Latest news with #ChicagoSky
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Sky Coach Sends Kate Martin, Kaitlyn Chen Message After Valkyries Game
Chicago Sky Coach Sends Kate Martin, Kaitlyn Chen Message After Valkyries Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky now own a 4-11 record during the 2025 WNBA season after Friday evening's loss to the Golden State Valkyries. With the 83 to 78 defeat, the Sky remain in 11th place in the league standings. Advertisement Second-year forward Angel Reese put together her second consecutive game with more than 17 points and 17 rebounds during the loss. Veteran guard Ariel Atkins pitched in 20 points, making her Chicago's leading scorer for the second time in the last three games. For the Valkyries, 10-year veteran guard Kayla Thornton led the way with a season-high 29 points. Young guards Kate Martin and Kaitlyn Chen added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Golden State Valkyries guard Kate Martin (20).Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images First-year Sky head coach Tyler Marsh spoke to the media after Friday's loss, Chicago's 11th of the season. He spoke in detail about Golden State's young guards, Martin and Chen. Advertisement Marsh went into detail about what each of these players specifically brings to the Valkyries, who are now 8-7 after the win. "They're two pieces that just fit perfectly into how they want to play,' Marsh said. 'The constant movement, on and off the ball, the pressure they put on you defensively as well. It allows them to play big minutes in big moments, so they came through for them tonight.' Martin is in her second professional season after being drafted in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft. She spent her rookie year with the Las Vegas Aces, but has seen her scoring rise from 2.6 to 6.7 points per game with the Valkyries in 2025. Advertisement Chen was a third-round pick in this year's draft, but she failed to make Golden State's initial roster. However, with several players fulfilling overseas commitments, Chen landed a contract back with the Valkyries. In her three games with the team, she is averaging 5.0 points, 1.0 assists and 1.0 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per contest. She is also shooting 5-for-9 from the floor and 1-for-2 from beyond the three-point line. Chicago will play their next game on Sunday when it travels to Arena in Los Angeles to take on the 5-11 Sparks. The game will begin at 4:00 p.m. ET. Related: Chicago Sky Coach Admits Blame for Angel Reese Play in 11th Loss Related: Chicago Sky Star Makes Kate Martin Statement After Loss to Valkyries This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Kahleah Copper is comparing Mercury to Sky championship team
The post Why Kahleah Copper is comparing Mercury to Sky championship team appeared first on ClutchPoints. An 11-4 start for the Phoenix Mercury has plenty within the organization excited. One of those is returning Mercury star Kahleah Copper. Advertisement After Copper returned to the Mercury at the beginning of the team's road trip, she made a pivotal impact. Her athleticism, scoring prowess, and leadership were evident from the jump. As the team secured three road wins, she hoped to sweep the road trip against her former team, the Chicago Sky. They did just that, and did so convincingly, 107-86. Not to mention, the Mercury made franchise history by making 17 three-pointers. While the bench shouted in jubilation, Copper was asked if she had fun like this any other time in her career. Her response circled back to her time with Chicago. (There was) Another moment, I definitely have to say in 2021,' Copper said. 'We had a good time against the Phoenix Mercury. But it was just so much joy. Like, I always say, that Finals MVP could have went any way. Candace, Sloot, Ali (all) came up big. Advertisement 'So yeah, we were playing with so much joy, and we were competing for the big thing. So that was probably one of the other times in my career that I was having so much joy and winning.' Kahleah Copper sees parallels between Mercury and 2021 Sky team The players and the dynamics might be different, but the success has been nearly the same. Even with starting a handful of rookies, Phoenix has made it work. A defensive philosophy, mixed with elite scoring and shooting creates a recipe for instant success. Despite Copper and Natasha Mack being the only two returning players, it feels like everyone has been on the team for a substantial amount of time. Advertisement Superstars like Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally certainly make things easier. However, you can't teach chemistry overnight, and the Mercury have just that. In Saturday's game, six players scored double-figures for points. That alone is an impressive mark, considering the star power that's on the roster. Going back to the rookies, however, they aren't technically rookies. Majority of them have played overseas, but this is their first season in the WNBA. For instance, Thomas has talked about how she's faced rookie Kitija Laksa frequently in Turkey during the WNBA's offseason. That story is only a microcosm of the experience that the rookies have. Advertisement Either way, a gritty win against the New York Liberty earlier in the week might've launched those championship conversations for the team. There's plenty of work to do, but Copper sees the joy with the Mercury, much like four years prior. Related: Kahleah Copper gives Mercury teammates their flowers after breaking 3-point record Related: Sami Whitcomb's off-the-bench record powers Mercury past Sky
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Sky Star Makes Kate Martin Statement After Loss to Valkyries
