The Chicago Sky fell to the Atlanta Dream 87-78 on Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena in preseason action despite a strong third-quarter response led by Sydney Taylor.
During the game, the Chicago Sky organization honored former Sky player Angel Reese with a tribute video recognizing her time with the franchise. Reese returned to Chicago as a member of the Atlanta Dream and contributed across the stat sheet with 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals.
Atlanta controlled the pace early and carried a 43-30 lead into halftime behind balanced scoring, strong rebounding, and efficient ball movement.
The Dream opened the game with a 25-17 first quarter advantage before extending the lead in the second quarter, outscoring Chicago 18-13. Atlanta built its largest lead of the game at 20 points and dictated the tempo on both ends of the floor.
Rhyne Howard led Atlanta with 9 points, while Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada each added 8 points. The Dream also received steady production throughout the lineup and finished with 13 assists in the opening half and a rebounding advantage of 21-16.
Atlanta was especially effective inside, scoring 18 points in the paint while forcing Chicago into difficult offensive possessions. The Dream shot 38.5% from the field and converted 61.5% from the free-throw line during the opening half.
Chicago struggled to establish offensive rhythm early, shooting 35.5% from the field and 30% from three-point range before halftime. One bright spot for the Sky was their free-throw shooting, converting 83.3% from the line.
Maddy Westbeld and Rickea Jackson led Chicago with 8 points each early in the contest, but turnovers continued to hurt the Sky offensively. Chicago committed 10 first-half turnovers and managed only 14 points in the paint.
The Sky responded with improved energy in the third quarter as Sydney Taylor provided a major offensive spark. Taylor helped Chicago outscore Atlanta 28-21 in the period and finished with a team-high 23 points, shooting 7-for-13 from the field while knocking down seven three-pointers.
Rachel Banham added 9 points, while Hailey Van Lith contributed 5 points off the bench.
Despite Chicago’s third-quarter push, Atlanta maintained control late behind balanced scoring and rebounding. Te-Hina Paopao scored 13 points off the bench, Isobel Borlase added 13 points, and Madina Okot recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The Dream finished the preseason contest shooting 41.7% from the field and won the rebounding battle 39-32. Atlanta also capitalized on Chicago’s 17 turnovers, converting them into 18 points.
For the Sky, Kamilla Cardoso finished with 3 points and 4 rebounds, while Maddy Westbeld added 5 points and 5 rebounds. Rachel Banham scored 9 points, and Rickea Jackson finished with 9 points overall.
Chicago shot 40.3% from the field and 38.1% from three-point range but was unable to overcome Atlanta’s depth, rebounding advantage, and early deficit.
As a preseason matchup, the game provided both teams an opportunity to evaluate rotations, build chemistry, and continue preparing for the regular season.
