Sky turned a tied game into a runaway with a third-quarter burst against Toronto

A close game until it wasn’t

The first two quarters were a study in exchange rather than control. Toronto left the opening quarter ahead 20-18, Chicago answered just enough in the second, and the teams reached halftime level at 44-44. That deadlock fit the night’s opening shape: 21 lead changes overall, short bursts from both sides, and neither team able to hold a clean grip on the tempo for very long.

Toronto had real reasons to believe in the game. Isabelle Harrison was productive around the basket and at the line, Laura Juskaite gave the Tempo scoring from deep and off the bounce, and Julie Allemand helped connect possessions with five assists. Chicago, though, kept finding efficient answers. Sydney Taylor and Gabriela Jaquez scored in rhythm, Kamilla Cardoso kept getting finishes near the rim, and Courtney Vandersloot quietly directed the whole thing toward the kind of shot the Sky wanted.

Seven minutes that changed everything

The hinge of the night came right after the break. Juskaite made two free throws at 9:28 of the third quarter to put Toronto up 46-44. From there, Chicago scored the next 16 points. Cardoso tied it at 8:52, scored again at 8:27, Vandersloot drilled a three at 7:53, Jaquez added a layup at 7:25, Vandersloot got to the rim again at 6:22, Jaquez hit from deep at 5:16, and Cardoso finished the run at 4:46 for a 60-46 lead.

That stretch matters because it was not built on one hot shooter alone. It was Chicago repeating a theme: paint touch, kick-out, finish, then another paint touch. Toronto did not score in the third until Kiki Rice made a layup at 4:00, and by then the game had tilted hard. Chicago won the quarter 28-11 and closed it with two more sharp blows, Morgan Maly’s three at 29.8 seconds and Jacy Sheldon’s basket with 0.7 left, for a 72-55 edge entering the fourth.

Toronto kept firing; Chicago kept answering

To Toronto’s credit, the final quarter did not turn into surrender. Kia Nurse opened the period with a three, Zaay Green hit from long range at 7:02, Juskaite buried another three at 6:33, and Teonni Key’s two free throws cut the score to 82-70 with 5:26 to play. The Tempo won the fourth quarter 30-25, which says something important: the offensive nerve never disappeared.

But every time the margin hinted at tension, Chicago had the reply ready. Taylor hit a three at 5:01, then converted a layup and free throw at 4:33. Elizabeth Williams followed with a layup at 4:15. After Ornella Bankole answered from deep for Toronto, Jaquez hit a three at 3:26 and added a layup at 3:12, pushing the Sky to 95 points and effectively closing the argument. That was the pattern of Chicago’s second half: Toronto made enough shots to stay mathematically alive, but Chicago kept producing the cleaner sequence right after it.

Our take: the numbers point to two clear lessons

For Chicago, this was a strong offensive blueprint. The Sky finished with 28 assists and 54 points in the paint, and those are not accidental numbers. Vandersloot’s nine assists captured the organizing role, Cardoso’s 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting showed how profitable the interior was, and Jaquez’s 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting gave the attack a ruthless efficiency. Taylor matched Jaquez with 18, Sheldon added 12, and Williams pulled down 11 rebounds. When five players score in double figures and the ball produces that many assisted baskets, a team usually gets to control the game’s terms.

The caution for Chicago is that Toronto still made 13 threes and forced a game with 21 lead changes before the Sky broke it open. If Chicago wants quieter nights, limiting that kind of perimeter accuracy would help. For Toronto, the path is just as visible. Harrison’s 21 points and 12 rebounds, Juskaite’s 20, and Rice’s seven assists gave the Tempo enough creation to compete. What undercut it was the combination of 17 total turnovers and Chicago’s 24 points off those mistakes, alongside the Sky’s 54 points in the paint. Toronto shot well enough from outside and at the foul line to stay dangerous; it just could not afford to lose the ball that often and give up that much at close range. In a game that was tied at halftime, those were the numbers that turned a contest into a result.

