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The Chicago Sky got off on the right foot Saturday against the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sky took a 10-point lead after one quarter with center Sylvia Fowles scoring 11 and rookie forward Elena Delle Donne six in the first 10 minutes.
ChicagoSky rookie sensation Elena Delle Donne may have more scoring responsibilities, if Sylvia Fowles is going to miss any games.
The Sky got off on the wrong foot — Fowles’ right one — in the second period. Going up for an offensive rebound, Fowles fell to the ground where she remained for about 30 seconds before the Sky called a timeout. An injured right ankle ended Fowles’ evening (17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, 7-of-9 free throws, five rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal).
Despite the loss, the Sky emerged with a 94-82 victory. The four other Sky starters scored in double figures with guard Epiphanny Prince having a team-high 21. Rookie Elena Delle Donne had 20, Courtney Vandersloot 12 and Swin Cash 10.
More than her points, Cash played tough defense on Sparks star Candace Parker, who had a game-high 23 points on 9-of-21 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 free throws.
“Just kind of landed funny,” Fowles said of her injury. She left Allstate Arena on crutches and her foot in a walking cast.
The Sky (7-3) improved to 5-0 at home before an announced crowd of 6,885. The Sparks (5-4) fell to 0-4 on the road.
“Swin was good defensively, [Elena] picked her spots offensively, and we executed down the stretch. We relatively did a decent job taking care of the ball with seven turnovers. When you put up 90-plus points against any team, that’s good — especially when you have Sylvia sitting in there with a sprained ankle. So it was a good win and we’re going to rest tomorrow and get ready for Seattle on Tuesday.”
“We want to win every time we play,” Sparks coach Carol Ross said. “We don’t care where it is. But to win on the road, you’ve got to really defend and rebound, you’ve got to take care of the ball, you’ve got to do all the little things and we’re not there yet. Thank God we protect our home pretty well. I think with most teams, you tend to have a comfort level at home, you get people who actually like you there, you get a whistle here or there. We’re a prideful group. We’ll get ready for the next one.”
“I think the energy was there, the effort was there,” Naperville native PArker said. “We just have to make plays. I don’t know whether it’s not sleeping in our bed or it’s the plane or what it is, but we have to figure it out and correct it. We’ve figured it out at home; we just have to take it to the road.”
Of her first meeting against Delle Donne, who occasionally guarded her and whom she occasionally guarded (Parker blocked Delle Donne’s shot on the Sky possession before Fowles was injured), Parker said:
“I think she’s a great player. I remember her coming to Tennessee on her unofficial visit before she committed to Connecticut. I think they have a good squad here in Chicago, and I know they’re going to make the playoffs. We knew what she could do. She’s one of, if not the best, rookie in that class. She’s very versatile. They just have to stay healthy. Obviously they took a step back today with Syl being out. I know in years past, they were geared to make the playoffs when injury happens. You can’t control that. You have to have a little luck and win your ballgames, and they’re doing that.”
The Sky, which never trailed and led by as many as 14, took a 27-17 first-quarter lead before settling for a 47-41 halftime advantage.
“We sometimes have a little bit of a lapse here and there,” Delle Donne said. “And you know, championship teams don’t do that, so we need to always play our best all four quarters. We can’t get behind like the last game and have to come back so we always have to play really hard. I think that’s going to start with defense every time.”
If Fowles misses any games, Delle Donne may face greater attention with opponents possibly trying to double-team her. But the former Delaware star definitely has impressed with Ross and her players among the latest.
“I think they were pretty good last year when they were fully loaded,” Ross said of the Sky, which never has reached the postseason. “Delle Donne is clearly not just one of the best rookies in the league. She’s fast becoming one of the better players in the league. She’s as good as advertised. She’s a matchup nightmare. She does a lot of really good things. It’s hard to put her in a box and say, ‘she’s this’ or ‘she’s that.’ ”
Well, you can say “she’s incredibly talented” or “she’s playing like the rookie of the year.”
Whether you also can say you’ll see her in the playoffs is something yet to be determined — although as determined (and skilled) as she is, chances are the Sky will be around for the postseason.
Some Sparks-Sky video for your perusal:
Here is where we go for our daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the excellent efforts of the editorial and video departments at elliottharris.com and the fact that they don’t know the meaning of “gratuitous,” among many other words). Thanks also to the fine folks at Sports Illustrated who have provided videos of SI’s top swimsuit models of all time. Here are a few more — with many more yet to come:
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