Storm-Sky Preview

It was just last weekend that the Chicago Sky beat the Seattle Storm at home for their first victory of the season.

With the Storm back in town Sunday, the Sky look to repeat the feat.

Chicago (1-2) got 25 points from Allie Quigley, 21 from Diamond DeShields and the final four points of the game from Courtney Vandersloot to beat Seattle 83-79 in its home opener last Saturday. The Sky shot 51.4 percent, but had their hands full against a Storm squad that started slow in the second of back-to-back contests.

However, Chicago followed with an ugly 103-85 loss at Washington on Wednesday. Even with 24 points from DeShields (15.0 points per game), who was held scoreless in the season opener versus Minnesota, and shooting 50 percent as a team from the floor, the Sky continue to struggle defensively. The WNBA's worst defensive team in 2018, Chicago is giving up 90.3 points per contest early this season under new coach and general manager James Wade.

"All we're trying to do, and all I'm trying to do, is buy into what (Wade's) preaching," DeShields told the Sky's official website. "I trust him. I believe he knows what success looks like and feels like. I trust he's going to be able to get us there."

Seattle (3-2) will have a little more time to prepare for the Sky this time around. Though, acting coach Gary Kloppenburg was pleased with his team's overall effort at Chicago last weekend, considering it dumped Atlanta 81-63 roughly 24 hours earlier.

"I was really proud of the way we just kept battling and scraping to back into (that game versus Chicago)," he said.

"We just needed a couple more stops and maybe it's a different game."

The Storm made just enough stops and shot a sizzling 59.3 percent during an 84-77 win at Minnesota. Chicago-area native Jewell Loyd (15.2 ppg) had 19 points and point guard Jordin Canada (12.6 ppg) scored a career-high 17 as Seattle improved to 2-0 at home.

This matchup begins a stretch of four road games in eight days for the Storm, who could be getting head coach Dan Hughes back on the sidelines relatively soon. Hughes, recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his digestive tract, said via a video on the team's official website that he is close to "being full go."

Seattle's Natasha Howard (18.2 ppg, 10.0 rebounds per game) had 21 points with nine rebounds at Chicago last weekend.