”


(On improvements for next game…)


“I think that we have to communicate a lot better defensively. I think our defense broke down a lot on us this game, so we just have to focus on that and communicate better with each other.”

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Tue, Jul 21, 2015 at 8:36 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 97, Atlanta Dream 92
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

TRIO OF DELLE DONNE, QUIGLEY AND VANDERSLOOT LEAD SKY OVER DREAM


Score by Quarter

Atlanta (7-10) 20 28 14 30 92

Chicago (11-6) 20 24 23 30 97


ROSEMONT- The Chicago Sky (11-6) defeated the Atlanta Dream (7-10) 97-92 on Tuesday night at Allstate Arena. Elena Delle Donne led the Sky with 27 points and 8 rebounds. Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot added season-highs of 23 and 19 points, respectively. Chicago improves to 7-1 at home, tied for the best home start in franchise history. Chicago also started 7-1 in the 2013 season.


“I think against an aggressive, defensive team, you have to be aggressive back. That’s what we did,” said Quigley. “The more you attack, the more good things are going to happen.”


The Sky and Dream traded baskets and fouls early, combining to commit 12 fouls in the first quarter alone. The Sky was able to capitalize at the free throw line knocking down six of seven free throws. Vandersloot paced the Sky in the first quarter, recording seven points and two assists. At the end of the first quarter, Chicago and Atlanta were deadlocked at 20 points apiece.


Quigley caught fire at the beginning of the second quarter, scoring nine straight points for the Sky. Atlanta’s Shoni Schimmel scored four points off the bench to counter for the Dream. Neither team could find significant separation, as the second quarter saw seven lead changes. At the half, the Dream held a slim 48-44 lead. Quigley led the Sky with 15 points and Tiffany Hayes added 13 for Atlanta.


Delle Donne got going in the third quarter after only scoring six points in the first half. The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Month scored 11 points in the third while Quigley continued to pour in the points, adding five in the third. Clarissa Dos Santos banked in an off-balance jumper with 0.5 seconds left of the clock to give the Sky a 67-62 lead going into the fourth quarter.


The Dream cut the Sky lead to three with 6:24 left in the fourth quarter but that was the closest they would get as the Sky never relinquished the lead in the final ten minutes of action. Despite a late push by Atlanta, the Sky would hold on to win 97-92.


Delle Donne led all scorers with 27 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Matee Ajavon led the Dream with 21 points.


The Sky will return to action on Tuesday, July 28th, as they take on the Phoenix Mercury in Talking Stick Resort Arena at 9:00 p.m CT. This game will be broadcast on The U Too and WNBA LiveAccess.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 97, Atlanta Dream 92


Notes

• Allie Quigley’s 13 second-quarter points set a new career high for points scored in a quarter. She finished the first half with 15 points and completed the game with a season-high 23 points.
• Elena Delle Donne’s game-high 27 points was the 12th time she has led the team in scoring this season.
• The Sky’s 97-92 victory marks the sixth time the team has eclipsed the 90-point mark at home this season. On the year, the Sky is 8-1 when they reach 90 points.
• At 7-1, the Sky holds the best home record in the WNBA.
• The Sky set new season-highs in fourth quarter and second half points with 30 and 53 respectively. Their previous highs were 28 and 50 respectively against Tulsa on June 6.
• The Sky’s 11 victories before the All-Star Break are the second-most in franchise history. The team won 12 games pre-break in 2013 on the way to capturing the East’s best record of 24-10.
• While both losses, the Atlanta Dream’s two highest scoring games this season has come against the Sky. The first being a 100-96 loss in Chicago on June 24 and the second coming in tonight’s 97-92 defeat.
• Atlanta Dream guard Matee Ajavon set a new season-high in points with 17. Fourth-year guard Tiffany Hayes also tied her season-high of 19 points.
• On her way to 14 points tonight, forward Angel McCoughtry collected her 4,000th career point. She is the 25th player in WNBA history to log 4,000 career points.
• The Dream’s 30 fourth-quarter points was a season-high. Their previous high in the fourth quarter was 29 points vs. the Sky on 6/24/15.

QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On the third quarter…)


“Holding them to 14 points in that quarter really helped get us some momentum. Even when it was back and forth we never let a lack of defense or them getting buckets affect us offensively to the tune of four players being in high double figures. That is something that fuels us. All in all, a nice win going into this break against a good Atlanta team.”


(On what worked defensively….)


“We got a lot of deflections that quarter. Tamera Young keeps those deflections and it’s hard to believe but we actually had 38 for the game, the most we’ve had all year. The guards started putting a lot of pressure on the perimeter so the entry passes weren’t as easy. We were collapsing, sinking and helping –the dirty work that doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet.”


(On the aggressiveness of the game….)


“Figuratively speaking, it’s a mentality. It’s being able to put Allie Quigley in the game and knowing I can call her number. That’s a dog mentality, that’s ice water in your veins, that’s trust, because you know she puts the work in. Cappie struggled, but then was able to hit that corner three. Timely baskets –that’s a mentality.”


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne


(On where the team is right now…)


“We’re in a great place. I’m really happy with our offense. I feel like any given night somebody can step up and go off. Defensively, we’re getting there and I think we’re going to peak at the right time."


(On how she was able to bounce back from a low-scoring first half…)


“I felt like I was getting really good looks and my shot felt good so I knew I was going to continue to be aggressive. Obviously Angel [McCoughtry] was in foul trouble, as well, and I knew she was going to be guarding me in the second half so I just attacked the rim and saw the ball go in that way. Then I got a little more confidence in my outside shot.”


Chicago Sky Guard Allie Quigley


(On her recent scoring spree…)


“I think it’s the result of the way our team is set up. I just try to go in there and be aggressive and, like we’ve said before, we have so many scoring threats that if you’re aggressive, something’s going to open up.”


(Allie on 2nd half mentality….)


“I think against an aggressive, defensive team, you have to be aggressive back. That’s what we did and we just attacked them. When they get a couple, you want to go at them. The more you attack, the more good things are going to happen. You’re either going to get a basket or a foul.”


Atlanta Dream Head Coach Michael Cooper


(On the team's game plan…)

"[Our game plan was] to win the game it didn't matter if she [Elena Delle Donne] got 60 tonight we were going to win the basketball game. Rebounding is always a key. When you win the rebounding war most of the time you're going to win the game. We didn't do that well, I thought they out hustled us."


(On the Dream getting into foul trouble…)


"We had two of our best players in foul trouble with Tiffany Hayes and Angel McCoughtry. It's hard to play when you have your hands handcuffed a little bit. I think we were being a little too aggressive and not sticking to our defensive discipline."


(On defending Elena Delle Donne…)


"Our goal is not to hold her down, our goal is to hold their team down. They have some other good scorers in Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley, and Cappie Pondexter. What we did with Elena Delle Donne was just a small portion of what we wanted to do. When you have four or five players in double figures that's always going to cause you problems."


Atlanta Dream Forward Angel McCoughtry


(On holding Elena Delle Donne to six points in the first half…)


“We stayed disciplined on her. We played smart on her.”


(On early foul trouble…)


“You just can’t get a rhythm. I would say half the fouls were me standing straight up. If they’re going to call fouls, I’d rather get a real foul, but you just have to keep playing.”


Atlanta Dream Guard Matee Ajavon


(On contributions to her shooting efficiency…)


“Being aggressive and getting help from my teammates.”


(On the physicality of the game…)


“Every game has been physical for us. We didn’t expect anything less; it’s just the way it is.”

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Tue, Jul 28, 2015 at 10:53 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 87, Phoenix Mercury 89
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

SKY FALL TO MERCURY, 89-97 IN OT


Score by Quarter

1 2 3 4 OT F

Chicago (11-7) 22 22 14 20 9 87

Phoenix (10-7) 19 12 24 23 11 89


ROSEMONT-Following the WNBA All-Star weekend the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury returned to action on Tuesday night at the US Airways Center for a rematch of the 2014 WNBA Finals. Despite a 32-point effort from Elena Delle Donne and a 19-point Sky lead in the first half, the Mercury battled back to defeat the Sky 89-87 in overtime.


All-Stars Cappie Pondexter and Elena Delle Donne rejoined the Sky picking up right where they left off as they helped the Sky jump out to an early 9-4 lead over the Mercury. Phoenix could not stop the WNBA’s leading scorer as Elena Delle Donne got on the scoreboard early and often. She contributed nine points to lead all scorers in the first as the Sky maintained a 22-19 lead heading into the second.


Midway through the second quarter, Phoenix sent extra defenders at Elena Delle Donne and the Sky used efficient ball movement to quickly build a 19-point lead (42-23). At the half, the Sky had a 44-31 buffer, led by 16 points from Delle Donne.


The Sky went scoreless for the first five minutes of the second half allowing Phoenix the opportunity to sneak back into the game. DeWanna Bonner poured in 16 points in the quarter to help the Mercury cut the deficit to just one. Breland hit a shot as time expired in the third to give the Sky a 58-55 lead.


The Mercury used a 12-2 run to start the fourth quarter and built a seven-point advantage (67-60). Down the stretch the Sky turned to Delle Donne for clutch scoring as she contributed 12 of the Sky’s 20 fourth-quarter points to cut the deficit. The Sky had the ball with 4.6 seconds remaining and trailing by a point, they fed the ball to Elena Delle Donne who completed a three-point play to put the Sky back on top 78-76. Bonner drew a foul with one second remaining and connected on a pair of free throws to force overtime (78-78).


The overtime period featured back-and-forth action until Bonner hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:21 remaining and the Mercury escaped with an 89-87 victory. Bonner led all scorers in the game with 34 points and Delle Donne finished with 32 to lead Chicago.


The Sky returns to action on Friday, July 31st, as they take on the Los Angeles Sparks at Allstate Arena to begin a five-game homestand. Tip off is set for 7:30pm CT.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 87, Phoenix Mercury 89


Notes


·Chicago forward Elena Delle Donne leads the league in scoring average with 24.9 points per game and is second in free throw percentage, shooting 95.6-percent (130-of-136). Delle Donne shot a perfect 11-of-11 from the line tonight.

·Sky Forward Elena Delle Donne finished tonight’s game with 32 points, her fourth game with 30 or more points this season. Delle Donne scored zero points in the third quarter and came back to score 12 in the fourth.

·Chicago shot 33-of-86 (38.4-percent) in tonight’s loss, the 86 shot attempts is their most attempts this season (previous 83 on July 15 vs Washington).

·Chicago’s bench outscored Phoenix’s bench 24-12.

• With 4:59 left in the fourth quarter, Erika de Souza scored her first points with the Sky. She finished with four points and four rebounds in 14 minutes of action.
• Chicago went on a 15-0 run in under five minutes in the second quarter. Cappie Pondexter’s eight points during the stretch extended Chicago’s lead to 42-23.
• Tonight was the second time Chicago pushed Phoenix into overtime. The last time was on August 31, 2008, which resulted in a 112-105 loss for the Sky. The Sky hosts the Mercury on August 9 at 1pm.
• Allie Quigley contributed 14 points off the bench. She has now scored in double figures in five consecutive contests coming off the bench.

·Phoenix tied their greatest comeback in team history as the Mercury trailed by 19 points on June 22, 1999 at Washington and came back to win 79-76. Chicago led by 19 points, 42-23, at the 2:45 mark of the second quarter. Phoenix sparked their comeback with a 22-8 run in the third quarter to take the lead by one at the 1:57 mark of the quarter.

·Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner scored 16 points in the third quarter, going 6-7 from the field and 5-5 from the free throw line, the most points from a Mercury player in a quarter this season. Bonner finished with 34 points which are a new team season-high for her (previous 23 on June 21 at Seattle) also her first 30 or more point game of the season and her fourth 30 or more point game of her career.

·Phoenix forward DeWanna Bonner finished tonight’s game perfect from the line with 11-of-11 free throws, a new team season-high in free throws made (previous 10 on July 14 vs Atlanta) also extending her consecutive streak to 30 (19 prior to tonight) free throws dating back to July 10th. The 30 consecutive free throws made currently rank as the second-longest active streak in the league (Augustus, Minnesota, 35 straight, August 9, 2014 – present). Bonner’s prior longest career streak was 24 consecutive free throws made which she has done twice in her career (June 21 – July 8, 2011 and June 16 – June 29, 2013).

·Mercury center Brittney Griner entered tonight’s game the leading shot blocker in the WNBA and finished with five blocks. Griner has 17 career games with five or more blocked shots.

 

[dawrestling]

Page 2

QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(Her first impressions after the close loss…)


“I thought we created some momentum for ourselves and then coming out of the half, we struggled for about five and a half minutes to put points on the board. I thought we did a decent job on getting that back because in the last four minutes of that quarter, we actually scored 14 points to kind of even things up. But with a team like Phoenix, we let them get momentum in areas that they didn’t previously like in some transition baskets, points in the paint, their key players, I can Candice (Dupree) hitting a couple in a row, Bonner with her threes. You can’t do that any team let alone the defending champs at home. We are just hungry for a win.”


(On what the Mercury did differently to spur their comeback in the second half…)


“I never like to not give the other team credit, but when I went back just now and watched the shots we got in the third quarter, I’ll take those shots. A couple of wide open shots from the Elena (Delle Done) that she had in the first and second quarter, Cappie (Pondexter) had a couple of good looks off of the switch, (Courtney Vandersloot) Sloot…I don’t think they did a lot differently because they trust and believe in their system of play. I just thought we didn’t knock some key shots down and there were a few there that were Griner, like three of them that she altered the shot. We felt good about how we were moving the basketball, that’s why we had 44 points in the first half. We did the same things to get the same looks, those shots didn’t fall.”



(On the potential of this game being a WNBA Finals preview...)


“This is a credit to Phoenix, the organization, their fans…it can be a preseason game and that will be the atmosphere. I say that as a compliment. For us and all of the other WNBA teams, this is 18th game so nobody can think Finals. We’re all so bunched up but it’s nice that you guys talk about that and it’s respectful to both franchises.”


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne



(On the importance of a team moving on after a tough loss…)



“It’s huge, obviously a really tough loss, I felt like that third quarter we just went really cold for a while. We were able to kind of get the momentum back, but at home of a great team like that and with great players stepping up and going off you can’t let them back in.”



(On the Sky’s resiliency to mount their own comeback after Phoenix made a run…)



“This team has great character and it’s a gritty team to be able to come back like that. With this incredible crowd, it’s really good to know it’s something we can build on. Obviously we’re upset we didn’t get the win, but it’s something to build on.”


(On the back and forth battle between herself and DeWanna Bonner…)



“It was just an offensive kind of night for the both of us. She was absolutely on fire. It felt like anything she was putting up, it was going in and I was just trying to attack on the other end.”


Chicago Sky Guard Allie Quigley


(On whether the Mercury’s defense changed in the second half…)



“Not really, no. I think we just weren’t playing the same. We were getting stops in the first half and our transition was good, we were moving the ball and then we just got away from that and settle for jump shots.”


Phoenix Mercury Head Coach Sandy Brondello


(On the big win tonight…)


“It was a hard fought game. Was it our best game? No. Our first twenty minutes were very average. We just didn’t execute, we didn’t have any toughness but in the second half, it shows the character of this team. I thought our defense went on another level. (Elena) Delle Donne still scored 32—she’s an amazing offensive player but we really dug deep and made it hard for them and we competed. On the other end we kept it a real simple game—we just wanted to run and attack. It took a little overtime but we got there and the result is what we wanted.”


(On what was said at halftime...)


“I just didn’t think we were playing hard enough really. It’s not that we weren’t having the effort; we didn’t have the execution and that really hurt us in the schemes that we did. Let’s just be aggressive, DB (DeWanna Bonner) staying up and in, and just taking pride in your one-on-one defense. I thought Monique Currie had her best defensive effort tonight. We started blocking out—it’s just been Achilles heels—we preach it and talk about it but tonight was one of the first nights I actually saw everyone physically blocking out so we can go get the boards and get out and run.”


Phoenix Mercury Forward DeWanna Bonner



(On DeWanna’s thoughts during the final moments of overtime...)


“I just wanted to win. We came out pretty sluggish (tonight)—we got down by a lot and we weren’t playing our game. I just wanted to be aggressive (at the end)—tried to get things going. That’s what they preach to me so that was what I was trying to do.”


(On what it was like defending Elena Delle Donne...)


“She’s good. She has a great shot so it’s kind of hard to block it and when you try you kind of hit her on the arm a couple of times. She’s a great player and fortunately everybody played defense on her and did a great job.”


Phoenix Mercury Center Brittney Griner


(On difficulty getting rebounds on the first half...)


“Definitely coach brought that to our attention—just our rebounding and how much they were out rebounding us. We needed to go in and take away those second chance points they were getting.”


(On getting a win after two losses...)


“We went into All Star break with two losses. So we definitely wanted to get a win and we’re going on a two game road trip for five days away so we definitely want to win on the road—that’ll be big for the playoffs.”

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Fri, Jul 31, 2015 at 9:28 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 77, Los Angeles Sparks 88
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

SPARKS OUTLAST SKY, 88-77


Score by Quarter

Los Angeles (4-14) 22 17 21 28 88

Chicago (11-8) 16 23 18 16 77


ROSEMONT-The Los Angeles Sparks defeated the Chicago Sky 88-77 on Friday night in the Sky’s first game at Allstate Arena since July 21st. Elena Delle Donne led the Sky with 21 points and Courtney Vandersloot tied a career-high and Sky record with 13 assists. Sparks forward and two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker recorded 31 points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles in only her second game of the season. The Sky suffered their first home loss since June 30th and had won five consecutive home games prior to tonight.


The Sky got off to a quick start, beginning the game on an 8-2 run. Parker brought the Sparks back, however, scoring 11 points in the first quarter alone. At the end of the first, the Sparks led the Sky 22-16. Delle Donne paced the Sky with six points.


The Sky fought back in the second quarter, led by two three-pointers off the bench from Allie Quigley and seven more points from Delle Donne. Parker continued to pace Los Angeles, finishing the half with 17 points. The Sky took their first lead of the second quarter with 2:34 remaining on a Vandersloot lay-up. The two teams proceeded to trade baskets in the quarter’s remaining minutes. At the half, the Sky and Sparks were tied at 39.


Los Angeles began the third quarter on a 7-2 run but the Sky managed to regain the lead 49-48 on a Cappie Pondexter free throw with 5:01 remaining in the third quarter. The Sky led by as many as five during the third quarter but could not find significant separation as the Sparks cut Chicago’s lead to just one point at the end of the third. Going into the final quarter, the Sky led the Sparks 61-60.


Early in the fourth quarter, the Sparks took a 65-64 lead on a free throw by Toliver, their first lead since the middle of the third quarter. The Sparks duo of Parker and Toliver proved to be too much for the Sky as the two combined for 21 points in the fourth quarter and 51 points in the contest. Los Angeles held on to defeat Chicago 88-77.


“It was only on rare occasions that all five of us were connected defensively and that’s the biggest thing,” said Delle Donne. “If our defense isn’t aggressive, our offense lacks, and that’s what you saw, especially in the fourth quarter.”




Delle Donne’s 21 points mark her fourteenth 20+ scoring game of the season. Two other Sky players scored in double-figures as Pondexter added 13 and Jessica Breland scored 10. Vandersloot added eight points to go along with her 13 assists. All five Los Angeles starters scored in double-figures, highlighted by Parker’s 31 points and Toliver’s 20.


The Sky will return to action on Sunday, August 2nd as they take on the Washington Mystics at 5:00 pm CT in Allstate Arena.



Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 77, Los Angeles Sparks 88


Notes


·Courtney Vandersloot’s 13 assists tied her career high and the franchise record. She also had 13 assists on 5/30/14 vs. Connecticut. Vandersloot now leads the league in assists per game averaging 5.5 apg.

·Led by Allie Quigley’s eight points, the Sky’s bench outscored the Sparks’ bench 17-4.

·Elena Delle Donne’s 21 points were her 14th 20-plus game of the season.

·Eleven out of Delle Donne’s 21 points came from the free-throw line. Delle Donne went 11-for-12 from the line. Despite missing a free-throw in tonight’s game, she has never missed two consecutive free throws in her WNBA career.

·Even after falling tonight to Los Angeles, the Sky’s 7-2 home record is the best home record in the Eastern Conference.

·This is the Sky’s first home loss since falling on 6/30 to New York 89-81.

·The Sparks victory tonight is their first road victory of the season. Los Angeles is now 1-8 on the road.

·In only her second game of the season, Candice Parker’s 31 points is a season-high.

·This is Parker’s first 30-point game since scoring 34 points on 7/15/14 vs. Indiana.

·Parker and Kristi Toliver combined for 21 out the Sparks’ 28 fourth quarter points as well as combining for 51 out of the team’s 88 total points.


QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On the Sparks’ offensive rhythm…)


“I think from the beginning we let Los Angeles get really comfortable in their offensive set and they maintained that throughout, except a little bit in the third quarter. We had some solid minutes of defense as well but I never felt like we disrupted them to the tone of them shooting about 48%. But I give them credit, they made shots when they had to make shots, that’s what good players do.”


(On players being in their comfort zone…)

“Great players get momentum and they get comfortable, they get confident and I think that played into it. It wasn’t like anyone was running any magic plays. You get players in comfortable position; we talk about not letting players catch it at the elbow. They are catching it at the elbow; they are really close to the basket. I think they imposed their will and got some looks in areas that they wanted to.”


(On Candace Parker’s strong game tonight…)


"Well I give Candace credit; she got to the free throw line. I think her mindset is different. She is attacking from the perimeter, mid-range and to the basket. That is something that I think she has as a mindset because she is fresh and rested.”


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne


(On going against Candace Parker…)


“It’s never just one on one, it’s five on five at all times. It was only on rare occasions that all five of us were connected defensively and that’s the biggest thing. If our defense isn’t aggressive, our offense lacks, and that’s what you saw, especially in the fourth quarter.”


(On changes to make during remainder of home stand…)


“We need to pick up our defense by being much more aggressive and taking teams out of their comfort zone.”


Chicago Sky Forward Cheyenne Parker


(On her defensive mindset tonight…)


“No different from the entire game just having the mindset to be aggressive defensively and to be in help side. The block on Candace was just a help-side reaction.”


(On the overall communication on the court…)


“Our communication is always really good especially when there are free throws and dead balls we always come together and talk about the next defensive or offensive play. But like Elena said, the issue was just our defensive aggression.”


(On playing on the court as a Rookie with a veteran like Candice Parker…)


“I didn’t really have to guard Parker and I could imagine what it would’ve been like but as far as being on the court with her, I used to idolize her growing up so it was an exciting feeling to be on the court playing against her.”


Los Angeles Sparks Head Coach Brian Agler


(On the Sparks first road win…)


"Candace's presence makes us a lot better. We just have to steadily keep improving. We're really excited about tonight, we played well and beat a good team but we have to get ready for the next one."


