Break comes at perfect time for Sky
The WNBA's monthlong Olympic break officially starts Saturday.
For the Chicago Sky, the time away will be as much reprieve as it is vacation.
“Everyone in the league needs a break right now, whether you're winning or losing. Some players are hurt, and most are tired,” Sky forward Shay Murphy said. “But for us, especially, a break is really going to be good.”
At least a break in the action will stop the bleeding.
Not even an arena packed with loud and upbeat kids Wednesday afternoon could help lift the Sky out of its long-running funk. Visiting San Antonio, the hottest team in the WNBA, rolled to a 77-68 victory in which the Sky allowed 31 points to be scored off its 22 turnovers.
The Silver Stars, who were up by as many as 21 and got 16 points apiece out of Sophia Young and Danielle Robinson, move to 12-8 overall, notching their league-best eighth straight win. They are 10-3 since losing to the Sky by 14 points May 30.
Meanwhile, the Sky, which drew its second-largest crowd in franchise history (13,161) on Kids Camp Day at the Allstate Arena, drops to 8-8 with its third straight loss and its seventh setback in eight games.
The skid, which has coincided with the loss of star guard Epiphanny Prince on June 16 to a broken foot, spoils the all-time best start (7-1) by the Sky.
“We're not a very good basketball team right now, and that's on me. I take that responsibility, and we'll figure it out,” Sky coach Pokey Chatman said. “As a team, individuals need to look in the mirror, try to improve themselves, and not have the same thing happen over and over again, or I'll continue to sound like a broken record.
“It's just that we keep on doing the same thing, and are shooting ourselves in the foot.”
Turnovers continue to sabotage the Sky, which leads the league in turnovers at more than 19 per game. In a loss to Indiana on Saturday, the Sky tied its season high with 27 turnovers.
“I'm tired of making excuses, I'm tired of feeling bad,” said Sky center Sylvia Fowles, who had the most un-Fowles-like performance of her career.
Fowles averages nearly 20 points per game. But the Silver Stars held her to just 6 points, breaking her streak of consecutive games of double-figure scoring at 83.
Fowles was just 10 more double-figure games away from setting the WNBA's record in that category.
Meanwhile, Fowles also pulled down only 7 rebounds. She averages a league-best 13 rebounds per game. This is only the third time this season she hasn't logged a double-double.
“We just have to grow up … everyone. And it starts with me,” Fowles said. “I need to be more productive.”
The Sky did get solid production out of Murphy, who scored a season-high 20 points for the second straight game. The super sub connected on 4 of 5 3-pointers after hitting all 4 of her shots from downtown Saturday against Indiana.
The only other player in double figures for the Sky was forward Tamera Young (18 points).
“I'm just happy to get into the flow of things,” Murphy said. “It's just unfortunate that it's not showing up in the win column.”
pbabcock@dailyherald.com