LAS VEGAS — The Sky went into the Olympic break on a high provided by a win over the Aces on the road in mid-July.
Seven weeks removed from that game, the high had long since disappeared, leaving a nearly unrecognizable team in its place. The Sky returned to the desert desperate for their second win since the break ended Aug. 16. Instead, they were handed their seventh consecutive loss.
The Aces handily beat the Sky, who remained without leading scorer Chennedy Carter, 90-71 on Tuesday night.
“We’re not a team that’s going to throw in the towel,” Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “We know we still have a fighting freaking chance [to make the playoffs], and we have to get out there and play the type of basketball we know we can play in order to win games.”
The Sky are 1-8 since returning from the Olympic break, averaging 76.1 points per game in that span, the lowest in the league. Weatherspoon said she’s not one for making excuses but attributed health to those numbers.
The Sky were without Carter, who remains in health and safety protocols, for the fourth consecutive game. In their previous three games against the Aces, Carter finished with at least 20 points. Weatherspoon said the team expects Carter to be available Friday against the Sparks.
“We’ll see when we get home and be able to get more hands-on in where she is,” Weatherspoon said. “It’ll be great to have her back.”
Michaela Onyenwere led the Sky with 15 points. Angel Reese recorded her 25th double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds.
But the Sky’s top performers were no match for the clinic put on by the Aces. MVP front-runner A’ja Wilson had a game-high 30 points, 21 in the second half, and 14 rebounds. Tiffany Hayes added 20 points, and Chelsea Gray had 13 points and 10 assists.
The Aces outscored the Sky 36-28 in the paint and shot 52.5% from the field. Turnovers were once again an issue for the Sky, who gave up 19 points on 18 turnovers.
“We gotta be better,” said Dana Evans, who scored 13 points. “I gotta be better. It’s just unacceptable. We’ve just been saying the same thing. Watch film. Get in the gym. Be better.”
Evans’ last three assertions spoke volumes, but more so because of her exhaustive tone. It indicated how depleted the Sky feel amid this skid, despite affirming they are not throwing in the towel.
Even with the Sky’s worst skid since 2021, they are still in the playoff picture, thanks to the Dream, who lost to the Mercury on Tuesday night. The Sky and Dream are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot, with seven games remaining for both teams.
“This league is so good,” Evans said. “If you soak in this loss, you will not be good for the next game. We just have to be ready to play. It doesn’t stop. We don’t give up. We’re not going to quit. We want to get in the playoffs. That’s obviously the goal.”