Where Have All The Buckets Gone
The Sky set a single-season record for the percentage of points scored off assists with over seven of every 10 points coming in such a fashion. Point guard Courtney Vandersloot again led the league in assists per game, something Sky fans have come to expect.
Such efficiency was absent over the last stretch of regular-season games, however. A home loss to a Washington Mystics team that was missing three of its four best players preceded a 30-point loss to the Las Vegas Aces at Wintrust. In the regular-season finale, Chicago struggled to put away a last-place Indiana Fever team that only had six active players.
In those three games, the Sky averaged 12 turnovers and looked lifeless on offense for long stretches. If that happens again Thursday night, the Chicago Sky playoffs will end short of the semifinals for a third consecutive year.
Dallas Talented Roster Presents Issues Galore
Dallas won each of the last two meetings between these teams in the regular season, one of which took place at Wintrust Arena. The biggest difference between the lone Chicago win and the two Sky losses was Chicagos ability to force Dallas scoring leader Arike Ogunbowale to try to beat the Sky on her own.
In the June 30 victory over Dallas, the Sky limited all Wings players not named Ogunbowale to just 54 points. Ogunbowale attempted more shots than the rest of the starting five combined. They also held Ogunbowale under 40% shooting.
Three days later, the rest of the Wings besides Ogunbowale tallied 82 points and she attempted half as many shots. Ogunbowales ability to pick her spots improved her percentage to exactly 40% in the game.
To move on this year, the Sky will also have to recapture offensive execution that has escaped them of late. Theyve certainly shown the potential to be efficient on that end at times.
Copper Parker Help Sky Hold Off Wings In Playoff Opener
The Associated Press
CHICAGO Kahleah Copper scored 23 points, Candace Parker had a double-double and the Chicago Sky beat the Dallas Wings 81-64 in a first-round WNBA playoff game on Thursday night.
Parker finished with 11 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals for the sixth-seeded Sky, who advance to a second-round game on Sunday against third-seeded Minnesota.
The seventh-seeded Wings were eliminated from the playoffs. The first two rounds are single elimination, with the league’s top two teams getting a bye into the semifinals, which are best-of-five.
Courtney Vandersloot had 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists, nine in the fourth quarter after the Wings had cut a 21-point first-half deficit to 55-52 early in the period. Allie Quigley added 15 points for Chicago.
Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 22 points and Satou Sabally added 12.
Chicago led by as many as 21 points before settling for a 44-29 halftime advantage. Cooper had 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Parker had seven points, nine rebounds, six assists and two steals.
The Wings, who entered the game with less playoff experience combined than four different Chicago players, charged back in the third quarter, outscoring the Sky 21-11 behind Sabally’s eight points.
Allisha Gray’s close-range shot early in the fourth quarter cut the deficit to three and Ogunbowale’s 3-pointer with 4:22 left made it 68-62. But Dallas didn’t get any closer as Vandersloot scored seven points in a 13-1 closing run.
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Chicago Sky Vs Dallas Wings
- Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
- Chicago is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
- Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chicago’s last 9 games on the road
- Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Dallas
- Chicago is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Dallas
- The total has gone OVER in 9 of Chicago’s last 12 games when playing Dallas
- Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Dallas
- Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Dallas
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chicago’s last 8 games when playing on the road against Dallas
- Dallas is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games
- Dallas is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Dallas’s last 7 games
- Dallas is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Chicago
- Dallas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Chicago
- The total has gone OVER in 9 of Dallas’s last 12 games when playing Chicago
- Dallas is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago
- Dallas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas’s last 8 games when playing at home against Chicago
- Dallas is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
- Dallas is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home
Prediction And Best Bet
During the regular season, Chicago and Dallas squared off a total of three times, with the Wings owning a 2-1 advantage in that series. The Wings claimed wins over the Sky on July 2 in Arlington and Aug. 17 in Chicago, with Chicago taking the lone game of the series on June 30 in Arlington.
On Thursday night to open up the playoffs, this should be one of the more entertaining and back-and-forth games in the early stages of the postseason, as both teams are pretty evenly matched and can put up points in a hurry. But with Chicago playing the contest at home, that might be one of the biggest factors into the Sky ultimately coming out on top and advancing to the second round.
