The Chicago Sky were backed into a corner and fought their way back, but still ended up coming up short to the Washington Mystics in their home opener, 71-69.
With so many casting doubts on the Sky’s ability to remain a viable presence in the league due to their drastic roster changes, they know they have their work cut out for them. But with two opening season victories, there is much they can hang their hat on, even with this first defeat.
The first quarter went by relatively quickly as the teams didn’t take a break after playing nearly seven full minutes. The Sky started out solidly as their offense was largely relegated to inside points. They shot solidly from mid-range and their efficient ball-handling made space inside for some additional baskets.
They managed to hold onto the lead for much of the quarter without making a single 3-pointer.
Defensively, they were by and large scrappy, but towards the end, they started to sag and left room for the Mystics to hit from beyond the arc on a few occasions. Chicago also made some bad passes down the stretch which led to turnovers and Washington tying the game at 18.
In the second quarter, the momentum quickly shifted in favor of the Mystics. They went on a 20-7 run from the 8:34 mark to the 2:27 mark. Chicago was…