Scoring moments

1. 1st Quarter · 9:23

   Maria Conde makes running layup (Julie Allemand assists)

2. 1st Quarter · 9:09

   Elizabeth Williams makes layup (Sydney Taylor assists)

3. 1st Quarter · 8:40

   Sydney Taylor makes 22-foot three point jumper (Courtney Vandersloot assists)

4. 1st Quarter · 8:31

   Maria Conde makes 6-foot driving floating jump shot (Kiki Rice assists)

5. 1st Quarter · 8:31

   Maria Conde makes free throw 1 of 1

6. 1st Quarter · 7:56

   Gabriela Jaquez makes running layup

7. 1st Quarter · 7:11

   Kiki Rice makes 25-foot running pullup jump shot

8. 1st Quarter · 6:50

   Courtney Vandersloot makes 23-foot three pointer (Gabriela Jaquez assists)

9. 1st Quarter · 5:53

   Laura Juskaite makes 2-foot layup (Kiki Rice assists)

10. 1st Quarter · 5:39

    Kiki Rice makes 19-foot running pullup jump shot (Laura Juskaite assists)

11. 1st Quarter · 5:30

    Kamilla Cardoso makes free throw 1 of 2

12. 1st Quarter · 4:32

    Kamilla Cardoso makes 1-foot layup (Sydney Taylor assists)

13. 1st Quarter · 3:13

    Jacy Sheldon makes running layup (Courtney Vandersloot assists)

14. 1st Quarter · 3:13

    Jacy Sheldon makes free throw 1 of 1

15. 1st Quarter · 3:02

    Ornella Bankole makes 22-foot three point jumper (Kia Nurse assists)

16. 1st Quarter · 2:24

    Isabelle Harrison makes 3-foot two point shot

17. 1st Quarter · 2:04

    Jacy Sheldon makes driving layup (Rachel Banham assists)

18. 1st Quarter · 8.2

    Isabelle Harrison makes 3-foot floating jump shot (Julie Allemand assists)

19. 1st Quarter · 8.2

    Isabelle Harrison makes free throw 1 of 1

20. 2nd Quarter · 9:23

    Isabelle Harrison makes free throw 1 of 2

21. 2nd Quarter · 9:23

    Isabelle Harrison makes free throw 2 of 2

22. 2nd Quarter · 9:11

    Kamilla Cardoso makes driving layup (Courtney Vandersloot assists)

23. 2nd Quarter · 8:37

    Kate Martin makes 23-foot three point jumper (Kamilla Cardoso assists)

24. 2nd Quarter · 8:21

    Julie Allemand makes 24-foot three pointer (Kia Nurse assists)

25. 2nd Quarter · 8:00

    Rachel Banham makes 24-foot three point jumper (Elizabeth Williams assists)

26. 2nd Quarter · 7:36

    Isabelle Harrison makes 4-foot driving floating jump shot

27. 2nd Quarter · 6:53

    Gabriela Jaquez makes 6-foot driving floating jump shot (Kamilla Cardoso assists)

28. 2nd Quarter · 6:36

    Isabelle Harrison makes 25-foot three point jumper (Julie Allemand assists)

29. 2nd Quarter · 6:17

    Kamilla Cardoso makes 1-foot layup (Sydney Taylor assists)

30. 2nd Quarter · 5:34

    Sydney Taylor makes driving layup

31. 2nd Quarter · 5:17

    Julie Allemand makes 22-foot three point jumper (Kia Nurse assists)

32. 2nd Quarter · 5:02

    Sydney Taylor makes 23-foot three point step back jumpshot

33. 2nd Quarter · 4:16

    Laura Juskaite makes 24-foot three point step back jumpshot (Julie Allemand assists)

34. 2nd Quarter · 4:01

    Courtney Vandersloot makes driving layup

35. 2nd Quarter · 3:10

    Gabriela Jaquez makes running layup (Jacy Sheldon assists)

36. 2nd Quarter · 2:50

    Jacy Sheldon makes 3-foot running pullup jump shot (Gabriela Jaquez assists)

37. 2nd Quarter · 2:06

    Isabelle Harrison makes driving layup (Kiki Rice assists)

38. 2nd Quarter · 1:51

    Morgan Maly makes 23-foot three point jumper (Jacy Sheldon assists)

39. 2nd Quarter · 1:35

    Kia Nurse makes 22-foot three point jumper (Ornella Bankole assists)

40. 2nd Quarter · 1:02

    Isabelle Harrison makes 3-foot driving floating jump shot (Julie Allemand assists)

41. 2nd Quarter · 1:02

    Isabelle Harrison makes free throw 1 of 1

42. 3rd Quarter · 9:28

    Laura Juskaite makes free throw 1 of 2

43. 3rd Quarter · 9:28

    Laura Juskaite makes free throw 2 of 2

44. 3rd Quarter · 8:52

    Kamilla Cardoso makes two point shot (Courtney Vandersloot assists)

45. 3rd Quarter · 8:27

    Kamilla Cardoso makes running layup (Courtney Vandersloot assists)

