Wings aim to seal playoff berth with win at Chicago (Aug 30, 2017)

By AP
Published

Playoff prospects for the Chicago Sky are slim but not completely extinguished as the end of the WNBA regular season looms.

The Dallas Wings, meanwhile, would clinch a playoff spot and eliminate the Sky with a win over Chicago on Wednesday at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.

Dallas (15-17) currently sits in seventh place in the WNBA, and the top eight teams making the postseason.

The Sky (12-19) lost 92-62 to the New York Liberty on Sunday, leaving Chicago 2 1/2 games out of the final playoff position with three regular-season games to play.

The Sky would also have to win their final two games and hope either the Wings or the Seattle Storm (14-18) falter to sneak into the postseason.

"All season we have kind of been this up-and-down (club), and we've responded really well," Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot said. "Two games ago, we got our butts kicked by 40, and then we come out and beat the third best-team (Connecticut). That's what we're focusing on now is bouncing back."

The New York loss was Chicago's third its past four games. Stefanie Dolson scored a team-high 22 points, more than a third of the Sky's production.

Dolson is 21st in league scoring with a 14.4-point average. Chicago guard Allie Quigley has a 16.3 point average, good for 12th among WNBA leaders.

The Sky and Wings have split two previous games played over four days in July. Chicago claimed a 90-84 decision on July 12 at Allstate Arena while Dallas prevailed 112-106 in double overtime on July 16 in Arlington, Texas.

The Wings moved into a position to clinch thanks to an 83-78 victory over Washington on Saturday. Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 20 points, and she fed Theresa Plaisance for a clinching 3-pointer with 17.2 seconds left.

"Now that we're in that position that we can make that push and it looks like that's the way we're going to go, I'm really excited," Wings forward Glory Johnson said this month. "I'm glad to be a part of it."

Dallas has five players averaging in double figures: Diggins-Smith (18.3), Johnson (14.5), Alisha Gray (13.2), Karima Christmas-Kelly (10.8) and Ariel Powers (10.7).

Chicago's road ahead includes a Friday game at Minnesota, the WNBA's best team. The Sky then close the regular season on Sunday at Seattle.

Dallas hosts the New York Liberty on Sunday to close the regular season.