(On first quarter momentum…)


"We were excited about playing, and we were hungry. We want to get back in the playoff race. Candace playing at home is a big motivating factor for her, which always helps. We just came out ready.”


Los Angeles Sparks Forward Candace Parker


(On mentality of being back…)


“We don’t have a lot of time to waste, so I’ve just gotten back into it. My teammates have done a good job of talking me through things. I’m still learning defensively mostly. I’ve got all the plays, but defensively learning the system.”


(On similarities between herself and Elena Delle Donne…)


“She’s hard to guard. She’s a triple threat: she puts the ball on the floor, she goes to the basket and she gets to the line. She does a lot of good things. I think she’s more of a pure shooter than I am. I think I’m more of an off the dribble type of player. But, I definitely do [see the similarities].”


(On comfort of playing in Chicago...)


“It’s nice to look up in the stands and see familiar faces and reminisce. Chicago has been really good to me. It’s nice to be back and play in front of my hometown. Obviously we needed this win, so there were different reasons to get pumped up.”


Los Angeles Sparks Guard Kristi Toliver


(On the Sparks finding their rhythm…)


“This is a very special team. We’ve been through a lot. We are continuing to learn through losses we had. With this win, hopefully that will be us turning a corner. We’ve had a lot of different people coming in and out, a lot of different line-ups, and a lot of injuries. Right now we have everyone healthy. It feels good to have everyone here.”


(On offensive momentum tonight…)


“We were being really aggressive. We wanted to make sure we moved the ball that we got the ball on both sides of the floor and made basketball plays. We have a lot of great players on this team that can do a lot of great things, so when we can play as a team and get the ball moving good things happen. Defensively, we really wanted to limit Chicago and their transition game. That’s where they are very dominant.”

 

[dawrestling]

Date: Sun, Aug 2, 2015 at 6:43 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 71, Washington Mystics 68
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

DELLE DONNE LIFTS SKY OVER MYSTICS

Score by Quarter

Washington (11-7) 17 22 16 13 68

Chicago (12-8) 23 11 16 21 71


ROSEMONT-The Chicago Sky (12-8) defeated the Washington Mystics 71-68 at Allstate Arena on Sunday night. Elena Delle Donne led Chicago with 22 points, including a season-high four three-pointers.


The Sky and Mystics traded baskets early, with the Sky holding on to a 12-11 lead at the first media timeout. Following the timeout, Sky forward Erika De Souza, who started her first game in a Sky uniform tonight after being traded to the team on July 27th, scored four consecutive points for Chicago. Sky guard Allie Quigley came off the bench adding four points to help give the Sky a 23-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.


The Mystics began the second quarter on an 10-0 run before Delle Donne knocked down a three-pointer at the 5:35 mark, scoring the Sky’s first points of the quarter. Quigley knocked down a jumper to tie the game at 29 and then Delle Donne hit her second three-pointer of the game to give the Sky a 32-31 lead with 2:40 remaining. Washington stormed back behind Ivory Latta who knocked down two three-pointers in the final 33 seconds of the quarter to give Washington a 39-34 lead at the half.


The Sky and Mystics went back-and-forth in the beginning minutes of the third quarter until Washington used a 5-0 run from the 5:54 to 5:24 mark to extend their lead to nine points, their largest lead of the contest. Chicago countered with back-to-back baskets from Delle Donne and Quigley and trailed narrowly, 55-50, going into the fourth quarter.


The Sky went on a 9-3 run in the early minutes of the fourth to regain a 59-58 lead with 5:43 remaining in the contest. Chicago maintained a one-point lead for most of the quarter until Mystics center Stefanie Dolson hit a jumper with 28.4 seconds to give Washington a 68-67 lead. Delle Donne hit a spinning lay-up with 19.4 seconds left to put the Sky back on top 69-68 and Breland knocked down two free throws with 3.4 seconds remaining to secure the victory for Chicago.


“I told the players I think good teams find a way to win,” said Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman. “All in all, we’re excited with the win."



With tonight’s victory, the Sky took a 2-1 lead in the season series against Washington. Delle Donne scored 22 points and Pondexter and Breland added 12 each for the Sky. Latta led the Mystics with 19 points.


The Sky will return to action Tuesday, August 4th as they take on the Indiana Fever at 7:00 pm CT at Allstate Arena. Tuesday’s game marks the beginning of the Sky’s annual Breast Health Awareness Week with funds benefitting the American Cancer Society and Gilda’s Club.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 71, Washington Mystics 68


Notes


·With the victory tonight at Allstate Arena, the Sky’s home record of 8-2 is tied with the Minnesota Lynx for best home record in the WNBA.

·Elena Delle Donne made a season-high four three-pointers. Delle Donne finished the game with a game-high 22 points.

·Cheyenne Parker had season-highs in minutes (22) and rebounds (7). Her previous highs were 15 minutes at Indiana on 6/14 and five rebounds vs. Los Angeles on 7/31.

·Courtney Vandersloot recorded her second straight game with double-digit assists and third overall on the season. Vandersloot finished with 10 assists and eight points. Vandersloot leads the WNBA averaging 5.7 apg.

·Erika de Souza started her first game on the season. De Souza finished with four points and 10 rebounds.

·Tamera Young returned to the court after missing 15 games with a thumb injury.

·Washington’s loss tonight snaps their season-long five game winning streak.

·The Mystics’ 10 blocked shots tied a season-high for team blocks. The last time Washington recorded 10 blocks was at Tulsa on 7/21.

·Washington’s five turnovers tied a season-high. The last time the Mystics recorded five turnovers was vs. Seattle on 7/29.

·Rookie Natasha Cloud recorded a season-high eight assists. Her previous high was seven assists on 7/31 at San Antonio.

 

[dawrestling]

Page 2

QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(Opening statement…)


“I told the players I think good teams find a way to win. I’ll start with the fact that we gave up 29 second-half points. We picked up our defense. We had 19 assists on 27 field goals. Sloot [Courtney Vandersloot] had 10 and one turnover. Cappie [Pondexter] scored and had five assists. We made adjustments within the half court being able to move [Jessica] Breland and Elena [Delle Donne] around so a lot of people had good looks. All in all, we’re excited with the win."


(On what Jessica Breland brings to the team…)


“At some point, it’s a dilemma: do I leave Elena or Breland? They left Breland and she made them pay. I think she’s also a savvy defender. She doesn’t give herself enough credit. It’s not about size or muscle; it’s about timing. She has timing on rebounds and contesting shots. She also gives us some flexibility offensively because sometimes she ran the 3, sometimes she ran the 4 and we can move people around."


(On keeping ground in the standings in the Eastern Conference…)


“I don’t even know who played tonight or who won. I just know what we have to do because I have enough on this roster and in my locker room to beat any team. It’s about physical health and mental health because they’re all locked in right here and I know we have a fighting chance. I think it’s just day-by-day and focusing on yourself because that’s what you can control the most.”


Chicago Sky Forward Jessica Breland


(On what she means to the team…)


“I like to think about just rebounding when I step out on the court. We have great players: Cappie, Elena, Sloot, Allie. They’re great shooters. I just think about what I can bring to the team and that’s rebounding and defense. I try and focus on that and then I happen to be open sometimes and my teammates do a great job of getting me the ball.”


(On fighting back from her injuries…)


“I feel like that’s just my life. I’m always going over a hurdle. I think that’s good; you never know how strong you are until you face something. Sometimes I sit back and think, “Wow; I just got through that.”


(On how she felt the game went…)


“Good. My teammates encouraged me and with that I was just able to grab boards and I was trying to box out. I felt good. I’ve been injured and finally my body has been feeling a little better. One time I jumped up for a rebound and I was like, ‘Wow I got up.’ At the beginning of the season I was barely jumping.”


Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter


(On her mindset going into today's game…)


"We are having a rough patch right now but I think it's a mindset and mentality no matter if I'm shooting the ball well or if I'm not. No matter what we still have to stay positive and we have to keep encouraging each other."


(On the team's play coming into the second half of the season…)


"The game of basketball is all about runs. You're going to have games when you're really great and when you're not so great or when you're just average. Right now we're average but tonight we worked through that. Hopefully for the next game we can put all that negative stuff behind us and really focus and move forward into the second half of the season."


Washington Mystics Head Coach Mike Thibault


(On tonight’s game plan and execution…)


“Offensively I thought we got timid. First of all, we missed a lot of layups. Our post players, who throughout the course of our season have shot over fifty percent as a group, tonight shot about thirty-seven percent. I thought we ran all the stuff we normally run. We had good shots and we didn‘t make them. Delle Donne does what she does and she makes hers.”


(On second quarter momentum…)


“I think it was mostly the defensive end. We held them to one shot [each possession], we got some steals, we forced some turnovers, so we were able to get out and run a little bit. That kind of turned it around for us in the second quarter.”


(On future improvement…)


“We hope to make layups. Our rebounding is a work in progress. It was a little better tonight, but it let us down a couple times. Our pick-and-roll defense was good for a stretch and then not so good near the end. We have got to continue to trust each other on what we are trying to do.”


Washington Mystics Center Stefanie Dolson


(On the physicality of the game…)


“It was tough. We always know they [the Chicago Sky] are a physical team, and with the addition of [Erika] De Souza it adds even more physicality. We were prepared for that and handled it well, it just didn’t end the way we wanted it to.”


(On the low-scoring game…)


“Both teams played good defense tonight. The physicality played in to that because we’re both making it tough to execute on offense. Our execution wasn’t our best but it’s stuff we can fix, so we’ll go back to practice and do those things.”


Washington Mystics Guard Ivory Latta


(On what led to her success from the field…)


“My teammates finding me, getting open and making the shots. We didn’t win though, so that’s what’s in my head right now.”


(On her role in the offense…)


“Whatever I need to do for this team that’s what I’m going to do. I’ll go out there, do it with all my heart and lay my body on the line.”


(On the effect of missing Kara Lawson…)


“She’s a captain of this team so it [missing Lawson from the lineup] affected us a lot. At the same time, I think we did a pretty good job on what we needed to do. We just have to go home, regroup and get ready for Wednesday.”

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Tue, Aug 4, 2015 at 8:42 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 106, Indiana Fever 82
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

SKY COMPLETE SEASON SWEEP OF FEVER


Score by Quarter

Indiana (11-9) 22 18 17 25 82

Chicago (13-8) 31 26 27 22 106


ROSEMONT- The Chicago Sky (13-8) defeated the Indiana Fever (11-9) 106-82 on Tuesday night at Allstate Arena. The Sky’s 106 points set a new franchise-high for regulation as six players scored in double-figures. With tonight’s win, Chicago completed the regular season sweep (4-0) of the Fever for the first time in franchise history.


The Fever got off to a quick start, taking a 12-6 lead with 6:33 remaining in the first quarter. The Sky answered with Elena Delle Donne who delivered 11 first-quarter points, including eight in the final three minutes to give the Sky a 31-22 lead at the end of the quarter.


The Sky picked up right where they left off in the first, starting the second quarter on a 14-3 run, led by six points from Jamierra Faulkner. Forward Tamera Young scored four points in the second quarter and Cappie Pondexter knocked down a jumper with 1.1 seconds left to give the Sky a 57-40 lead at halftime. Delle Donne led all scorers with 14 points as Chicago shot a season-high 71.9% from the field in the first half.


The Sky began the third quarter on a 9-0 run, capitalizing on Indiana’s early turnovers and a technical foul call on Fever forward Tamika Catchings. Betnijah Laney provided instant offense for the Sky, scoring eight third-quarter points off the bench. The Sky led 84-57 heading into the fourth quarter.


