The Chicago Sky turned a tightly contested first half into a decisive home finale Tuesday night, using a dominant third quarter to defeat the Toronto Tempo 97-85 at Wintrust Arena.
Chicago and Toronto went into halftime tied at 44 before the Sky took control, outscoring the Tempo 28-11 in the third quarter. Chicago shot 57.1 percent from the field during the period while holding Toronto to 26.7 percent. The victory improved the Sky to 16-27 and allowed Chicago to finish its home schedule with an 11-11 record.
Rookies Sydney Taylor and Gabriela Jaquez led a balanced Chicago offense with 18 points apiece. Taylor added six rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal while making all five of her free throws. Jaquez was 8-for-10 from the field and made two of her three 3-point attempts.
Kamilla Cardoso added 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Jacy Sheldon scored 12 points. Veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot contributed 10 points and a game-high nine assists. Elizabeth Williams scored six points and collected a season-high 11 rebounds.
The game featured 21 lead changes and six ties, with neither team able to gain much separation during the opening half. Toronto led 20-18 after the first quarter, but Chicago responded with a 26-point second quarter to send the teams into halftime tied.
The game changed after intermission.
With Toronto briefly taking a 46-44 lead, Chicago responded with an extended run that included baskets from Cardoso, Vandersloot and Jaquez. The Sky eventually carried a 72-55 advantage into the fourth quarter after limiting Toronto to only four field goals in the third.
Chicago continued to pull away in the fourth. Taylor’s 3-pointer with 5:01 remaining gave the Sky an 85-70 advantage. Moments later, she converted a layup and free throw before Williams scored inside. Jaquez then hit a 3-pointer and followed with a steal and fast-break layup, pushing Chicago’s largest lead to 22 points at 95-73.
Toronto cut into the deficit late but never seriously threatened Chicago’s lead.
The Sky shot 52 percent overall and dominated inside, outscoring Toronto 54-28 in the paint. Chicago also converted Toronto’s turnovers into 24 points. Every Sky player who entered the game scored at least three points.
Isabelle Harrison led Toronto with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Laura Juškaitė added 20 points, while former Sky guard Kia Nurse and rookie Kiki Rice scored nine each.
The game also marked Kate Martin’s first appearance for Chicago. Martin finished with five points, including a second-quarter 3-pointer for her first points in a Sky uniform.
The Sky were scheduled to close their 2026 regular season Thursday, September 24, on the road against the Washington Mystics. Chicago entered the finale with a 16-27 record after defeating Toronto in its final home game. The Sky did not qualify for the WNBA playoffs, which begin Sunday, September 27