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Chicago Sky's season heats up with themed nights and fan fun
Chicago Sky CMO Tania Haladner joins us to talk Barbie Night, sneakerhead celebrations, and the unforgettable fan experience at Wintrust Arena.
Tina Charles scored 23 points and had her 200th career double-double, Bria Hartley also scored 23 and the Connecticut Sun held off the Chicago Sky 94-84 on Saturday for a season-best three-game winning streak.
Hartley was 8-of-9 shooting, including 3 of 3 from 3-point range, the last coming with two minutes left to effectively end Chicago’s frantic comeback try. Connecticut led by 21 points with 3:21 to play in the third quarter before the Sky closed within four points with five minutes to play. Hartley's 3-pointer made it 89-79.
Marina Mabrey added 20 points and reserve Saniya Rivers 13 for the Sun (9-27), who won just their third road game. Charles had 10 rebounds and is the WNBA career leader in double-doubles.
Kia Nurse led the comeback for Chicago (9-27) with 19 points. She didn't score until hitting two 3-pointers in the last minute of the first half and scored 10 in the fourth quarter. Kamilla Cordoso added 18 points, Ariel Adkins had 12 and Angel Reese 11 with 11 rebounds, giving her 19 double-doubles for the season, matching Las Vegas' A'ja Wilson for the league lead.
Sky coach Tyler Marsh was ejected two minutes into the second quarter for confronting a referee about a no-call. Chicago trailed 33-20 at the time.
"It’s been egregious all year," Marsh said.
"He aggressively came onto the floor after the lead official after a no-call that was called and so that’s why he was ejected for aggressively attacking; I shouldn’t say attacking, but aggressively approaching the official," official crew chief Eric Brewton said in a pool report after the game.
Mabrey had 12 points in the first quarter as the Sun took a 28-13 lead. Connecticut shot 11 of 18 (61%) with three 3s, while Chicago was 6 of 18 (33%), going without a 3-pointer and shooting 1 of 7 from the foul line.
The Sky ended up 9 of 19 from beyond the arc, and went 15 for 26 from the foul line, with 17 turnovers. The Sun scored 26 points off turnovers.
What they're saying:
"Today would have been another game that went by where we get calls admitting mistakes and nobody has to answer for them," Marsh said after the game. "Our players continually have to answer when they don’t play well, and our coaches around the league have to continuously answer when they make decisions that don’t go there way."
"The no-call, in live play we did not see the illegal contact, but when we came back and looked at it postgame, there was contact which should have been called," Brewton said. "We just missed the play, which we should have done a better job of."