Jessica Breland Puts Together Season-Best Performance At The Perfect Time For Chicago

The Chicago Sky turned in their best offensive performance of the season on Sunday as they took down the Atlanta Dream to advance to the semifinals of the WNBA Playoffs, and Jessica Breland made sure to get involved in the party.
The sixth-year Sky forward played her best game of the season–and one of the finest of her career–to help the Sky to victory. She dropped 20 points (a season high) on 10-14 shooting, pulled down 16 rebounds (a career high), blocked 3 shots, and swiped 3 steals (tied a career high). The 16 rebounds also set a Sky postseason franchise record.
Breland Goes For 20 And 16
Whether she was crashing the offensive glass for putbacks, or finding space in the mid-range for her smooth jumper, Breland was automatic on the offensive end. So much so that she reached the 20-point mark for the first time since back on July 5, 2014.
That kind of performance drew plenty of praise following the game, as the hardworking and often overlooked Breland found herself in the spotlight.
Following the win, head Coach Pokey Chatman told reporters, “Breland has been an x-factor for us in so many ways prior to tonight. The thing that you guys don’t know is she’ll play the two, the three and the four. That’s 40 different things [she has] to remember. Tonight it was nice to see her marry some of that with a double-double with 20 and 16.”
Breland’s teammates were impressed with her performance as well.
“I told her all game that I was really proud of her,” Cappie Pondexter said. “Her play gave us energy on both ends of the floor. You know a lot of times you may not hear a lot about Breland, but she does the dirty work. She rebounds, she defends, pretty much two, three, four and five sometimes.”
“So what I’ve seen today is pretty much what she’s worked on all season; it just happened at a wonderful time,” Pondexter concluded.
A single-elimination second-round playoff game is indeed a wonderful time to put up your game of the season. And with Elena Delle Donne’s status for the semifinals unclear, the Sky might need a few more performances like Sunday’s from Breland.
*All quotes courtesy of the Chicago Sky game notes*

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