Trying times for struggling Sky
The worst road team in the WNBA didn't look like it Sunday at the Allstate Arena.
The Tulsa Shock took all of the Chicago Sky's best shots, and usually answered with better ones of its own. The Shock also delivered in the clutch, putting up 17 points in overtime to outlast the Sky 105-99.
The Shock, 1-6 on the road and 5-7 overall, got a career-high 33 points from former Notre Dame star Skylar Diggins, who sliced through the heart of the Sky defense with ease.
Sky forward Jessica Breland continued her hot outside shooting and scored a career-high 26 points, but she fouled out with 3:21 left in overtime.
The Sky (6-7) has lost six of its last seven games and still is without leading scorer Elena Delle Donne (22.3 ppg), who is recovering from a flare-up of her Lyme disease. She has missed the last five games and hasn't played since June 7.
"It was really frustrating (to foul out) because I couldn't be out there to help my teammates out," said Breland, who hit 12 of 16 shots and pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds. "Just a whole lot of coulda shouldas."
The Sky, which also got 24 points from Epiphanny Prince and 37 points from reserves Markeisha Gatling (14), Allie Quigley (12) and Jamierra Faulkner (11), should have been able to put away Tulsa. The Sky was up 7 points with two minutes remaining in regulation.
But Tulsa rookie Jordan Hooper, a streaky shooter out of Nebraska, nailed a big 3-pointer with about a minute to play to cut the Sky lead to 86-83. Forward Glory Johnson, tough inside wire to wire, then followed with an and-one drive to the basket. She made the free throw to send the game to overtime tied at 88-88. Johnson finished with 22 points.
Diggins had 6 points in overtime, and Hooper added another big 3-pointer to help Tulsa pull away. The Shock also got 18 points from rookie Odyssey Sims and 13 from Roneeka Hodges.
"They beat us on penetration, help, lots of layups, 46 paint points, and theirs were uncontested," said Sky coach Pokey Chatman, dismayed by her team's defense and its league-worst 82.1 points allowed average. "Until we take some pride and ownership in individual matchups, I'm going to sound like a broken record."
Chatman also has to continue to address the status of Delle Donne and all-star center Sylvia Fowles, who has missed the entire season so far while recovering from off-season hip surgery. The hope had been for her to return in mid-June.
With a five-game road trip over the next two weeks, the Sky sure could use some reinforcements.
"We could see Sylvia by next week," Chatman said. "She has some workouts she'll be doing where she'll be testing some things that are about the recovery time.
"As it relates to Elena, that will always be a game-time (decision) because she could have a setback. But it's also important to understand, and I had this conversation with Elena, it's not going to be coming back and playing 30 minutes. It's going to be testing it, because she's been out at a high level for a long time.
"But I think it's possible they could both return next week. Which game? I'm not sure, but before we leave (for Wednesday's game at Connecticut), I'll have a better idea."
pbabcock@dailyherald.com