Reese, Cardoso Combine for 43 as Sky Stun Liberty

The Chicago Sky defeated the New York Liberty 91–85 on Tuesday night. Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso dominated inside to help secure one of the biggest wins of their young careers against the WNBA’s No. 2 seed.

Coming into tonight’s matchup, Sky head coach Tyler Marsh mentioned the minutes restriction Reese would be on as she continues to work her way back from a back injury. When asked about it, Reese said, “I would love to play a full game. Hopefully tonight I’ll be able to play about 30. I feel great.” Reese went on to play 29 minutes and delivered a double-double in the win.

After trailing 68–65 at the end of the third quarter, the Sky stormed back behind their frontcourt duo. Reese and Cardoso went to work inside, combining for critical baskets and drawing fouls to put constant pressure on the Liberty’s defense.

The fourth quarter turned into a battle of runs. Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu kept New York ahead early, but Chicago responded with toughness on the boards and clutch free throws. Cardoso’s layup tied the game at 83 with under three minutes left, and Ariel Atkins’ floater tied it again at 85 heading into the final two minutes.

From there, the Sky controlled the finish. Atkins knocked down free throws to put Chicago in front, and Reese sealed the game at the line, hitting four in the final 40 seconds. The Liberty had chances late, but missed shots and turnovers proved costly as Chicago closed on a 6–0 run to hand New York a 91–85 loss.

Reese finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists in 29 minutes, while Cardoso was a force with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists. Atkins added 19 points and Onyenwere chipped in 13. For New York, Jonquel Jones led all scorers with 25 points and 7 rebounds, but the Liberty shot just 35% from three and couldn’t match Chicago’s interior dominance.

After the game, Reese reflected on what the win meant: “This is our second win against a top-two team, and they were both teams that were in the championship last year. That’s why it’s so frustrating after some games, because we know we can beat the best teams. I’m really happy with the team tonight. I think everybody came out here and showed up.”

For New York, this was a night they will want to move past quickly, as missed shots and costly mistakes down the stretch overshadowed Jonquel Jones’ 25 point performance.