46. 3rd Quarter · 7:53

    Courtney Vandersloot makes 26-foot three pointer

47. 3rd Quarter · 7:25

    Gabriela Jaquez makes running layup (Sydney Taylor assists)

48. 3rd Quarter · 6:22

    Courtney Vandersloot makes running layup

49. 3rd Quarter · 5:16

    Gabriela Jaquez makes 24-foot three point jumper (Courtney Vandersloot assists)

50. 3rd Quarter · 4:46

    Kamilla Cardoso makes 2-foot layup (Morgan Maly assists)

51. 3rd Quarter · 4:00

    Kiki Rice makes running layup

52. 3rd Quarter · 3:29

    Kamilla Cardoso makes two point shot

53. 3rd Quarter · 2:18

    Kia Nurse makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot (Kiki Rice assists)

54. 3rd Quarter · 2:03

    Jacy Sheldon makes 22-foot three point jumper (Elizabeth Williams assists)

55. 3rd Quarter · 1:44

    Teonni Key makes two point shot

56. 3rd Quarter · 1:30

    Elizabeth Williams makes 3-foot two point shot (Jacy Sheldon assists)

57. 3rd Quarter · 48.0

    Laura Juskaite makes running layup (Kiki Rice assists)

58. 3rd Quarter · 29.8

    Morgan Maly makes 23-foot three point jumper (Jacy Sheldon assists)

59. 3rd Quarter · 0.7

    Jacy Sheldon makes two point shot

60. 4th Quarter · 9:20

    Kia Nurse makes 24-foot running jump shot (Laura Juskaite assists)

61. 4th Quarter · 9:04

    Morgan Maly makes 2-foot layup (Kate Martin assists)

62. 4th Quarter · 8:56

    Laura Juskaite makes free throw 1 of 2

63. 4th Quarter · 8:56

    Laura Juskaite makes free throw 2 of 2

64. 4th Quarter · 8:02

    Sydney Taylor makes free throw 1 of 2

65. 4th Quarter · 8:02

    Sydney Taylor makes free throw 2 of 2

66. 4th Quarter · 7:02

    Zaay Green makes 22-foot three point jumper (Laura Juskaite assists)

67. 4th Quarter · 6:49

    Kamilla Cardoso makes 3-foot layup (Elizabeth Williams assists)

68. 4th Quarter · 6:33

    Laura Juskaite makes 24-foot three point jumper (Kiki Rice assists)

69. 4th Quarter · 6:13

    Sydney Taylor makes free throw 1 of 2

70. 4th Quarter · 6:13

    Sydney Taylor makes free throw 2 of 2

71. 4th Quarter · 6:01

    Kiki Rice makes 16-foot pullup jump shot (Teonni Key assists)

72. 4th Quarter · 5:45

    Gabriela Jaquez makes 9-foot two point shot

73. 4th Quarter · 5:26

    Teonni Key makes free throw 1 of 2

74. 4th Quarter · 5:26

    Teonni Key makes free throw 2 of 2

75. 4th Quarter · 5:01

    Sydney Taylor makes 24-foot three point jumper (Courtney Vandersloot assists)

76. 4th Quarter · 4:33

    Sydney Taylor makes running layup

77. 4th Quarter · 4:33

    Sydney Taylor makes free throw 1 of 1

78. 4th Quarter · 4:15

    Elizabeth Williams makes 2-foot layup (Courtney Vandersloot assists)

79. 4th Quarter · 3:59

    Ornella Bankole makes 23-foot three point jumper (Laura Juskaite assists)

80. 4th Quarter · 3:26

    Gabriela Jaquez makes 24-foot three point jumper (Courtney Vandersloot assists)

81. 4th Quarter · 3:12

    Gabriela Jaquez makes running layup

82. 4th Quarter · 3:04

    Laura Juskaite makes free throw 2 of 2

83. 4th Quarter · 2:37

    Isabelle Harrison makes 8-foot two point shot (Kiki Rice assists)

84. 4th Quarter · 2:24

    Laura Juskaite makes running layup

85. 4th Quarter · 1:46

    Laura Juskaite makes 24-foot three point jumper

86. 4th Quarter · 1:26

    Kate Martin makes 5-foot driving floating jump shot (Morgan Maly assists)

87. 4th Quarter · 1:14

    Isabelle Harrison makes free throw 1 of 2

88. 4th Quarter · 1:14

    Isabelle Harrison makes free throw 2 of 2