May 29, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso (10) controls the ball during the first half against the Dallas Wings at the Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images / Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
The spotlight was on Chicago Thursday night as The Dallas Wings took on the Chicago Sky in a high-energy, edge-of-your-seat showdown.
Both teams entered the matchup looking to turn things around after rocky starts to the season—Dallas had just picked up its first win on Tuesday against the Connecticut Sun, improving to 1–4, while Chicago came in winless at 0–4.
The contest was evenly matched, with Chicago maintaining a slight edge through much of the first half. But the jets were turned on in the third quarter, turning the matchup into a high-octane shootout, with momentum constantly swinging back and forth. Ultimately, the Sky battled through in a tightly contested game and came away with a hard-earned win.
The Sky showed poise, spacing and some much-improved ball movement to eke out their first victory of the season 97-92. Between the developing chemistry between Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, the veteran steadiness of Courtney Vandersloot, and Ariel Atkins’ shotmaking, the squad came together as a unit for a balanced win. But it was Cardoso’s statement 23-point tally that stood out for the Sky.
Though a tough loss for the Wings, the night was littered with highlights from Dallas All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale, who ended up coming away with a mind-blowing 37 points, because in a shoot-out, Ogunbowale classically comes in guns blazing.
It was hard to top the performance from Ogunbowale, but Paige Bueckers put on a show herself, as the rookie stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks, 8 assists, and 3 steals, further cementing herself as a key asset for Dallas.
The game was an adrenaline fueled, action-packed nail-biter that brought out the fiercest of competition from both teams—every possession mattered, and the intensity never let up until the final buzzer. Chicago’s resilience and poised execution ultimately made the difference, as the Sky were able to withstand Ogunbowale and the Wings to finally pick up that elusive first win.
