The Chicago Sky were back in action on Saturday evening taking on the Los Angeles Sparks following their tough double-digit fall to the Phoenix Mercury. Chicago faced challenges during the latter half of the game but rallied to win 90-86. On an evening when Angel Reese struggled to shoot the ball, Kamilla Cardoso and Lindsay Allen stepped up. Allen revealed what spurred the Sky's comeback and spoke on the vital impact of Cardoso after the game.
Chicago was down by 10 points at the end of the third quarter, but Lindsay Allen revealed the key message that sparked their comeback.
“The message was to be more disruptive,” Allen told reporters during the postgame press conference. “[Getting more] rebounds, more disruptive, making sure we're getting back on defense…. that was huge for us.”
Allen finished the night with 16 points, six assists, and four rebounds. She shot 63.6 percent from the field and helped keep the Sky poised, but aggressive. Allen's facilitation and tempo-pushing were huge after it looked like the Sparks had taken the game's momentum. Still, Allen gave Kamilla Cardoso massive credit for her two-way effort.
“For Kamilla, it's just all about her being active. Her length is something that we really rely on, so when she's defending hard, running hard, posting up hard every possession, it really makes a difference for us,” Allen added.
Kamilla Cardoso has shining moment in Sky's comeback vs. Sparks
Cardoso finished Saturday evening's game with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks. As Allen mentioned, the 6-foot-7 center played hard on both ends of the floor. Cardoso would not let Sparks' slashers get an easy layup, and she was relentless on the boards alongside Angel Reese, as Curt Miller predicted.
Cardoso praised her teammates for having confidence in her after the game. Her effort was exactly what Chicago needed, as Reese did not have her best shooting performance.
Like Cardoso, Reese gathered a double-double, amassing 14 points and 11 rebounds. However, she went just 4-for-13 from the field.
Teresa Weatherspoon said the Sky made a concerted effort to play through Reese and Cardoso, and they plan executed their plan well overall.
The Sparks were close to handing Chicago their second straight loss, but their energy dulled early in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles was missing the services of former second overall pick Cameron Brink, who suffered a devastating knee injury in June.
Chicago looks to ride the momentum of their win in LA into the second night of a back-to-back against the Phoenix Mercury.
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