The Sky maintained a sizable lead throughout the fourth quarter, never letting the Fever get within 22 points, to cruise by the Fever 106-82. Every active player on the Sky roster scored and Chicago’s bench accounted for a season-high 50 points in the contest.


Several Sky players scored in double-figures including Delle Donne (19), Faulkner (16), Pondexter (14), Young (14), Laney (12) and de Souza (10). The Sky shot a season-high 63.2% from the field in the contest, the best single game shooting percentage in a WNBA game this season. The team also recorded a season-high 28 assists. Maggie Lucas led Indiana with 14 points.


“We had six players in double-figures. That makes you hard to beat,” said Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman. “No starter played more than 23 minutes. They will enjoy this until breakfast tomorrow morning and then we have the best team in our conference coming in here that we have to get ready for on Friday.”


The Sky will return to action on Friday, August 7th again in their pink uniforms as they take on the New York Liberty for the second game of Breast Health Awareness Week at Allstate Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:30pm CT.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 106, Indiana Fever 82


Notes


·For the first time in franchise history, Chicago completed a regular season sweep of the Indiana Fever (4-0).

·The Sky scored a season-high 106 points, a new franchise record for points in regulation. Chicago previously scored 105 points vs. New York on 6/18/14.

·The Sky’s final shooting percentage of 63.2 percent and 106 total points are both season-highs in the WNBA.

·Chicago’s 57 first half points and 31 first quarter points are both season-highs.

·The Sky’s 71.9 percent first half shooting was the best in a half by a WNBA team since Los Angeles shot 73.5 percent in the first half against New York on July 4, 2013. Chicago became just the third team ever to shoot at least 70 percent in both quarters of a half. The only previous occasions were July 10, 2012 when Minnesota eclipsed 70 percent in the third and fourth quarters against Tulsa; and June 18, 2006 when Los Angeles shot over 70 percent both quarters of the second half against Sacramento.

·Chicago improves to 9-2 on the season at home. That mark is the best home record in the WNBA.

·The Sky recorded a season-high 28 assists.

·The Sky tied a franchise record 13 blocks.

·Chicago’s bench scored a season-high 50 points.

·Jamierra Faulkner scored a season-high 16 points, Tamera Young scored a season-high 14 points, Betnijah Laney scored a season-high 12 points and Elena Delle Donne dished out a season-high six assists.

·With 11 points tonight, Shenise Johnson has now scored double-digits points in nine of her last 10 games.

·Maggie Lucas’ 14 points is her first double-digits effort since 6/19 at New York when she scored 23 points.

·Natasha Howard scored a season-high 13 points. Her previous high was nine points vs. Connecticut on 6/30.

·Tamika Catchings played a season-low 16 minutes. Her previous-low was 20 minutes vs. Washington on 6/20.

 

[dawrestling]

Page 2

QUOTES


Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On what she was most impressed with tonight…)


“I was most impressed with so many people playing a lot of minutes, handling man-to-man, handling trap defenses and zone defenses. It was nice to see the younger players handle that. That’s a much needed win against a good team on our home court.”


(On the team effort tonight…)


“We had six players in double-figures. That makes you hard to beat. No starter played more than 23 minutes. They will enjoy this until breakfast tomorrow morning and then we have the best team in our conference coming in here that we have to get ready for on Friday.”


(On what Tamera Young did well tonight…)


“Everything. She allows us to play different defensively. She allows us to switch because she can play the two, three or four. She does a lot of things that may not show up on the stat sheet.”


(On the play of Courtney Vandersloot…)


“She has a really good pace. She knows when to go fast, medium or slow. She has so many options around her. She has herself, she has Elena [Delle Donne], she has Cappie [Pondexter], and she has post players that are ducking in and speed players that run the lane. She’s utilizing all that. [Courtney Vandersloot] is tough and we’ve been successful because she knows how to share the basketball.”


Chicago Sky Forward Tamera Young


(On getting extended minutes tonight since coming back…)


“It was a great feeling being out for the first time in so long and to actually get some action in with my teammates.”


(On what she learned from the bench about her team…)


“The chemistry. One thing was the younger players stepping up. They grew up a lot in a short period of time so that’s one of the big things.”


(On transferring information to her team from the bench…)


“When I would see things I would talk to each one [player] individually of what I could help them with but I think just the growth of playing together was them mostly.”


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Betnijah Laney


(On her offensive production tonight…)


“It was a great feeling. Everybody wants to score of course, but just me being out there and getting with the flow and just being able to produce was a great feeling.”


(On the vibe from bench scoring and support tonight…)


“I think even from the beginning of the season and the first game the bench has always been like that. We’ve always been supportive of one another. It doesn’t matter if you play 30 minutes or 30 seconds; everyone has their role on the team and everyone is just as important. We can’t be down on the bench just because we’re on the bench. We’re just as important so we need to bring energy and have it transfer into everyone that’s playing.”


(On having more confidence due to extended playing time…)


“I appreciate games like this as well as the tough games. I’ve been in games where it’s been tough and different situations. I’m just going out there to do everything I can for the team.”


Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White


(On the game plan for their fourth game against Chicago…)


“We want to try to make everything as difficult as possible for them [Chicago Sky]. They’re a very good team who can certainly be in the finals competing for a WNBA Championship. We just want to make everything difficult for them on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively we wanted to play our game and push tempo. We didn’t execute on either end of the floor, and a lot of the credit has to go to Chicago.”


(On the team’s difficulty with perimeter defense…)


“I think it starts with our defensive mentality. We came out with low energy, not paying attention to detail on little things like our defensive closeouts. It all starts with a mentality. When we have the mentality we’re a tough team to beat, and when we don’t, we struggle. It was a combination of us not being ready and Chicago being a hot team.”


Indiana Fever Guard Maggie Lucas


(On her three-point shooting…)


“I was just trying to provide a little energy. My teammates put me in really good situations and found me in really good spots.”


(On team improvements for next game…)


“Our defensive scheme [needs to improve]. We definitely weren’t all on the same page. [We can fix that] with communication.”


Indiana Fever Forward Marissa Coleman


(On how the game slipped away in the first quarter…)


“It comes down to our defense, and that’s what we’ve been talking about. It seems like every game that we lose it’s on us. It’s us not knowing our schemes, us not having each other’s backs on defense. It’s something we have to work on.”


(On her mentality going forward…)


“We just have to have a short term memory with this one. We have another game on Friday, so we just need to get back to Indiana, forget about this one and get ready for Friday.”

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Sun, Aug 9, 2015 at 3:18 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 74, Phoenix Mercury 64
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

DELLE DONNE'S 23 SECOND HALF POINTS LIFT SKY PAST MERCURY


Score by Quarter

Phoenix (14-8) 26 11 6 21 64

Chicago (14-9) 23 10 24 17 74


ROSEMONT- The Chicago Sky (14-9) defeated the Phoenix Mercury (13-10) 74-64 at Allstate Arena Sunday afternoon in a nationally televised game on ESPN. Elena Delle Donne led all scorers with 33 points, including 23 in the second half, and Allie Quigley added 13 points off the bench.


The Mercury’s offense was flowing early as they jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first few minutes of play. Chicago answered midway through the first with it’s own 9-0 run. Elena Delle Donne and Brittney Griner each scored nine points for their teams. Phoenix led 26-23 at the end of the first.


Chicago and Phoenix traded baskets for most of the second quarter. Allie Quigley provided a spark for the Sky coming off the bench with six-second quarter points. The Sky’s defense stepped up, limiting Griner to just one field goal in the second, but the Mercury maintained a 37-33 lead at intermission.


In the third quarter, Chicago proved to be too much for Phoenix. The Sky came out of the half with a 12-0 run powered by 10 points from Delle Donne. The Mercury found their first basket of the half from Cayla Francis at the 4:43 minute mark. The Sky dominated both ends of the floor, outscoring the Mercury 24-6 in the quarter and controlling the glass with 15 rebounds in the quarter. Delle Donne finished with 16 third-quarter points.


In the fourth, Phoenix was able to cut Chicago’s lead to eight points with a lay-up from Candice Dupree at the 1:12 minute mark but would get no closer as the Sky cruised to a 74-64 victory.


“Any time you can win against a team that’s on a roll, shooting 34 percent from the field, is a really good job,” said Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman. “We took care of the basketball. I thought Jessica Breland was key on the boards, which creates so many more opportunities for us.”


Delle Donne led all scorers with 33 points and tallied eight rebounds. She beat her previous season and career high of three-pointers made when she hit her fifth three of the game way through the fourth quarter. Jessica Breland grabbed 13 rebounds, including nine offensive, tying her season high for both categories. Griner led Phoenix with a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds.


The Sky begins a three-game road trip on Tuesday night with a chance at redemption against the Liberty. Tip-off is set for 6:00 pm CT on The U Too.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 74, Phoenix Mercury 64


Notes

• In the third quarter, the Sky recorded 15 rebounds. The 15 rebounds tied a team-high for rebounds in any quarter by Chicago this season.
• Over the first five minutes of the second half, the Sky went on a 12-0 run to push ahead of the Mercury 45-37. Chicago outscored Phoenix 24-6 in the third quarter.
• With the victory tonight, the Sky is the first team in the WNBA with 10 wins at home this season. Chicago is 10-3 this season at Allstate Arena.
• Along with Elena Delle Donne’s 33 points, two other Sky players finished in double figures. Allie Quigley finished with 13 points along with two assists while Courtney Vandersloot finished with 11 points and a game-high seven assists.
• Delle Donne set a new career-high for three point field goals made in a game with five. In the last eight games, Delle Donne is shooting 40.0% (18-45) from behind the arch. She started the season shooting just 19.2% (10-52) through the first 15 games of the season.
• Jessica Breland’s nine offensive rebounds tied a season-high. Breland finished with a team-high 13 rebounds along with four points.
• Six points by the Mercury in the third quarter is a season-low for any quarter by the defending WNBA Champions this season.
• At the 5:44 mark of the first quarter, the Mercury went up 17-8 for their largest lead of the game (9). Phoenix would go on to lose that nine-point lead for their largest blown lead of the season.
• Brittney Griner recorded her sixth double-double of season. Griner finished with 21 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
• Griner’s 14 rebounds is a season-high for her and any Mercury player this season. Her previous high was 13 rebounds vs. Minnesota on 8/7.

 

[dawrestling]

QUOTES


Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(Opening statement…)


“On the defensive end of the floor, we never really let Phoenix get comfortable. There was one moment when they went on a 6-0 run and I called a timeout. We changed the defensive scheme; the ladies were communicating, getting deflections and getting out in transition. Any time you can win against a team that’s on a roll, shooting 34 percent from the field, is a really good job. We took care of the basketball. I thought Jessica Breland was key on the boards, which creates so many more opportunities for us.”


(On Elena Delle Donne and Allie Quigley’s play…)


“You know what they bring to the table in terms of creating spacing for us, offensively. Both of these players change the opposition’s defensive schemes and then their ability to read it and attack goes a long way.”


(Her satisfaction of the defense on Brittney Griner…)


“It was tremendous. No one would talk about this because she [Griner] had 21 [points] and 14 [rebounds]. I thought Dos Santos and her 20 minutes; four rebounds did a really good job at crucial times. That was a big size difference, a different look and a little more physicality. I thought she did well. I’m pleased with it.”


(Game plan for guarding Brittney Griner…)


“The second you relax, she’ll take advantage and then she’ll score on you. Thankfully the last time we played them we did a good job, so we were able to just continue that. She’s a great player, she’s going to score points.”