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Sky Try To Defend Home Court
Chicago comes into the first round of the playoffs as the early favorite, likely due to the mix of it being a higher seed and playing at home for the single-elimination games.
After a rough start to the year, Chicago finished the regular season with a record of 16-16 overall en-route to claiming the sixth seed and a home contest in the opening round. The Sky have played better in the latter portion of the season, having gone 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Leading the way for Chicago this season was Kahleah Copper with 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists and Candace Parker with 13.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, four assists and 1.2 blocks. Behind them, Allie Quigley has averaged 13.2 points, Diamond DeShields averaged 11.3 points and 3.5 rebounds and Courtney Vandersloot has tallied 10.5 points, a WNBA-best 8.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds a game.
At home in Chicago this season, the Sky hold a record of 6-10 in front of their fans. Part of the reason behind that below-.500 mark at home was due to the slow start to the year as mentioned, but Chicago is hoping playing at home will give it a boost when it needs it most on Thursday.
Craig’s 5 Free Expert Betting Picks
On Thursday, the Dallas Wings visit the Chicago Sky in the opening round of the WNBA playoffs with the winner moving on and the loser eliminated. The Wings finished the regular season 14-18 following an 87-84 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks. Arike Ogunbowale was the leading scorer for Dallas with 20 points and the victory for Dallas eliminated Los Angeles from postseason contention. Dallas won two of its final three regular season games.
Arike Ogunbowale is the leading scorer and leader in assists for Dallas with averages of 18.7 points and 3.3 assists per game. Satou Sabally is the leading rebounder with an average of 6.0 rebounds per game. Marina Mabrey is the second leading scorer with an average of 13.3 points per game and one of five players for Dallas averaging double-figures in scoring.
Chicago finished its regular season at .500 with a record of 16-16 after defeating the Indiana Fever 98-87. Diamond DeShields was the leading scorer for Chicago with 30 points and a run of 14-4 for Chicago blew open a close game and gave the Sky their margin of victory. Chicago struggled down the stretch losing four of its final six but finished second in the Eastern Conference.
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Sky Attempt To Defend Residence Court Docket
Chicago comes into the primary spherical of the playoffs because the early favourite, doubtless as a result of mixture of it being a better seed and taking part in at house for the single-elimination video games.
After a tough begin to the yr, Chicago completed the common season with a document of 16-16 general en-route to claiming the sixth seed and a house contest within the opening spherical. The Sky have performed higher within the latter portion of the season, having gone 5-5 of their final 10 video games.
Main the best way for Chicago this season was Kahleah Copper with 14.4 factors, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists and Candace Parker with 13.3 factors, 8.4 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.2 blocks. Behind them, Allie Quigley has averaged 13.2 factors, Diamond DeShields averaged 11.3 factors and three.5 rebounds and Courtney Vandersloot has tallied 10.5 factors, a WNBA-best 8.6 assists and three.4 rebounds a recreation.
At house in Chicago this season, the Sky maintain a document of 6-10 in entrance of their followers. A part of the explanation behind that below-.500 mark at house was as a result of gradual begin to the yr as talked about, however Chicago is hoping taking part in at house will give it a lift when it wants it most on Thursday.
Wings Vs Sky Prediction And Pick
While this game might be close, the experience of the Sky will kick in late and push them towards a victory. The Sky like to spread the floor and take their shots from downtown, leading to a much more open game. Chicago is also the best team in the league when it comes to free-throw percentage, which is crucial in the playoffs.
The Wings are going to make this a game, but Candace Parker, Kahleah Cooper and Courtney Vandersloot will be too much for the young Wings.
Can the Wings upset the Sky? Make your pick now on WynnBET!
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Wnba Dallas Wings Vs Chicago Sky 9/23/2021 Picks Predictions Previews
WNBA Dallas Wings vs Chicago Sky 9/23/2021 Picks Predictions Previews
The Chicago Sky are hosting the Dallas Wings at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Thursday, September 23, at 20:00 in the first of the two single elimination matches of the WNBA playoffs. Chicago is coming off a win that ended their previous two-game losing streak and finished in the second place of the East and sixth in the whole league. Dallas is 2-1 in their previous three matches and finished in the second to last place of the West but managed to clinch the seventh place of the WNBA.
