The Chicago Sky erased a 12-point deficit and fought back to make it a one-possession game late, but the Phoenix Mercury had enough firepower to escape Wintrust Arena with a 106-101 victory Monday night.
The loss drops Chicago to 11-19 on the season and 7-8 at home, while Phoenix improved to 12-19.
Phoenix placed five players in double figures, led by Kahleah Copper’s game-high 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including four three-pointers. Alyssa Thomas recorded another triple-double with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists, while Kelsey Plum made an immediate impact in her Mercury debut with 20 points and four assists. DeWanna Bonner added 14 points and eight rebounds, and Valeriane Ayayi chipped in 11 points.
Chicago also featured a balanced offensive attack with five players scoring in double figures.
Courtney Vandersloot delivered one of her best performances of the season, finishing with 16 points and a season-high 10 assists in just under 27 minutes. The veteran floor general sparked the Sky’s third-quarter comeback, recording six assists during the period as Chicago erased a nine-point deficit. It marked the 63rd game of her career with at least 10 points and 10 assists.
DiJonai Carrington continued her strong start with the Sky, matching Vandersloot with 16 points while repeatedly attacking the basket. Carrington earned a career-high 12 free throw attempts and has averaged 11.7 points in her first three appearances with Chicago.
Kamilla Cardoso anchored the Sky inside with another impressive all-around performance, posting 16 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and a block while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. The second-year center also continued climbing the franchise record books, moving into the top seven in offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds and blocked shots in Sky history.
Natasha Cloud filled the stat sheet with 13 points, seven assists, five rebounds and a steal while shooting 4-for-8 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line. During the first quarter, Cloud passed Skylar Diggins for eighth place on the WNBA’s all-time assists list with 1,868 career assists.
Rookie Sydney Taylor provided a spark off the bench with 14 points and three assists in just 17 minutes. Taylor also reached two milestones, becoming the first undrafted rookie in WNBA history to score more than 400 points in a season and recording the 400th point of her career. Gabriela Jaquez added nine points on 4-of-6 shooting.
The game featured nine lead changes and four ties before Phoenix seized control during the second quarter. The Mercury used a decisive 22-8 run and outscored Chicago 29-20 in the period to take a double-digit advantage into halftime.
The Sky responded after the break, shooting 73.3 percent from the field in the third quarter while outscoring Phoenix 30-23. Chicago extended its momentum into the fourth with a 20-8 run to pull within striking distance, but the Mercury answered behind Copper, Thomas and Plum to secure the victory.
Despite the loss, Chicago won several statistical categories, including points in the paint (48-40), second-chance points (12-8), fast-break points (15-8), bench scoring (36-31) and assists (29-26). The Sky also committed just eight turnovers compared to Phoenix’s 12.
The Sky recorded their fifth 100-point game of the season and their eighth contest with at least 25 assists.
Chicago will return to action Wednesday night when it hosts the Los Angeles Sparks at Wintrust Arena. The season series is tied 1-1, with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. CT on USA Network.
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