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne


(On how she felt after the ankle injury…)


“I felt okay. I was confident, and my trainer had me go through a couple tests in the locker room. I felt good. Nothing a little duct tape can’t help. Tape it up, and the adrenaline takes you through.”


(On stopping Phoenix’s offense…)


“It’s crucial. If we can get stops, that means we can get in our transition offense, and that’s where we’re best. We were able to keep the ball in the middle of the floor and make things happen. It felt great getting stops.”


Chicago Sky Guard Allie Quigley


(On getting stops…)


“It’s huge. It gives us energy and confidence to know that we stopped them and helps us get in our transition game.”


(On the openness of the perimeter…)


“They’re [Phoenix] so big so they sink in a little bit. We knew whenever we got in the lane we had to kick it out and find the shooters.”


Phoenix Mercury Head Coach Sandy Brondello


(On impressions of today’s game…)


“I don’t think we came ready to play for 40 minutes. We knew they were going to make shots, and I thought we did a poor job of guarding Elena [Delle Donne]. She’s one of the best offensive players in the world, so if you’re not ready to play her she’s going to do exactly what she did today. Full credit to them [Chicago]. We started off well, but they really fought back hard. They were the better team.”


(On the physicality of the game…)


“That’s the WNBA. I think it’s good as long as it’s being called consistently at both ends. You have to be able to play against physicality if you want to be the best team.”


(On the possibility of meeting Chicago again this season…)


“Hopefully we do meet them [Chicago] again. They’re a great team, and I have a lot of respect for their coaching staff and what they’ve done. We’ll see.”


Phoenix Mercury Center Brittney Griner


(On the third quarter…)


“I don’t think we were locked in. We started the game really well: our offense, our defense, and we were energized. That third quarter we lost it a little bit. We let them come out and get hot and we got behind. That led to us not having that fire or spark.”


(On the most important aspect of her game…)


“Rebounding the ball, especially on the defensive end, and limiting any team to one shot. Also blocking the ball and keeping them from scoring.”


Phoenix Mercury Forward DeWanna Bonner


(On thoughts coming into the game…)


“They play aggressive defense. I don’t think I was aggressive enough, and I missed a couple easy shots.”


(On aggressiveness…)


“They [Chicago] put a lot of pressure on us and they rotated well on defense. It’s one game; we just need to learn from it.”


(On thoughts for the rest of the season…)


“Automatically we learn from this one and move forward to the next game.”


Phoenix Forward Candice Dupree


(On playing in Chicago…)


“It’s cool to interact with some of the fans who have been here for ten years since I was first drafted. When I walked out someone said, ‘We still love you,’ so that’s pretty cool.”


(On today’s game…)


“We were too passive. We started out well, but then they [Chicago] were congesting and double-teaming BG [Brittney Griner]. As our coach says, we weren’t on our front foot. Chicago played well and [Elena] Delle Donne played really well. We can’t leave her, and I thought we gave her way too many wide-open shots. That definitely hurt us.”

 

[dawrestling]

Date: Mon, Aug 10, 2015 at 1:04 PM
Subject: Fw: DELLE DONNE, GRINER EARN PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>




Elena Delle Donne has been named the WNBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Aug. 3 through Aug. 9. The full press release is included below.


Lauren Niemiera» Media & Communications Coordinator ph 312.994.5984 | fx 847.676.4303Chicago Sky | 5500 W Howard Skokie, IL 60077For info, call 866.SKY.WNBA



From: Tager, Sam <STager@nba.com>
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 3:00 PM
Subject: DELLE DONNE, GRINER EARN PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS

DELLE DONNE, GRINER EARN PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS


NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2015 – Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky and Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury were named the WNBA’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Aug. 3 through Aug. 9.


For Delle Donne, the Player of the Week honor is her fourth of the season and the ninth of her career. The three-time All-Star and current WNBA scoring leader helped Chicago post a 2-1 record for the week by averaging an Eastern Conference-high 23.0 points per game, tying for fourth in the East in blocks (1.67 bpg), ranking sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.471, 8-of-17), and finishing tied for seventh in rebounding (6.7 rpg). The University of Delaware product also made 21-of-22 free throws, raising her league-leading season percentage to .953.


Delle Donne, who paced Chicago in scoring in all three games, opened the week by recording 19 points, six rebounds, a career-high six assists, and four blocks in just 23 minutes as the host Sky downed Indiana, 106-82, on Aug. 4 to sweep the season series for the first time in franchise history. She followed that effort with 17 points and six rebounds in a 77-63 home loss to the New York Liberty on Aug. 7. Delle Donne capped her week with a huge performance on Aug. 9, scoring a game-high 33 points (including 11-of-18 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from three-point range) and grabbing eight rebounds as Chicago defeated visiting Phoenix, 74-64, to improve to 14-9 (.609) and snap the Mercury’s five-game winning streak.


Griner, the reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Samsung, earned her first Western Conference Player of the Week honor of the season and the third of her career. The third-year pro and former No. 1 overall draft pick (she was selected one spot ahead of Delle Donne in 2013) paced the league in blocks (5.3 bpg) en route to becoming the Mercury’s all-time leader with 279 in 76 games, surpassing the 271 for Diana Taurasi over 334 games. Griner also led the Western Conference in rebounding (13.0 rpg) and ranked fourth in the West in field goal percentage (.629, 22-of-35) and fifth in scoring (17.3 ppg).


The Baylor University product helped Phoenix (14-8, .636) to a 2-1 mark, posting a scoring and rebounding double-double in all three games and blocking five or more shots in each contest. Griner collected 18 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks, and three assists in an 87-84 home victory over the Tulsa Shock on Aug. 4. She then contributed 13 points, 12 boards, and six blocks as the Mercury defeated the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Lynx, 73-66, in Phoenix on Aug. 7. Griner closed out her week with 21 points, five blocks, and a season-high 14 rebounds (including 13 on the defensive end) in a 74-64 loss at Chicago on Aug. 9.


Other candidates for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were the Atlanta Dream’s Angel McCoughtry, the Los Angeles Sparks’ Candace Parker, the Lynx’s Maya Moore, the Liberty’s Tina Charles and Epiphanny Prince, the Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner, and the Seattle Storm’s Crystal Langhorne.


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

6/28/15 Elena Delle Donne Chicago Lindsay Whalen Minnesota

7/5/15 Tamika Catchings Indiana Nneka Ogwumike Los Angeles

7/12/15 Cappie Pondexter Chicago Maya Moore Minnesota

7/19/15 Tina Charles New York Maya Moore Minnesota

8/2/15 Tina Charles New York Maya Moore Minnesota

8/9/15 Elena Delle Donne Chicago Brittney Griner Phoenix



# # #


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

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

 

[dawrestling]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Tue, Aug 11, 2015 at 7:45 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 63, New York Liberty 84
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

SKY FALL TO LIBERTY, PONDEXTER DELIVERS 23


Score by Quarter

Chicago (14-10) 17 19 13 14 63

New York (15-6) 26 19 21 18 84


ROSEMONT- In her first game back at Madison Square Garden, Sky guard Cappie Pondexter scored 23 points to lead all scorers in the third match-up between the Sky (14-10) and Liberty (15-6) this season. Despite Pondexter’s strong shooting night, Chicago was unable to overcome a balanced scoring attack from the Eastern Conference leaders as they fell 84-63 to the Liberty.


Tamera Young started in place of an injured Elena Delle Donne (ankle). Young took advantage of the opportunity contributing on both ends of the floor. Jessica Breland paced the Sky early, scoring six points in the first five minutes of action until Epiphanny Prince began to heat up for the Liberty. Prince delivered 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting to give New York a 26-17 lead at the end of the first.


In the second quarter, Pondexter found her stride, scoring 11 points and helping the Sky pull within six but costly turnovers allowed the Liberty to maintain a 45-36 lead at the half. In the first 20 minutes the Sky had 11 assists on 17 made field goals.


Courtney Vandersloot scored or assisted on each of the Sky’s first three possessions to start the second half pulling the Sky within three points (45-42). The Liberty responded with a 7-0 run as the Sky hit a cold spell shooting 2-of-14 and closed the quarter trailing 66-49.


In the fourth, Pondexter started a 6-0 run with a transition layup. Dos Santos scored on back-to-back possessions to cut into the Liberty lead (72-57) but that is as close as the Sky would get as New York defeated Chicago 84-63. Pondexter led all scorers in the game with 23 points and Vandersloot finished with eight points, nine assists and five rebounds.


“You have to give credit to New York, but I do not think they have seen our best yet,” said Vandersloot. “We get to play them one more time fortunately and we will be ready.”



The Sky will continue its three-game road trip on Friday night against the Seattle Storm at Key Arena. Tip-off is set for 9:00 pm CT on NBA TV. The road trip concludes with a game against Los Angeles on Sunday, August 16 at 4:00 pm CT on The U Too.


Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 63, New York Liberty 84


Notes

• Chicago (14-10), the league’s top scoring team at 84.2 ppg, was without leading scorer Elena Delle Donne, who did not dress due to an ankle injury suffered in the Sky’s win over Phoenix on Sunday afternoon.
• Cappie Pondexter led all scorers in the game with 23 points and shot 55.6% from the field. She is currently averaging 15.3 points, 2.1 assists, and 4.1 rebounds with the Chicago Sky this season.
• Courtney Vandersloot finished with eight points, nine assists, and five rebounds. She is now averaging 11.2 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds for the 2015 season.
• The Sky attempted only five free throws. Heading into tonight’s game, they averaged 18.8 attempts per game. The Sky’s three made free throws against New York accounted for just 4.7% of their scoring. Prior to tonight’s game, free throws accounted for 19% of the Chicago’s scoring.
• The Sky’s defense held Liberty center Tina Charles to a season-low four points. She is averaging 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds in 2015.
• Epiphanny Prince scored 22 points and Kiah Stokes recorded her second-career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds as the New York Liberty handled the Chicago Sky 84-63 on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
• New York outscored Chicago 38-28 in the paint and continued its hot outside shooting against Chicago, nailing six 3-pointers, tied for the second most of the year; in three games against the Sky this season the Liberty is averaging 7.0 3-pointers per game.
• New York boasts the best defensive numbers in the league, ranking first in the WNBA in points allowed and defensive field goal percentage, and held Chicago to 63 points for a second-straight game, after picking up a 77-63 win on the road Friday night.
• With the win, New York improved to 15-6 overall and extended its current win streak to three, opening up a 2.5 game lead over the Washington Mystics for first place in the Eastern Conference. The Liberty improved to 8-2 at The Garden and have won five-straight on its home court dating back to late June.

 

[dawrestling]

QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach Pokey Chatman


(On tonight’s game…)


“We got down early and we had an opportunity to come back at the half. We made a decent run and cut it to a two-possession game but we weren’t able to sustain anything. I just told the team, we had a span of about four and a half minutes where we got really good shots, but they didn’t fall. We can’t let the lack of offense affect us on the defensive end.”


(On the next match-up against Seattle…)


“We need to get back and watch some video on some areas where we broke down. We were a little better in certain areas, but I think our ability to rebound the basketball and keep people out the paint will help us. We need to get ready for a team who’s record might not look similar to ours, but we have to get ready to bounce back and get stops and get ourselves in offensive transition.”


Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter


(On New York Liberty…)


“Playing at home is all about the energy, and they capitalized on that from the beginning of the game. Epiphanny Prince set the tone for them; she made some crucial shots and everyone else kind of followed suit. I thought we punched back in the third quarter, made some adjustments and we didn’t knock a few shots down and I think they capitalized on top of that, trailing ever since then. It was definitely a learning experience, but the show doesn’t stop there.”


