CHICAGO — The Chicago Sky engaged the New York Liberty in a heated rematch two days after their July 11 contest. The Sky came out swinging in the first quarter but Sabrina Ionescu and New York stormed back and won 81-67. Angel Reese put on another stout performance. Yet, her historic double-double streak ended after New York's absurd defensive effort in the final seconds of the game.
Reese was just one bucket away from extending her WNBA record for most consecutive double-doubles in league history. However, the Liberty sent a triple team so as not to make things easy for the rookie:
New York's effort was successful, and Reese's historic streak ended at 15 games in a row. She finished Saturday's matchup with eight points and 16 rebounds.
Angel Reese has had an incredible month-and-a-half stretch with the Sky. First, she earned the WNBA's Rookie of the Month award for June. Less than 12 hours later, the league informed her that she made her first All-Star berth. Then, Reese was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for her efforts between June 30 and July 7. Her double-double streak captured just a small part of what she is capable of. However, Chicago knows they must keep reflecting after another tough loss to New York.
Saturday's Sky-Liberty matchup had a different intensity than the team's game two days prior. Marina Mabrey received a technical foul in the second quarter after talking back to one of the officials. Then, officials handed Angel Reese a technical after she picked up consecutive fouls in the fourth quarter. Eventually, Teresa Weatherspoon picked up her own technical after expressing frustration following a non-called foul on Angel Reese down the stretch. New York capitalized on the momentum swing and kept the pressure on Chicago.
The Liberty were without All-WNBA forward Breanna Stewart but had enough firepower to give the Sky problems. Sabrina Ionescu ended the afternoon with a game-high 28 points along with six assists. Ionescu torched Chicago in the fourth and helped seal the Liberty's win.
Sky find bright spot in tough Liberty loss
Michaela Onyenwere was a major spark for the Sky off the bench. She scored 8 points, one rebound, and nearly helped Chicago secure a crucial possession during the second quarter. The fourth-year forward finished the game with 14 points and shot a blazing 85 percent from the field.
Onyenwere revealed a crucial mindset after her breakout performance on Saturday.
“I'm always ready. You know, every player wants to play. That's why we're here. We want to get minutes and contribute to the team, but that's not always the reality. So when I wasn't playing as much, I just focused on being the best human being I could be. But also staying prepared. I was always coming to the gym, coming early. Keeping my same routine regardless of what was going on. That's really just my mindset all the time,” Onyenwere said during the postgame press conference. “Whether it's two minutes or 30 minutes, I'll always be ready.”
Chicago will need more of Michaela Onyenwere's production going into the latter half of the 2024 season. The Sky's Liberty loss moved them to 9-14, one spot below the Indiana Fever for eighth place in the WNBA standings. Chicago will face the Las Vegas Aces on Jul 16 before the All-Star break.
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