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Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso both stepped up to help the Chicago Sky secure a 91-85 upset victory over the New York Liberty at Barclays Center on Thursday night.
Reese scored 21 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to go along with three assists, shooting 6-of-9 from the field.
Cardoso recorded her 10th double-double of the season, finishing with a team-high 22 points and 15 rebounds. She also missed just one of her nine field-goal attempts.
Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu ended the contest with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting, but missed all five of her attempts from behind the arc.
Chicago’s defense came up clutch in the win, holding New York scoreless for over two minutes to end the game. Meanwhile, free throws from Reese and Ariel Atkins helped give the Sky a late two-possession lead that the Liberty were unable to overcome.
Thursday’s matchup was a back-and-forth affair, with neither squad leading by more than seven points during the game.
While Chicago shot just 22.2 percent from three-point territory as a team, its dominance around the basket proved to be the difference against New York.
The Sky grabbed 42 rebounds, including 32 defensive boards. The Liberty were only able to compile 27 total rebounds.
Chicago also scored 52 points in the paint compared to just 26 for New York.
While Reese and Cardoso led the way for the Sky, they were far from the team’s only key contributors. Atkins finished with 19 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals in 27 minutes on the floor.
Michaela Onyenwere also chipped in with 13 points while shooting 66.7 percent from the field.
It was an impressive victory for the Sky, especially considering they entered the game sitting 13.5 games behind the defending champions in the Eastern Conference standings.
While Chicago still only sits at 9-26 on the season, Thursday’s win should provide some hope for the future.