(On Elena Delle Donne…)


“She is a key contributor to the team and it was the first time we played without her this season. So I am sure it was a little of an adjustment for everybody to play without her. We depend on her for a lot of the scoring load, and at the end of the day I think we are a solid enough team to win against anyone in the league.”


Chicago Sky Guard Courtney Vandersloot


(On Elena Delle Donne…)


“Nobody can replace Elena Delle Donne, so we needed a lot of people to step up. That is why I was trying to distribute a little bit, and get a lot of people some open looks; just to be aggressive because we are missing 20+ points and 10+ rebounds, but we needed some people to step up and it just wasn’t the night tonight.”


(On New York Liberty…)


“You have to give credit to New York, but I do not think they have seen our best yet. We get to play them one more time fortunately and we will be ready”.





New York Liberty Head Coach Bill Laimbeer


(On tonight’s game…)


“We came out without any emotion and no energy defensively. I told the starters that I would go right to the bench unless they picked it up. We got a couple good baskets and then it snowballed from there. They missed some easy looks… It was a test of wills to see if they could get back in the game. They had some good looks, but they just missed them…. I wasn’t surprised we held them to 41% shooting. They were 50% in the first half so they must have shot 32% in the second half. That’s how we play. That’s how we win basketball games – with intensity on defense. We didn’t have it in the first half but we definitely had it in the second. “


(On New York Liberty…)


“At the start of this year I said I have no clue what we had. I knew we were going to have really good chemistry and I knew that we would have people who were willing to play hard. I didn’t know how all of the pieces would come together. Kiah Stokes is the glue for us… She is always in great defensive position. Always! I knew Tanisha [Wright] was a great leader but I never coached her. She’s a phenomenal leader. She’s our floor general. I knew Epiphany [Prince] could score… Overall we made some fine moves… I think we are just New York. We are solid defensively and if we can find ways to score then watch out for us.”


New York Liberty Forward Swin Cash


(On how the team stops complacency from creeping in…)


“It is the veteran’s job to make sure we keep this team from getting complacent. Tanisha [Wright] and I keep telling the team to stay in the moment. As long as keep working hard everything else will take care of itself.”


(On what got them going after the Sky cut the double-digit halftime lead down to three in the 3rd quarter…)


“We knew they were going to make a run. Even though they played without Elena [Delle Donne] they still have good players who have pride in their game. We took a breather, took a step back, and started playing New York [Liberty] basketball to re-establish the lead”


(On the team stepping up without Tina [Charles] scoring double digit points…)


“That is the great thing about this team, we have a number of players who can score. It is great for Tina [Charles] because she can have an off-night and not feel the need to press because she can depend on her teammates to pick up the scoring load.”


New York Liberty Guard Epiphanny Prince


(On how the team keeps the momentum going…)


“We keep working on us. We feel like we are clicking and playing good basketball right now so we just need to continue to work hard and get better every day.”


(On how it felt to play in front of Coach [Vivian] Stringer…)




“It was great. I love Coach Stringer. [Tonight] she told me that she is proud of me and that made me feel good”

 

[dawrestling]

Date: Sun, Aug 16, 2015 at 6:21 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 64, Los Angeles Sparks 76
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

SKY FALL TO SPARKS DESPITE 23 POINTS FROM DELLE DONNE


Score by Quarter

Chicago (15-11) 20 15 12 17 64

Los Angeles (8-16) 19 19 23 15 76


LOS ANGELES- Following a win over Seattle on Friday night, the Chicago Sky (15-11) battled the Los Angeles Sparks inside the STAPLES Center on Sunday afternoon. Despite a game-high 23 points from Elena Delle Donne, the Sky fell to the Sparks 76-64.


Chicago started the game off strong, shooting 5-of-8 from the field to jump out to an early 10-4 lead. Cappie Pondexter led the scoring charge with four of the Sky’s first six points. She had six in the quarter and Delle Donne added seven. Jamierra Faulkner hit a three pointer from the corner to put the Sky ahead 20-19 at the end of the first quarter.


Delle Donne continued to pace the Sky, adding six points in the second quarter. Allie Quigley added four points off the bench but the Sparks outscored Chicago 19-15 in the second quarter to take a 38-35 lead at the half.


Los Angeles started the third quarter on a 12-6 run to extend their lead to nine in the first five minutes of the second half. Chicago went cold, shooting just 25.0% from the field in the third quarter and 27.3% in the second half as the Sparks continued to extend their lead. Los Angeles shot 48.3% from the field in the second half to secure a 76-64 victory at home.


“I thought we came out strong and aggressive, but Los Angeles is a tough matchup because they are huge,” said Pondexter. “It was definitely a chess match that they beat us at today because they put Nneka [Ogwumike] at the three position and made smaller guards like myself and Allie [Quigley] have to guard them.”


The Sparks were led by 21 points and 10 assists from Candace Parker and 16 points from Kristi Toliver. Delle Donne finished with 23 points and eight rebounds to lead all scorers. Pondexter was the only other Sky player to reach double-figures finishing with 11 points and two assists.


“Luckily, we get to go home and practice,” said Delle Donne. “We have not practiced in a long time with our schedule, so these upcoming days are huge for us.”


The Sky returns to action against the Washington Mystics on Friday night at Allstate Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:30pm CT.



Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 64, Los Angeles Sparks 76


NOTES

• The Sparks (8-16) defeated the Sky (15-11) 76-64 to earn its first home win against an Eastern Conference team at STAPLES Center. 


• The win earned Los Angeles its first 2015 series sweep, going 2-0 against Chicago for the fourth time in franchise history – the first time since 2011. 


·Chicago Sky guard Elena Delle Donne scored a game-high 23 points, her 17th game with 20 points or more. She has scored in double-digits in every game this season (25). 


·The Sky scored 64 points, its second lowest scoring game of the season, and scored a season-low 12 points in the third quarter. 


·Chicago outrebounded Los Angeles, 41-30, and turned the ball over nine times compared to the Sparks’ 11. 


·The Chicago bench outscored the Sparks 18-10, but were outscored by Los Angeles’ starting five, 66-46. 


·Sparks forward Candace Parker ‘s 10 assists was the most by a Chicago opponent this season. 


·Cappie Pondexter’s three-pointer with 6:20 remaining in the fourth quarter was the Sky’s 25,000th point in franchise history. Chicago continues to lead the WNBA in team points with 82.9 points per game.


·The Sparks held the Sky to 32.4% shooting, Chicago’s second-worst shooting performance of the season. 


·Forward Candace Parker earned her fifth double-double of the season with a 
team-high 21 points and a career-high 10 assists to go along with eight 
rebounds. 


·Parker’s 20-point and 10-assist double-double was the first 20-and-10 (point-and- 
assist) performance in the WNBA this season 


·Forward Nneka Ogwumike scored 15 points, stretching her double-digit scoring 
streak to seven straight games. 


 

[dawrestling]

Page 2

QUOTES

Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On today’s loss...)


“First of all, I would like to credit the opponent. But on our part, the first thing I told the team was that we did not shoot the ball particularly well. We felt good about some of the looks Elena [Delle Donne] and Cappie [Pondexter] got throughout the game, but we can’t win shooting 32% in this league. We outrebounded them and we took care of the basketball, but teams have off nights and that is what we saw today.”


(On how to improve...)


“I could name 10 things we need to improve. However, I feel extremely confident in this group. We need to focus on the defensive end of the floor and make our opponents feel uncomfortable out on the court.”


Chicago Sky Guard/Forward Elena Delle Donne


(On the third quarter...)


“We are all just battling really hard right now. There’s only eight games left in the season, everybody knows what is at stake with the playoffs looming. When the stakes are high, the physicality is high as well.“


(On bouncing back from the loss...)


“Luckily, we get to go home and practice. We have not practiced in a long time with our schedule, so these upcoming days are huge for us. We have to get back on the practice court and figure some things out so we are able to finish the season strong.”


Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter


(On the team’s performance...)


“I thought we came out strong and aggressive, but Los Angeles is a tough matchup because they are huge. It was definitely a chess match that they beat us at today because they put Nneka [Ogwumike] at the three position and made smaller guards like myself and Allie [Quigley] have to guard them.”


(On preparing for the game against Los Angeles...)


“We just came off of a great win in Seattle and we felt like we owed Los Angeles for coming into Chicago and beating us on our own home court. We really wanted to win and make a strong statement here before we headed home. Unfortunately, that did not happen.”


Los Angeles Sparks Head Coach Brian Agler


(On the team’s aggressive offense...)


“I don’t know if we are a [chippy] team like that but I liked how we responded when it started happening. We didn’t back down and it brought us together a little bit more. Through that, we extended our league. I thought our effort defensively was really good tonight. Offensively early we moved the ball and had a variety of people making big plays. Chicago’s a team that’s very difficult to defend and I thought that was one of our better defensive efforts this year.”


(On the importance of energy...)


“[Energy] is extremely important this time of year. This is why you see things like us get really flat against Seattle [or] New York get beat by Tulsa at home. That’s why you see a variety of things happen this time of year because teams get on the road, they get tired, they might even be on the road and their first game back home is like a road trip because they just got off the road and they turn around and play right away. We had a chance to settle in here in L.A. for four or five days. We got better both mentally and physically and I think it showed tonight.”


Los Angeles Sparks Forward Candace Parker


(On the team’s morale and motivation...)


“I think we’re going to be as talented as we want to be and that’s the key. We have to continue to raise our level and to be hungry. There are going to be games when shots don’t fall, what do you do then? What do you do when you go four minutes without scoring? What happens then? That’s where [the test] is going to truly be. Games like this where things are flowing, offense is running and we’re getting stops on defense those cover up all those other things. What happens when you meet some adversity? That’s the true test of this team and when that happens I’ll let you know if we’re ready or not.”


(On comparison to last game...)


“Coach always talks about the hungriest teams win. So far this season when we’ve been hungry we’ve won. There hasn’t been a game this season when we’ve played with that type of hunger and not been successful and that just proves to his point.”


Los Angeles Sparks Guard Kristi Toliver


(On the team’s defense...)


“I like to think it’s our defense. That’s always the point of emphasis. We did a really good job against them in Chicago, holding them to a low field-goal percentage. We know that when they score more than 70 points, they win games. So that was definitely a point of emphasis for us, and they really only had 60 with a couple of minutes left in the fourth quarter. Defensively we did our job and we did a good job with [Elena] Delle Donne and their main shooters. We just played to the scouting report and usually when we do that we have success.”


(On bouncing back...)


“We had a couple days since the last game. I think we did a lot of reflecting just talking to one another before the game, getting on the same page and figure out what we want out of this season. That was a reflection of this game. I think we are focused and we all understand now that it’s do-or-die time. It’s time to put our foot on the pedal and we know when we play like this, we’re a really tough team to beat and we can do really special things. It’s just a matter of staying consistent, which means we need to do this again on Tuesday against Indiana and not continue to have the roller coaster that we’ve had.”

 

[dawrestling]

From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Fri, Aug 21, 2015 at 9:56 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 87, Washington Mystics 85
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

QUIGLEY GAME-WINNER LIFTS SKY OVER MYSTICS


Score by Quarter

Washington (15-10) 23 20 25 17 85

Chicago (16-11) 23 22 21 21 87


ROSEMONT- Sky guard Allie Quigley had an impressive performance on Friday night inside Allstate Arena as Chicago hosted the Washington Mystics for a pivotal Eastern Conference battle. Despite trailing 85-82 with just under thirty seconds remaining in regulation, Chicago fought back and Quigley nailed a game-winning three pointer with 2.1 seconds left to rally the Sky past the Mystics 87-85.