The Sky finished the regular season with a 16-16 record and are 12-19-1 against the spread and 19-13 in over/under. They are coming off a home victory against the Indiana Fever with a 98-87 score, not beating the odds. They almost with the same percentages than their opponents both from the field and from downtown and were led to victory by an amazing Diamond DeShields off the bench. She scored a game-high 30 points, adding 7 rebounds and a team-high 6 assists.
Kahleah Cooper leads the team in scoring with 14.4 ppg, adding 4.2 rebounds per game. Candace Parker adds 13.3 ppg, 4 assists and a team-high 8.4 rebounds per game.
Ugunbowale leads the team both in scoring with 18.7 ppg and in assists made with 3.3, adding 3.2 rebounds per game. Marina Mabrey adds 13.3 ppg and 3.9 rebounds per game.
Wnba: Parker Chicago Sky Vs Dallas Wings In The Playoffs
After five months and 32 games, we have reached the survival stage of the Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings this season. They only have one game to watch right now, and that is Thursday night at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The winner will advance to the second round and play against the No. 3 Minnesota Bobcats or the No. 4 Seattle Storm. The loser will end in the 2021 WNBA season.
In the game on Thursday night, Wings must feel good. They entered the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Their team has a superstar, Arike Ogunbowale, and they have defeated the Sky team in two of their three games this season. Not to mention, they are weak on paper, putting less pressure on them, and even more pressure on Chicago.
In order for Wings to win, they need an important game from Ogunbowale. In the playoffs, it is usually the stars who shine and lead the team to glory, especially if the game ends midway through the fourth quarter. Those are the moments when superstars provide you with buckets. If Wings finds himself in a single or double control game, then hope the ball is in Ogunbowaleâs hands.
In Wingsâs two wins against Sky, their three-pointers shot very well: 55% and 50% respectively. In a defeat against the sky, they shot 24%. If they want to win away games, they need to actively shoot three-pointers.
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Wings Looking For Upset Win On The Road
As a bottom two seed in the playoff field, the Wings will have to play on the road for most, if not all, of the playoffs.
Dallas wrapped up the regular season with an overall record of 14-18, tallying a .500 record of 5-5 over the final 10 games. The Wings finished two games back of the Sky in the standings, at one point threatening to challenge Chicago for the sixth seed.
Arike Ogunbowale has led the way for Dallas all season long, averaging a team-best 18.7 points, 3.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. Marina Mabrey averaged 13.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists during the summer, followed by Allisha Gray and Satou Sabally with 11.9 points a piece.
Away from home this year, the Wings compiled a record of 7-9 on the road, the same mark they finished with at home. So it appears Dallas is comfortable playing wherever, and well see if that remains the case in the first round.
Three Keys That Will Decide The Game
Can the Sky recapture their early-season form on defense?
Despite a talented and experienced squad, the Sky’s porous defense has held them back the past few seasons. One of their goals this summer was to fix it, both through internal development and Parker’s arrival.
Early on, they showed great strides and heading into the Olympic break boasted the third-best defense in the league. Once play resumed, however, it was a different story. They allowed 105.5 points per 100 possessions after the Olympic break, a mark that put them 10th in the league in that span.
Simply put, that’s not good enough. It’s great to be able to score, but at a certain point, you need to be able to stop someone if you want to win in the playoffs. We know the Sky can shut opponents down, but whether they’ll show up on that end of the floor on Thursday remains to be seen.
What can the Wings get from Satou Sabally?
This has been another frustrating season for the former No. 2 pick. Though she started out well, she was limited to just 17 games due to an ongoing Achilles tendon problem, and only returned to the lineup in recent days. She did play in the regular season finale, but only put up four points in 19 minutes.
Her health and availability will play a big role in how this game goes. At her best, Sabally’s ability to space the floor and facilitate opens up so many options for the Wings on the offensive end. Meanwhile, her length and athleticism make her a prime candidate to guard Candace Parker.
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