Bench Helps Sky Top Dream, Stay Unbeaten

The good start to the 2014 season for the Chicago Sky became even better Saturday night. To remain undefeated, the Sky likely will need its best on Monday.

Video below of Yeshaira Robles. For those interested (and even for those who aren’t).

An 87-73 victory against the visiting Atlanta Dream on Saturday improved the Sky’s season-opening mark to a franchise-record 4-0. To reach 5-0, the Sky has to overcome the WNBA’s only other undefeated team — reigning league champion Minnesota (4-0) — on Memorial Day at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.

Sky forward Elena Delle Donne had a season-high 27 points and guard Courtney Vandersloot (10 points) tied a career best with 11 assists. Allie Quigley added 13 points and Courtney Clements and rookie Markeisha Gatling 10 each off the bench.

The Sky, which shot 46.9 percent overall from the field (30-of-64), was 57.1 percent from three-point range (8-of-14) with Quigley 3-of-5, Clements 2-of-3, Delle Donne 2-of-5 and Vandersloot 1-of-1.

“I think it’s a huge thing to have a team that when the second unit comes in, it’s not just the same, you try and get better and just be aggressive,” Quigley said. “That is our goal, to just be aggressive and make something happen.”

And indeed the reserves did. They helped turn a 52-49 third-quarter lead into a 76-64 fourth-quarter advantage with Quigley, Clements and Gatling accounting for all 24 points: 10 each for Quigley and Clements and four for Gatling.

“I thought the bench came in and did a really good job,” Sky coach Pokey Chatman said. “They got the game ball tonight.”

Delle Donne had nine of her 14 first-half points in the second quarter and nine of her 13 second-half points in the fourth quarter.

“It helps [the starters] just take a deep breath,” she said of the team’s bench. “The starters at first weren’t flowing the way we usually do, we kind of started off slow. So to have them come in and lift us is so important.”

Speaking of important, Monday afternoon’s contest could be a WNBA Finals preview. Or so Sky fans would like to think.

“We’re thrilled to be 4-0 and have all W’s,” Delle Donne said. “But it’s early, and we have to continue to get better and improve.”

No time like the present. More specifically, Monday.

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