“We got some good looks for some players that didn't fall earlier in the quarter, but when it counted, the confidence was there, the trust was there and we nailed it,” said Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman. “What won't make the highlight is the inbounds defense [Courtney] Vandersloot had on their point guard where they couldn't inbound it. That led to a jump ball, which was very crucial and led to a possession where we were able to seal it.”


Chicago jumped out to an early 6-0 lead hitting each of its first three field goal attempts. Washington responded with a 10-0 run of its own. The Sky’s bench contributed 10 of 23 first quarter points with Quigley and Clarissa Dos Santos adding four points apiece. After the first quarter, the score was knotted at 23.


Delle Donne took control in the second as she scored 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Courtney Vandersloot added six as the Sky took a 45-43 lead at halftime.


Quigley came alive in the second half for the Sky. She led all scorers in each of the final two quarters contributing nine points in the third and seven in the fourth. Dos Santos and Young dominated the fourth rushing to loose balls and grabbing rebounds. With 29.1 seconds remaining the Sky trailed by three, 85-82. Following a timeout, Pondexter slashed to the basket to cut the lead to just one. As soon as Washington took the ball over halfcourt, Delle Donne forced a jump ball and won the tip. Vandersloot attracted multiple defenders in the paint and dished the ball to Quigley for the game-winning three pointer as the Sky escaped with an 87-85 victory at home.


Delle Donne led all scorers in the game with 22 points and eight rebounds. Quigley finished with 20 points including 16 in the second half. Vandersloot recorded 10 assists, nine points and career-high eight rebounds.


The Sky returns to action in Washington on Sunday afternoon against the Mystics. Tip-off is set for 3:00pm CT.



Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 87, Washington Mystics 85


NOTES

• Allie Quigley clinched the 87-85 victory for the Sky with a three-point field goal with 2.1 seconds remaining in the game. Quigley finished with 20 points off the bench.
• Elena Delle Donne led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Delle Donne scored all 22 of her points without shooting a free throw. Prior to tonight, she averaged 7.56 free throw attempts per game.
• Courtney Vandersloot recorded a career-high eight rebounds en route to nearly logging a triple-double. Her previous record of seven rebounds was reached multiple times in her career. Vandersloot ended the game with 10 assists, nine points and eight rebounds.
• There were 18 lead changes in tonight’s game, with the largest lead being six when the Sky led 6-0 in the opening two and a half minutes in the first quarter. Chicago leads the 2015 season versus Washington 3-1.
• The Sky dominated under the basket, outrebounding the Mystics 45-27 and scoring 44 points in the paint compared to Washington’s 32.
• Chicago contained Washington below its average from beyond the arc, only allowing the Mystics to make 3-of-17 (.176) from the three-point line. The Mystics’ three-point average is 35.7% on the season.
• Washington kept the WNBA’s best free throw shooter, Elena Delle Donne (.958) off of the free throw line tonight. This was only the second time Delle Donne was limited to zero free throw attempts in a game this season.
• Emma Meesseman paced the Mystics with 20 points. Tonight was her fifth game of the season with 20 or more points.
• Three Mystics players scored in double figures: Emma Meesseman (20), Stefanie Dolson (14) and Kara Lawson (13).
• Tierra Ruffin-Pratt tied both her season and career-high of six assists, five of which were recorded in the second quarter.

 

[dawrestling]

Page 2

QUOTES

Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(Opening statement…)


“Throughout the game the area that was most consistent was our ability to rebound the basketball. We created opportunities for them to miss and translated that into good transition offense. The biggest thing for me is seeing a team that's growing up, trusting each other and trusting the pass. Also, looking at Allie Quigley, we got some good looks for some players that didn't fall earlier in the quarter, but when it counted, the confidence was there, the trust was there and we nailed it.”


(On intensity…)


“It’s that time of year. What won't make the highlight is the inbounds defense [Courtney] Vandersloot had on their point guard where they couldn't inbound it. That led to a jump ball, which was very crucial and led to a possession where we were able to seal it. These players are going to guard each other, so it comes down to who is going to secure the loose ball, who is going to secure the rebound, who is going to keep attacking. It gives us the momentum. It's positive having [Clarissa] Dos Santos on the floor able to run full playbook and create space. Clarissa is a bull; she'll create havoc and make things happen.”


(On Allie Quigley…)


“Allie [Quigley] has a shooter’s mentality. You won't know if she's missed 5 or made 5. That's the trust she has put into her game. She's not just a catch and shoot player. She can attack the basket and create. There were a couple of times we had crucial turnovers, but I told them in the locker room that I couldn't tell from their body language because they shook it off and went to the next play which allowed us to stay in the game and win the game.”


Chicago Sky Guard Allie Quigley


(On the last second shot…)


“I was just trying to move to an opening. Cappie [Pondexter] got in there, she probed, kicked it to [Courtney Vandersloot], [Courtney Vandersloot] probed, and I just kept trying to move to make the defense have to work harder. I’m just happy that we won.”


Chicago Sky Guard Cappie Pondexter


(On strengths of the team…)


“We have a lot of versatility; a lot of different combinations and array of different players that can provide that for us. Right now our weakness is defense. We can become better with our matchups. We know if we want to win a title that's just something we'll have to do. Know your personnel, play hard, play smart and play together.”


(On the play of Courtney Vandersloot…)


“Wow. She's our general. She's everything. We look to her to provide the offense. She’s the charger and she’s just tough. I didn't realize she almost had a triple double and it speaks to her demeanor. We just have to continue to motivate her because she is a value to this team.”

Washington Mystics Head Coach Mike Thibault


(On the team’s ball movement and 26 assists…)


“That’s pretty normal for us, we move the ball pretty well. But we didn’t win.”


(On improvements before Sunday against Chicago…)


“I’d like to have back some of the layups we missed. There were some loose balls that either turned into ones they [Chicago] got or became jump balls. We had a chance to seal the game when we were inbounding the ball on the other side and didn’t get it in. The ball went loose and they forced another jump ball. There were four or five jump ball situations tonight that really hurt us.”


(On having Kara Lawson back on the court…)


“It’s made a big difference. With the lineup of her in the starting lineup we were 7-0 before tonight. She gives us poise on the court and balances our team. Ivory [Latta] gives us energy and scoring coming off the bench, and it balances out our team.”


Washington Mystics Guard Kara Lawson


(On her performance tonight…)


“It was not very good. At the end I had a costly turnover when we had the basketball with the lead. It gave them [Chicago] an opportunity to hit the winning shot. I had a good look at the end of the game to win and missed that. At the end of the game you have to be the team that makes the most plays, and I wasn’t able to do that for our team.”


(On her leadership role…)


“I think we have a young team but also a group of veterans, Kia [Vaughn], Ivory [Latta] and myself who have been in the league for a while. It’s more just using your experience to help them, teaching them about the different ways that we’re going to play: the schemes and the players we’re against. I’ve been with Mike [Thibault] awhile so I understand his schemes and can help the team with that. Your actions and how you conduct yourself is the strongest influence on younger players.”


Washington Mystics Forward Emma Meesseman


(On overall thoughts of the game…)

“It’s up and down. We sometimes did a good job on execution, but a few moments later we let it go again. It’s the boards that kill us. They get too many offensive boards. We have them again on Sunday so we just have to learn from this.”


(On leading her team in scoring…)


“Good execution and offense led to it. We all attack the basket, help and then teammates get open. Moving the ball is how I get open.”

 

[dawrestling]

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Thu, Sep 3, 2015 at 7:40 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 82, New York Liberty 60
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

VANDERSLOOT LEADS SKY OVER TOP-RANKED LIBERTY


Score by Quarter

Chicago (19-12) 19 27 19 17 82

New York (21-9) 12 15 23 10 60


NEW YORK- On Thursday night the Chicago Sky returned to Madison Square Garden seeking redemption in its fourth game of the season against the New York Liberty. Courtney Vandersloot contributed a season-high 21 points, five assists and five rebounds as the Sky snapped New York’s three-game winning streak with an 82-60 victory.


“I think our defense is what started it,” said Vandersloot. “When we get stops and play [good] defense we can then get in transition which makes us tough to guard because we have so many shooters.”


The Sky held the Eastern Conference leading New York Liberty to just 12 points in the first quarter. Vandersloot came out shooting, connecting on two three pointers early. The Sky used a 10-0 run, led by seven points from Elena Delle Donne, to extend a 19-11 lead and never looked back.


Five unanswered points from Quigley and Delle Donne to start the second quarter gave the Sky its first double-digit lead of the night, 24-11. The Sky started the game 5-of-7 from beyond the arc and continued to roll taking a 46-27 lead at the half. Vandersloot caught fire midway through the second quarter. She shot 83% from the field in the first half to lead all scorers at the break with 16 points.


In the second half, Vandersloot nailed her 100th career three pointer just before picking up her fourth foul of the night. With Vandersloot forced to the sideline Delle Donne, Young and Breland carried the scoring load. The Sky maintained a 15-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, 65-50.


Quigley made timely shots down the stretch, contributing nine points in the fourth quarter to help the Sky solidify the 82-60 victory in New York. Quigley and Delle Donne finished with 19 points each to pace the Sky.


“If we want to do something special in the playoffs we know that we have to play good defense,” said Quigley. “We know we can score the ball, but defense will be the difference.”


With three games remaining in the regular season, the Sky returns to action on Sunday at Allstate Arena against the Seattle Storm. Tip-off is set for 5:00pmCT on The U Too.



Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 82, New York Liberty 60


NOTES


·Courtney Vandersloot made her 100th career three-pointer in tonight’s contest. Vandersloot scored a game-high 21 points incuding a 5-for-5 effort from beyond the arc.

·Chicago shot a team-best 60.0% from the three-point line. The Sky also shot 43.3% from the field and 93.8% from the free throw line. Courtney Vandersloot, Elena Delle Donne and Allie Quigley accounted for all of Chicago’s made and attempted three-point field goals (9-15).

·The Sky led the Liberty at the end of every quarter, taking its largest lead of night (22) with 2:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.

·Allie Quigley scored 19 points off the bench, as she shot 7-for-11 (.636) from the field. Quigley is currently a top bench contributor in the WNBA, averaging 10.8 points per game.

·In her first game back from a foot injury, Elena Delle Donne recorded 19 points and seven rebounds and reached her 200th free throw attempt this season. Delle Donne set a franchise record for most free throws attempted in a season, a record that was previously held by Sylvia Fowles in 2011. Delle Donne is the 28th player in the WNBA to shoot 200 free throws in a single season.

• New York won the season series with Chicago 3-1, and currently leads the Sky by 2.5 games in the Eastern Conference.
• The Liberty was held without a 3-point field goal for the second time this season (the other was at Los Angeles on July 22).
• New York had not trailed by more than three points in any of the prior three meetings with Chicago this year.
• The all-time series against the Sky is now tied 20-20.
• New York had outrebounded Chicago 139-117 in three meetings this year heading into Thursday night, but the Sky won the battle of the boards 38-36.

·Epiphanny Prince has now scored in double figures in 19-of-20 games played this season.



QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(On the improvement from Sunday’s game [72-68 loss to Connecticut]…)


“Definitely. We were talking to the ladies about attacking [themselves] or being attacked. From the beginning [of the game] we had some energy that was coupled with really good execution…and I thought Courtney Vandersloot really got us off to a nice, comfortable start.”


(On Elena Delle Donne’s play…)


“Elena [Delle Donne] helps your spacing even when she’s not getting a shot. Now you can throw Allie Quigley, someone you can run plays for. I thought Allie [Quigley] was crucial tonight.”


