Chicago Sky Snap Streak, Top WNBA-Leading Lynx
If you’d bet on the Chicago Sky to pull an upset over the Minnesota Lynx, this wasn’t the week most would’ve picked. The Lynx rolling in at 18-3 were the best in the league and owning their matchups, but Friday night at Wintrust Arena, the Sky showed there’s a reason you play the games, stunning Minnesota 87-81. With the win, Chicago climbed to 7-13 and finally chalked up a win over a team with a record better than .500—a feat that had eluded them all season long. Minnesota, meanwhile, dropped just their fourth game of the year.
It wasn’t just a random hot shooting night. Ariel Atkins torched the net for 27 points, slicing up the Lynx’s defense with attack after attack. The Sky refused to wilt down the stretch—something that’s been a problem all season against stronger opponents.
The Young Core Steps Up
Let’s talk Angel Reese. She keeps rewriting rookie expectations, and on this night, she racked up her 14th double-double—her eighth in a row—with 19 points and 11 rebounds. After the game, there was no hedging from Reese. She told reporters, “We have the best young core in the league.” When your rookie is talking like that on a night you beat the WNBA’s best team, that’s more than just confidence.
Kamilla Cardoso might still be shaking off jet lag after returning from Brazil, but you wouldn’t know it. She pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds and poured in 17 points. Cardoso and Reese showed real toughness under the rim, outworking Minnesota possession after possession.
Don’t forget Hailey Van Lith, either—her energy and ball movement kept the offense clicking, helping the Sky challenge the notion that youth is something to be overcome rather than celebrated. This “big three” is giving Chicago an identity that wasn’t there at the start of the season.
This win also snapped a rough patch—the Sky were 1-10 against winning squads before this game. What changed? For one, they finally kept their composure when things got tight. Rachel Banham hit a high-arcing left-handed floater in the clutch, Courtney Williams knocked down late free throws, and Michaela Onyenwere nailed a baseline jumper to extend the lead when the Lynx threatened in the final minute.
On the other side, Minnesota saw their star Napheesa Collier post 26 points with 8 boards and 5 dimes. Kayla McBride chipped in 17. But that all-important run never came, and Collier’s franchise-record streak of 54 straight made free throws ended. Even the best teams can get out-hustled and out-executed, especially by a group fighting for respect.
For Chicago, the story is no longer just about surviving a rebuild or scraping out wins. It’s about seeing the ceiling on this team—where Reese, Cardoso, Atkins, and Van Lith might lead them. Friday didn’t just break a trend. It was a statement that the Chicago Sky aren’t waiting around for next year.
