Sloot is the New Chicago Sky All-Time Scoring Leader

[ZagDad84]

Well what do you know? Sky beat the Storm, and they didn't even play particularly well. Copper was great. Trailed almost the whole way but took the lead late. Sloot w/ 7 pts/8 assists/4 rebs.

and 2 steals to add to her league leading 2.0 spg average.

Several times Seattle would jump out to a 5 point lead with the ball, but the Sky just would not go away, got key stops and had key makes when they needed them. In the last 3-4 minutes, the Sky just played better. Seattle did not deserve to win letting the Sky outrebound them by 5. The Storm refused to let Chicago dominate the turnover battle keeping it close with the Sky pulling it out 18-17. Combine getting outrebounded and lots of turnovers with a 3-17 (17.6%) shooting percentage from 3 and you earn the "L".

Copper has been really good for most of the year. She really has had a breakout year this year. Diamond DeSheilds has very similar qualities to Copper but she either is injured or terribly inconsistent. If DeShields could find her game at the end of this year, the Sky would be a tough out.

ZagDad

[ZagDad84]

Sky vs Storm in the rematch in Seattle at 3:00 PM today.

You can watch live on facebook.

ZagDad

[ZagDad84]

What a difference 36 hours makes.

Teams shooting lights out. After the 1st period Sky are leading 31-23. Sky made 7-8 from long range and 12-21 (57.1%) overall. Seattle shot just over 56% overall and 40% from 3.

Rebounds are 8-7 with Chicago leading. Storm have more turnovers than Sky 4-3 in the first period.

Sky still can't stop the simple drive up the middle. Chicago either leaving leaving the outside shooters wide open by providing too much help defense or leaving the lane wide open for the dribble drive.

Sky shooting is the only thing keeping them in the game so far. Can they keep it up for 3 more quarters??

ZagDad

[seacatfan]

Sky are boat racing Seattle. Up 63-41 at the half. Sloot is putting on a clinic. 8 assists, 11 pts on 4-5 shooting. Some of her passes look like she's playing a video game, she's just on another level. Parker is killing the Storm, 19 points on 8-12 shooting. Team is 10-15 behind the arc, and that's w/ Quigley only hitting 1.

If standings hold, Sky could face Storm in a one off playoff game. I kinda like Chicago's chances.

[ZagDad84]

Chicago really tightened up their defense in the 2nd quarter, quit giving up the easy lay-ups and continued their hot shooting in the 2nd to allow them to pull away.

ZagDad

[ZagDad84]

End of the 3rd, a Chicago runaway 81-58.

Sloot with another double-double 13 points on 5-7 shooting and 10 assists to go with 2 rebounds and a steal.

ZagDad

[seacatfan]

Parker and Sloot sit out the 4th quarter. Most of the starters for both teams did. 107-75 final, just a butt kicking. DeShields and Evans took over down the stretch, scored 16 and 14. Looked like All Stars during garbage time (well, Diamond was an All Star at one point in her career).

[ZagDad84]

After today's win, the Sky are on a 3-game winning streak. Let's take a look on how the weekend sweep of the Seattle Storm affected the Sky overall and how it affect Sloot.

- After today's victory the Sky are 3-0 versus the Storm this year. Who would have thought that.
- After today there are 6 games remaining; Tuesday in Phoenix, Thursday in Las Vegas and then finish with 4 games at home.
- With the weekend sweep against Seattle, Chicago is now 1.5 games behind Phoenix for fifth and 2 games behind Minnesota for fourth place.
- Sky now 3 games ahead of 7th and 3.5 games ahead of 8th with 6 games to go. Not a lock for post season play but getting closer.
- Sloot's average down to 9.2 apg, needs to average 10.0 apg for the last 6 games to hit that magic 300 which would match her pervious high in total # of assists per year.
- Sloot's greatest season assist totals are this year's 240 (with 6 games to go), 258 in 2018 and 300 in 2019. She only played 22 games last year or she would have had over 300.
- Counting this year Sloot has the five highest apg averages in WNBA history and she has the 3 highest total number of assists in a season.
- With only one steal today CV's average is down to 1.9 spg tied with Sylvia Fowles for best in the league.
- After today, Sloot has a total of 50 steals for the year which eclipses her previous high mark for steals in a season which was 46 once and 45 twice.

Big game on Tuesday against Phoenix (on NBA TV @ 7:00 PM PST), with a major chance to pick up ground on the 5th place Mercury.

ZagDad

[seacatfan]

It will be almost impossible for the Sky to miss the playoffs. I don't see any way 3 out of the 4 of New York, Dallas, LA or Washington could manage to jump Chicago. Most of those teams seem like they want to be losing games down the stretch. Nobody really wants #7 and #8 in the playoffs. 2 of them are going to back into the post season whether they want to or not.

[ZagDad84]

Halftime and the Sky are down 49-46. Sky has brought the lead down to 3 from 11, by playing a good 2nd quarter.

Sky have kept the rebounds even and only have 3 turnovers at half. Phoenix is shooting lights out at 54.3% overall and 46.2% from 3. Sky not quite keeping pace shooting 45.2% overall and 23.1% at half.

If Sky can continue the good play and pick up the 3 point shooting a bit, they have a chance to pick up a game on Phoenix tonight.

Sloot shooting 50% overall with 9 points and 2 assists at half.

2nd half on NBA TV.

ZagDad

[seacatfan]

Sky got stomped in the 2nd half, lost by 20. Only 4 assists for Sloot. For Phoenix Diggins-Smith had 10, Taurasi had 5, even Griner had 4.

Parker did what Parker does...followed up a great game w/ a terrible one. 2 pts. in 24 minutes, only 2 shot attempts. Has there ever been a more talented player who disappears more often? I really doubt it.

[ZagDad84]

Sky did not play poorly, but Parker had a horrible game on both sides of the ball. It is not that Parker shot poorly (she did) but she only took 2 shots all day and missed both. You know something is not just right when your all-star(??) only takes 2 shots and plays 24 minutes.

Phoenix did to the Sky what the Sky did to Seattle; just out shot them. The Mercury shot 52% overall and 51.9% from 3 (14-27) and while the Sky were o'k offensively, o'k was not going to win tonight. The Mercury cleaned up the turnovers in the 2nd half, I don't know if they had a single turnover in the 2nd half.

It was interesting that the Mercury coach pulled Skyler Diggens-Smith with a little of 2 minutes to go. She was only 2 rebounds short of a triple-double which would have been only the 10th in WNBA history (Sloot has one of the 10). I know that she was protecting Skyler from injury, but when your that close to a major accomplishment, you would have thought the coach would have had the team help her get the last 2 rebounds.

ZagDad

[seacatfan]

Sky catch a bit of a break for their game against the Aces tonight--Cambage and Hamby are both out. They'll still have to deal w/ Wilson, but Park and Stokes aren't exactly intimidating. After doing nothing against Phoenix, maybe Parker is ready to contribute again.

[ZagDad84]

Sky game versus the Aces is at 7:00 PM PST on NBA TV.

ZagDad

[seacatfan]

I don't have NBA TV. Looks like the Sky are getting lit up again. Riquna Williams and Kelsey Plum are both going off, along w/ A'ja Wilson. Down 18 approaching the half.