Storm (9-21) at Chicago Sky

Allstate Arena | Chicago, Ill.

September 6, 2015 | 3 p.m. PT

Broadcast: Live Access, The U Too

 

2015 vs. Chicago 0-1

Last meeting:  L 94-84 (August 14, 2015)

Leading scorer: Markeisha Gatling 16

 

PLAYER TO WATCH: Jewell Loyd

This isn’t just campaigning. It is the homecoming for Jewell Loyd as she will play in front of her hometown crowd for the first time as a pro. She has scored at least 15 points in six of the last nine games and will have reason to show off at Allstate Arena.

SCOUTING CHICAGO

Back at full strength, the Sky are still holding to to hopes of clinching home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Chicago sits only 2.5 games back on New York for the top spot in the East and are coming off a 22-point win at the Liberty. Courtney Vandersloot led the way with 21 points and five assists and scored 21 the last time she played the Storm. She is the catalyst for the Sky.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Slow the pace. While the Storm likes to get out and run, so do the Sky. Chicago is the highest scoring team in the league at 82.5 per game but have slowed a bit in the second half at 78.6. Seattle is also working with a shortened bench without Abby Bishop and Ramu Tokashiki. Picking its spots when to run and slowing Chicago’s pace should keep it close.

#LoydROY

Jewell Loyd continues to add to her Rookie of the Year candidacy. Already with a Rookie of the Month award under her belt, Loyd is the only rookie in the top five in points, rebounds, and assists and averaged 12.2 points (1st among rookies), 4.4 rebounds (2nd), 2.3 assists (5th), 28.5 minutes (1st), and was shooting 92.1 percent from the line (1st) in the month of August. Loyd has reached double figure scoring in eight of her last 11 games and is averaging 14.8 points over the last five games, including two 18-point games. She has also been near automatic from the line and has made 62 of her last 66 attempts (93.9 percent).

AMONG THE LEAGUE’S BEST

One of the more important parts of a player’s game is consistency and Jewell Loyd is starting to show just that. Over her last five games, she is averaging 14.8 points, five rebounds, and 2.6 assists, which puts her in elite company. She is one of only six players to be averaging at least 14 points, five rebounds, and two assists. The others are Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings, Maya Moore, Tina Charles, and Chelsea Bone.

LANG FILLING UP THE STAT SHEET

Crystal Langhorne has been one of the more efficient and effective players in the league this season. She is second in the league with a 55.8 shooting percentage from the field and had a stretch of eight straight games in double figures, including a 29-point performance where she shot 12-for-13 from the field. Langhorne picked up her first double-double of the season on Friday against San Antonio with 22 points and 10 rebounds and then followed it up with 15 points and four rebounds against Washington on Aug. 30. She is also one of only two players in the league to be averaging 10 points, five rebounds, one steal, and be shooting better than 50 percent from the field. The other is Nneka Ogwumike.

JEWELL LOYD > LAUREN JACKSON

Jewell Loyd did something on Sunday night that had never been done before in franchise history. Loyd’s two free throws late in the fourth quarter were her 13th and 14th attempts of the night, having made all of them. The rookie’s 14-for-14 performance bested the previous single game record, held by all-time great Lauren Jackson at 13-for-13, for the most free throws attempted without a miss.

BIRD FLYING UP THE CHARTS

It has been a season of milestones for one of the all-time greats. With her three pointer late in the fourth quarter on June 25, Sue Bird eclipsed Sheryl Swoopes for 13th on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list. On August 2 at Madison Square Garden, she surpassed the 5,000-point mark to become the only player in league history to record 5,000 points and 2,000 assists for a career and did it in front of her hometown crowd. She is at 5,080 points and passed Tangela Smith for 11th all-time after scoring 13 in the win over San Antonio on Aug. 16. Bird will have a long road to trek to potentially break into the top 10 with Katie Douglas sitting at 5,563.

CLARK LEADS THE LEAGUE

Alysha Clark has been one of the more effective offensive players in the league so far this season. At 54.4 percent from the field, she would place third in the league in shooting percentage but comes up just short for qualifying for the category. However, she is the best in the league in true shooting percentage, which takes into account field goals, three pointers, and free throws. Her .647 percentage is tops in the WNBA is and well clear of the next player, Brittney Griner, at .616. Clark also comes in as fourth in the league in offensive rating (113.2) behind only Elena Delle Donne (124.4), Skylar Diggins (116.6), and Karima Christmas (115.8).

BIRD IN THE HAND, WORTH TWO IN THE BASKET

Sue Bird continues to be one of the better distributors in the league and dished out a season-high 13 assists, one off a career-high, on August 8 at San Antonio. She also collected 12 on July 18 against Atlanta. Bird is second in the league with 5.3 assists per game and is one of only two players to be averaging 10 points and five assists (Courtney Vandersloot).