Chicago Sky Star Makes Kate Martin Statement After Loss to Valkyries originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky dropped to 4-11 during the 2025 WNBA season after Friday's loss to the Golden State Valkyries. The defeat at the hands of the league's newest expansion franchise keeps the Sky in 11th place in the WNBA standings. Advertisement Ariel Atkins led the Sky in scoring once again with 20 points in the loss. She also chipped in five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. 2024 WNBA All-Star forward Angel Reese added 17 points and 18 rebounds, as well as two assists and a steal. With this performance, she became the first player in WNBA history to record 35 points, 35 rebounds and eight assists in a two-game span (via Polymarket Hoops). Chicago Sky guard Ariel Atkins (7).David Gonzales-Imagn Images For the Valkyries, who now own an 8-7 record after Friday's victory, it was guard Kayla Thornton who led the charge with a career-high 29 points. Veteran guard Tiffany Hayes added 13 points, and second-year player Kate Martin pitched in 11 in the win. Advertisement Atkins has led Chicago in scoring in two of the last three contests. After the game, Atkins spoke to the media about Martin and her strong performance on Friday evening. 'Kate [Martin] is always aggressive," Atkins said. "That's who she's been since she was at Iowa." As a rookie for the Las Vegas Aces, Martin only averaged 2.6 points and did not play in every game. She has enjoyed a change of scenery, however, after being selected by Golden State in the 2025 expansion draft. This season, she has nearly tripled her scoring output with 6.7 points per game, and she is contributing 2.8 rebounds per contest as well. Her 11 points on Friday were her fourth-highest output of the season. Advertisement Chicago will be back in action on Sunday afternoon when it takes on the 5-11 Los Angeles Sparks. Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m. ET at Arena. Related: Chicago Sky in Disbelief Over Angel Reese Play Against Valkyries Related: Chicago Sky Announce Change After Kamilla Cardoso Leaves Team Related: Ranking the 25 Best WNBA Players of All Time This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Sky Coach Admits Blame for Angel Reese Play in 11th Loss
Chicago Sky Coach Admits Blame for Angel Reese Play in 11th Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky were defeated by the Golden State Valkyries on Friday evening by a score of 83 to 78. The loss gives them a 4-11 record during the 2025 WNBA season, which places them 11th in the league standings. Advertisement All-Star forward Angel Reese helped the Sky with 17 points and 18 rebounds in the loss. Veteran guard Ariel Atkins paced the offense with 20 points, which is the second time in the last three games that she has led Chicago in scoring. 10-year veteran guard Kayla Thornton scored a season-high 29 points for the Valkyries in the win. Tiffany Hayes chipped in 13, Kate Martin scored 11 and rookie guard Kaitlyn Chen added a career-best 10 points. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5).David Gonzales-Imagn Images The game was a back-and-forth matchup, as no team led by more than nine points at any juncture in the game. With 32.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Reese made a layup to bring the Sky within three points. Advertisement While it was a one-score game and Chicago could have played out the possession without intentionally fouling, Reese ended up fouling Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes with 22.0 seconds left. Hayes made both free throws and effectively put the game out of reach. A member of the media asked Sky head coach Tyler Marsh about the mistake after the game, and he admitted blame for the sequence that involved Reese. "That was all on me. That was my choice to have them foul," Marsh admitted. "That was a mismanagement of the clock, so you can direct that to me." Through the first 14 games of the 2025 season, Reese had been averaging 11.3 points and a league-leading 11.9 rebounds per contest. Friday marked her second straight game with at least 17 points and 17 rebounds. Advertisement The Sky will look to bounce back from this loss on Sunday afternoon when they take on the 5-11 Los Angeles Sparks, whom they just defeated on Tuesday by a score of 97 to 86. Sunday's game will take place at Arena in Los Angeles, and tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m. ET. Related: Chicago Sky Star Makes Kate Martin Statement After Loss to Valkyries Related: Chicago Sky in Disbelief Over Angel Reese Play Against Valkyries Related: Ranking the 25 Best WNBA Players of All Time This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Sky Announce Change After Kamilla Cardoso Leaves Team
Chicago Sky Announce Change After Kamilla Cardoso Leaves Team originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky are carrying a 4-10 record into Friday evening's contest against the 7-7 Golden State Valkyries. They are currently in 11th place in the league standings and will look to win consecutive games for just the second time during the 2025 WNBA season. Advertisement 2024 All-Rookie center Kamilla Cardoso led the charge during Tuesday's win against the Los Angeles Sparks. She contributed a career-high 27 points in addition to seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Angel Reese, who made the WNBA All-Star team during her rookie campaign last season, contributed 18 points, 17 rebounds, six assists and four steals as well in the win. Chicago Sky forward Kamilla Cardoso (10).Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Unfortunately, Cardoso began her temporary absence from the Sky after Tuesday's game as she will play for her home country, Brazil, in the Americup tournament during late June and early July. She will be unavailable for the game against the Valkyries. Advertisement First-year head coach Tyler Marsh had a decision to make about who would start in Cardoso's place alongside Reese. The Sky announced just before Friday's game that five-year veteran forward Michaela Onyenwere would start in her place. "your starting 5️⃣ tonight," the Sky wrote. Onyenwere joined the Sky last season and has played in 48 games for Chicago in just under a season and a half. She started 18 contests last season, but Friday will mark her first start of the 2025 campaign. This season, Onyenwere has played in all 14 games and is averaging 4.4 points, 1.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per contest in just 12.4 minutes per game. Advertisement Her best game of the season came on June 21 against the Phoenix Mercury when she poured in 17 points, two rebounds and two assists. Tipoff between the Sky and Valkyries is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Related: WNBA Sends Angel Reese Message Before Chicago Sky Game on Friday Related: Chennedy Carter Had Three Words for a Fan Wearing A'ja Wilson T-Shirt This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
