Angel Reese leads furious comeback from 15 points down as Sky defeat Caitlin Clark’s Fever

CHICAGO — Another matchup between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, another dramatic finish. This time, it was the Sky who came away victorious, as they completed a 15-point second-half comeback to win, 88-87, in one of the best games of the season.

In the process, the Sky snapped the Fever’s four-game winning streak and jumped ahead of them in the standings into the eighth and final playoff spot. After an extremely close first half, the Fever seemingly broke the game open in the third quarter behind Caitlin Clark, who put on a passing clinic. They led by as many as 15 points in the middle of the frame, and seemed to be cruising to another victory.

The Sky had other ideas, however, and closed the frame on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to eight heading into the fourth. From there, it was all Sky, as they held the Fever to 15 points on 5 of 16 from the field. Angel Reese, who scored the go-ahead bucket in the final minute, finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds to set a new career-high for scoring and become the first rookie with 25 points and 15 rebounds in a game since A’ja Wilson in 2018. Kamilla Cardoso added a career-high 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Chennedy Carter went for 23 points.

Clark led the way for the Fever with 17 points, six rebounds, 13 assists and four steals. She not only set a new career-high for assists, but the franchise record as well. Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever in the scoring department with 24 points, and Aliyah Boston went for 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Here are some key takeaways from the game:

Reese leads comeback, makes history in the process

Late in the third quarter on Sunday, it was looking like a rather forgettable afternoon for Angel Reese and the Sky. She had been quiet, and the team was down by 15. Then, suddenly, she flipped a switch and lit up Wintrust Arena. First, an incredible catch and finish in transition for an and-one, then a pair of free throws to key a 7-0 in the final minute of the third cut the deficit to single digits. 

She carried that energy into the fourth quarter and was unstoppable in the paint. NaLyssa Smith and the Fever had no answer for Reese’s energy and physicality, and she scored time and again on drop-offs and putbacks. With less than a minute to play, she posted up Smith and maneuvered around her for the go-ahead bucket. 

“I’m a dog, you can’t teach that,” Reese said during her walk-off interview. 

When it was all said and done, Reese had 25 points and 16 rebounds on 8 of 12 from the field and 9 of 11 from the free throw line. She set a new career-high for scoring and became the first rookie since A’ja Wilson in 2018 to put up a 25-point, 15-rebound performance. 

After the win, Reese shared a moment with Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes, who had gotten a lengthy standing ovation during the game. 

“I’d rather not share [what Swoopes told me], but she said she’s proud of me,” Reese said. “I’m already being coached by a legend, but being able to have Sheryl Swoopes in your corner, she talked to me before I even entered my name into the draft and she told me she believed in me … Being able to have that person in my corner is something I’ve always needed. She understands me, she knows what I’ve been through, what I’m going through, and just being able to have that is something that’s been super inspiring for me. She’s somebody that’s been a great mentor.”

Clark puts on a passing clinic

Less than two minutes into the game, Caitlin Clark grabbed a rebound, looked up and fired an outlet pass to a streaking Kelsey Mitchell. The ball went right through Mitchell’s hands for a turnover, which was an inauspicious start to the contest. 

Clark kept on passing, though, and eventually she got in sync with her teammates. It was fitting that Mitchell knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner in the third quarter to give Clark her 10th assist on the day and her first double-digit assist game. Clark finished with 13 dimes and was especially brilliant in the third quarter, when she assisted on six of the Fever’s nine made shots. 

“I trust my teammates,” Clark said. “Obviously 13 assists, that means my teammates scored off 13 of my passes. That’s a really great number. I’m gonna give them the ball every time to give them an opportunity to score. I believe in them.” 

Clark’s 13 assists were not only a career-high, but a new Fever franchise record. She wasn’t just playmaking in this one either, as she registered 17 points, six rebounds and four steals. In doing so, she became the first rookie with a 15-point, 10-assist performance since Odyssey Sims in 2014, as well as the first rookie ever to put up 15 points, 10 assists and five 3s in a game. 

Cardoso shines with best performance yet

No. 3 overall pick Kamilla Cardoso’s professional career got off to a frustrating start when she injured her shoulder in her first preseason game. Thankfully, she was able to avoid surgery, but she did end up missing the first two weeks of the season. 

Since making her debut on June 1, she’s struggled at times to adapt to the speed of the professional game, and has often been saddled with foul trouble. There have been some bright moments, though, and her talent and potential has been obvious. 

She finally put everything together on Sunday in by far her best performance of her young career: 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists on 7 of 9 from the field. Her size and athleticism were often too much for the Fever’s smaller frontcourt, and Cardoso used her advantages extremely well all night long.