THE Celebration at the United Center only lasted 5 minutes, 31 seconds on Saturday evening.
For these first ephemeral minutes, the Chicago sky delivered the hope of the crowd of the 19,496 franchise in the first WNBA match on the place of history. Indiana fever immediately took an advance, but the sky exchanged blows with consecutive baskets from Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese to keep in the three points.
SO Courtney Vandersloot guard Driven the ground after a fever turnover, rushed to the basket with the ball in his hands and crashed directly in Aari McDonald. Before even finishing his shot, Vandersloot crushed on the ground. The 36 -year -old veteran caught his right knee and stayed on the ground, inaugurating a clear panic for the sky.
Vandersloot was finally transported to the sky changes by two medical employees. In a few minutes, his wife and former Sky captain, Allie Quigley, was escorted by the safety of the sky changing rooms, where the medical team evaluated the goalkeeper’s injury. Sky owner Michael Alter followed soon after. Vandersloot was excluded for the rest of the match at the end of the first quarter.
Immediately after the match, coach Tyler Marsh said he had not spoken with Vandersloot, who was still being evaluated. Marsh did not comment if the sky was concerned about an LCA injury and refused to say if the team provides for a long -term injury.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said the Hailey Van Lith recruit. “It’s heartbreaking to look at anyone (injuring yourself), but especially one of your teammates and someone that means as much as a slot to our organization. Right now, we give her a lot of energy, praying for her. Anything in reserve for this team, I hope that we will find a way to ensure that this moment means something at the end. ”
From the moment when Vandersloot was swept away, the game became out of control for the sky, which underwent a 79-52 Loss.
Vandersloot’s injury immediately pushed Van Lith under an unexpected projector. The sky still provided that Van Lith became the natural successor to the leader in Vandersloot when they drafted the recruit with the 11th choice Out of TCU this spring. But this ascent was supposed to be a patient process to allow Van Lith – who played two guards for most of his collegial career – enough time to adapt to the rigors of the execution of the point of the WNBA.
On Saturday, all these plans were evaporated. Van Lith was forced to the shoulder leader’s tasks, recording three reversals and zero assists while scoring only seven points. And the recruit was a slow step on the defensive side of the courtyard, giving too much space to the star of the fever Kelsey Mitchell, who finished with a summit of 17 points.
Photos: Chicago Sky loses against Indiana Fever 79-52 at the United Center
It was not only the loss of Vandersloot facilitation. With their soil general, the sky has lost sight of their identity at both ends of the field. They recorded 11 assists against 21 reversals. After spending the first six games of the season by stressing the importance of their 3 -point offense, the sky only took 15 attempts behind the arc and only made three (20%).
And the defense gave a minimum pressure on fever (4-4), which pulled 45.8% (27 for 59) from the ground even after turning in the bench players for the majority of the fourth quarter. And they played without the star Caitlin Clark, who missed his fourth consecutive match with a Left quadriceps Dessie.
Reese only achieved four points on shot 2 for 7. Ariel Atkins went 2 for 11 on the ground. Rebecca Allen and Kamilla Cardoso led the hosts with eight points each. Allen (3-en-6) was the only player in the sky to make more than two baskets.
“It’s a time when everyone has to intensify, especially with someone like Sloot that comes out,” said Allen. “This is where we want each individual to intensify and do more and give more. I felt today that we did not do this for her. ”
The loss – which narrowly avoided the lowest effort in the history of the franchise – left the sky (2-5) with more questions than answers. There is no clear way forward for the position of the leader without Vandersloot, The leader of the franchise score. There is also no substantial sign that the sky can compete with the upper half of the WNBA.
For Marsh, a first -year coachTime is now essential to create solutions for your team.
“(Vandersloot) is our engine, she is our captain, she is our chef there,” said Marsh. “Obviously, it is a hard blow. I hope it is not as serious as we think. We hope that it will be able to bounce back, but for the moment, we have all been able to look for it, raise it, rise.”
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