Chicago Sky Guard Courtney Vandersloot


(On tonight’s offensive execution translating into a big first half lead…)


“I think our defense is what started it. When we get stops and play [good] defense we can then get in transition which makes us tough to guard because we have so many shooters.”


(On tonight’s game plan going in…)


“We like to play free. One of our strengths is offense but we want to take good shots. Tonight we were getting good shots, the ball wasn’t sticking and we were able to knock some [outside shots] down.”


Chicago Sky Guard Allie Quigley


(On how the acquisitions of Kiah Stokes and Carolyn Swords have allowed Tina Charles to be more dominate offensively…)


“That takes a lot of pressure off of her defensively; allowing her to focus on her offensive [output] a bit more.”


(On getting off to a quick start…)


“I always have to be aggressive with my shots. When I hit a couple it allows me to drive for points; or kick to teammates for open shots.”


(On the team’s defensive effort…)


“If we want to do something special in the playoffs we know that we have to play good defense. We know we can score the ball, but defense will be the difference.”


New York Head Coach Bill Laimbeer


(On the team’s performance…)


“We’ve been playing hard. We’ve played good basketball. We’ve been playing together and getting things done. This is one game where we didn’t have it. Chicago played really hard. It was a good lesson for us when it comes to the energy and effort that we are going to need for the Playoffs. Tonight they had it and we didn’t.”


New York Liberty Forward Tina Charles


(On tonight’s game…)


“We missed a lot of easy shots including myself. I contributed to not making those easy shots. Our defense was not on point either and lapses on personnel and things like that especially our starting five. As a group, we have to set the tone for the team. We cannot expect our bench to do it if we do not do it ourselves as a starting unit so we have to hold ourselves accountable.”


(On the Chicago Sky’s dominance…)


“The Sky had a playoff like approach in tonight’s game. They knew they were down a really great player in Cappie Pondexter and players like Courtney [Vandersloot] stepped up and took over. Mentally, our approach was different. All season long we haven approached games this way. Our starting five did not set the kind of tone we needed. Defensively collectively, we just could have been better. Missing shots allowed them to get in transition and find [Allie] Quigley and she was knocking them down.”


New York Liberty Center Kiah Stokes


(On tonight’s game…)


“There are no excuses. They just went harder than us and they wanted it more. Once you get down to this team 19 points, it is that much harder to come back. “


(On Tina Charles being triple teamed...)


“We just have to make shots and especially the open ones. We rely on [Epiphanny] Prince to score a lot and when she and [Tina] Charles are shooting, those shots are not falling and they are getting triple teamed, we just have to step up and make up for that

 

[dawrestling]

-------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>
Date: Sun, Sep 6, 2015 at 7:29 PM
Subject: Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 93, Seattle Storm 65
To: Lauren Niemiera <LNiemiera@chicagosky.net>

BENCH PRODUCTION LEADS SKY PAST STORM


Score by Quarter

Seattle (9-22) 15 20 15 15 65

Chicago (20-12) 26 25 17 25 93


ROSEMONT- Coming off a statement victory in New York, the Chicago Sky (20-12) returned to action on Sunday night to host the Seattle Storm inside Allstate Arena. Chicago’s bench contributed 57 points led by 17 from Allie Quigley and 14 points, six assists and six steals from Jamierra Faulkner as the Sky cruised to a 93-65 victory.


“From beginning to end, everyone that came in the game had a pretty good understanding of what we were trying to do,” said Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman. “It’s nice to see us take that next step and have players 9, 10, 11 and 12 contribute at a high level as we move to the last few games before the playoff push.”


The Sky took a commanding lead, starting the game on a 16-0 run after forcing five Seattle turnovers in the first five minutes of play. Courtney Vandersloot paced the Sky with six points and three assists during the scoring run while Elena Delle Donne and Tamera Young added four points each. The Sky shot a blistering 57.1% from the field in the first quarter to build a 26-15 lead.


The strong shooting continued into the second quarter as Delle Donne scored her 1500th career WNBA point and the Sky took a 51-35 lead into the locker room.


In the second half, Chicago’s bench bench took over. Led by Quigley and Faulkner, the bench accounted for 33 of the team’s 42 points in the second half to secure its 20th victory of the season.


“Depth is huge and to know you’ve got players on the bench who can come in and get you doing even better is really relaxing for us,” said Delle Donne. “We like to get a good start, but we do know that we have them there to come in and wreak havoc on people.”


Delle Donne finished with 13 points and seven rebounds in just 23 minutes while Vandersloot added 10 points and six assists.


With two games remaining in the regular season, the Sky returns to action at Allstate Arena on Friday, September 11 to host the Tulsa Shock for the last home game of the regular season and Fan Appreciation Night presented by Juicy Fruit. Tip-off is set for 7:30pm CT on The U Too.



Postgame Notes:

Chicago Sky 93, Seattle Storm 65


NOTES


·In less than five minutes from the start of the game, the Sky built a 16-0 run, which lasted until 4:37 in the first quarter when the Storm’s Alysha Clark scored a layup. Courtney Vandersloot logged a quick six points and three assists during the run.

·Chicago’s bench outscored Seattle’s starters 57-42. The Sky’s bench was led by Allie Quigley’s team-high 17 points. Jamierra Faulkner added 14 points, six steals and six assists off the bench, as well.

·Elena Delle Donne scored her 1,500th career point in the second quarter. She finished with 13 points and seven rebounds.

·With her fifth assist, Courtney Vandersloot broke her own team record for assists in a season. Her previous record was set in 2013 when she totaled 184 assists. Vandersloot currently has 186 assists this season.

·The largest lead of the night was 28 by Chicago. The Sky led the entire game without any lead changes.

·The Sky shot 52.8% (38-72) from the field tonight. Chicago is 8-1 when shooting above 50% in a game.

·Jewell Loyd led Seattle in scoring with 21 points, which also tied her season high, in her return to the Chicago area. Loyd is averaging 10.7 points per game in her rookie season.

·Seattle’s loss combined with a victory earlier in the day by Los Angeles eliminates the Storm from playoff contention.

·The Storm’s Jenny O’Hea contributed 13 points off the bench. She also tied her season-highs in field goals made (5) and three-pointers made (3).

·The Storm totaled 21 turnovers, which is 5.9 above the team’s average of 15.1 turnovers per game. As a result, the Sky scored 29 points off of Seattle’s mishaps.

·Prior to tip-off Elena Delle Donne was presented with the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award at center court.

 

[dawrestling]

QUOTES


Chicago Sky Head Coach and General Manager Pokey Chatman


(Opening statement…)


“In the fourth quarter alone, we had 12 deflections. That obviously gets us out in transition; we were able to get stops. From beginning to end, everyone that came in the game had a pretty good understanding of what we were trying to do. It’s nice to see us take that next step and have players 9, 10, 11 and 12 contribute at a high level as we move to the last few games before the playoff push. That’s next level basketball; they don’t just maintain, they took us to another level. They really came through in the last few games and I expect it to continue.”


(On the play of Jamierra Faulkner…)


“When Little J [Jamierra Faulkner] got here, Slooty [Courtney Vandersloot] played a certain way, Little J played a certain way and now they both take a little bit of each other’s games. Her [Jamierra Faulkner] pace is different, she’s slowing it down to third gear; Sloot’s [Courtney Vandersloot] going to overdrive and that’s a nice mix. It opens so many things up for us. And I thoroughly appreciate it because you can still maintain offensive execution, but her [Jamierra Faulkner] energy on the basketball is really nice for us.”


(On whether Elena Delle Donne should be the 2015 WNBA MVP…)


“Yes! The numbers, the efficiency, the team, scoring, rebounding, efficiency…I shouldn’t have to campaign. I would say that if she were not on my team. Maya is great; Elena happens to lead the league in scoring and is second in rebounding. It’s really about Elena and not any other player. There’s no stat for the points that Elena gets for others, because she’s a utility player.”


Chicago Sky Guard Jamierra Faulkner


(On the team’s defensive effort in tonight’s game…)


“Every person guarding the ball always tries to get a deflection and get our hands on the ball so someone else can get the steal. Then we run in transition. “


(On her quickness…)


“I was always like a little fly in the game, just getting on people’s nerves so I’m going to keep doing that.”


Chicago Sky Forward Elena Delle Donne


(On the team’s depth in its bench players…)


“Depth is huge and to know you’ve got players on the bench who can come in and get you doing even better is really relaxing for us. We like to get a good start, but we do know that we have them there to come in and wreak havoc on people.”


(On whether she should win MVP…)


“I always let my game speak for itself. If the numbers and accolades come, then great. But, I’m worried about this team and that’s all I care about.”


(On earning the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award two consecutive years…)


“That really means so much to me. Growing up my parents always raised me to give back and I always knew if I ever got a spotlight I was going to do something far bigger than myself and give back. So an award like that really means the most to me.”


WNBA Legend Dawn Staley


(On Elena Delle Donne earning the community leadership award twice…)



“I think it just goes to show Elena’s commitment to the community and commitment to what she’s passionate about. I know there are other WNBA players that are doing things in their community, but it goes to show how far and how much she’s doing in the time that she really probably doesn’t have. Working on her basketball game and spending time with her family but also giving time and giving back to things that she’s very passionate about, especially Lyme Disease.”


(On Delle Donne’s inspiration for donating to the Lyme Aid 4 Kids fund…)


“I think your passion comes from who you spend time with. Obviously, with her sister being ill, I think she wants to spread the information as much as possible and get people the help that they deserve. I’m glad that she gets $10,000 to go to Lyme Disease - something that she’s been stricken by and she’s been plagued with throughout her career. But, now she’s going to give back to those who may or may not know that they have it so they can get the treatment that they need to cope with it.”


Seattle Storm Head Coach Jenny Boucek


(On how the team can improve moving forward…)


“We will have to evaluate more after the season. I think we've made great strides in terms of setting a foundation for our offense and defensive systems and our culture, and we have to keep moving on our foundation.”


(On how Seattle was affected by Sue Bird’s absence…)


“She [Sue Bird] is arguably one of the best point guards to have had ever played the game. So it's a huge hole to fill, but we are also missing two of our stretch 4's and that's a big part of what we do offensively. So everyone's a little out of position and we have a short bench right now.”


(On the team’s focus…)


“Just control the things that we can control and that isn't always performance or results. So we are focused on day-to-day process, leaving nothing out there, no regrets, and getting better all the way through the end of the season. And that will build for the future, which is what we're after.”


Seattle Storm Guard Jewell Loyd


(On her aggressive performance…)


“I just took what the defense gave me. I think when we are all aggressive we play better. So I'm just trying to get something going.”

(On what the team can do to improve in the upcoming games…)


“It most definitely starts in practice. Our main goal is to get better everyday. We have a game coming up so continuing to get better.”


(On her nerves coming into tonight’s game near her hometown…)


“My family's here, my friends are here and people from high school. I tried to let it not get the best of me but I had great teammates that helped settle me down.


Seattle Storm Guard Sue Bird



(On transitioning from this season to next season…)


Right now, we are in a rebuild situation where we have a lot of young talent and with each game we're just trying to get better, get to know each other better and just gain experience. I think it's unfortunate to lose games, particularly like the one tonight, but there's a lot to be learned from it. We really want to finish the season strong and use that as momentum heading into next season.”

(On the team’s effort and focus this season…)


“It hasn't been an issue much of at all this season, tonight was just a tough game. Chicago is a really good team and we just got off to a really bad start and couldn't recover. They had a ton of momentum and I don't think tonight's game is telling of how our season has been. I think we've done a good job coming together within each week and each month.”