Best of West, East fall to Chicago Sky
Not a bad weekend for the Chicago Sky.
Over three days, the best team in the WNBA's West and the best in the East both went down at Allstate Arena at the hands of the Sky.
On Friday, the Sky out-lasted arguably the best team in the league in the Minnesota Lynx. And on Sunday night, the Sky clobbered the best team in the Eastern Conference in the Connecticut Sun, 96-76.
The victory moves the Sky to 8-5. No other team in the Eastern Conference has more wins. Connecticut drops to 7-4.
"I didn't even really think about it like that," Sky coach Pokey Chatman said when reminded that her team had twice played the role of giant slayer over the weekend. "I guess I was just more concentrated on areas of our play. Because (streaks) don't always last long.
"But I guess it's just a credit to us getting some momentum going."
Sky guard Cappie Pondexter certainly got her shot going.
She had 19 points at halftime and finished with 29 points on 5-of-6 three-pointers. It's the most Pondexter, traded from New York during the off-season, has scored in a Sky uniform. She also had a season-high 7 assists.
"It's good to be back pretty healthy," said Pondexter, who has struggled with chronic foot and Achilles injuries over the last couple of seasons. "When I'm healthy, I can play at a top level. I'm feeling good, my body is feeling really good. I'm just happy I can get out there and play the game that I love."
The Sky also got double-figures out of forwards Elena Delle Donne and Jessica Breland, who each finished with 12 points. Four other players scored at least 6 points and every player on the roster scored at least one basket.
That balance gave Delle Donne the chance to grab some meaningful rest time on the bench. Delle Donne, averaging a team-high 26.9 points and 35 minutes per game, played only 26 minutes and sat much of the fourth quarter when the Sky's lead ballooned to as many as 25 points.
Fatigue is always a concern for Delle Donne, who was plagued by a flare-up of her Lyme disease last season and missed 16 games. One of the most common symptoms of Lyme is severe fatigue.
"That's great," Delle Donne said when reminded of how she got some extended bench time. "It's a long season. Games like this (big leads and extended rest time for the starters) 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."
Center Kelsey Bone led Connecticut with 18 points while guard Alex Bentley chipped in with 14 and reserve guard Kelly Faris had 12 points.
Next game: Washington Mystics at Sky, 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.