Postgame Notes & Quotes: Vandersloot Leads Sky To Double OT Win, 115-106


KEY STAT:

  • Chicago scored the first nine points of the second overtime session to outscore Indiana 16-7 in the game’s sixth session.
  • Through regulation, Indiana amassed 25 points off Chicago turnovers, compared to ZERO by the Sky off the Fever’s three turnovers. Indiana’s three turnovers in regulation were the club’s fewest ever in regulation, and the fewest in the WNBA this season. The Fever coughed up the basketball four times through the two overtimes, however, finishing with a season-low seven turnovers overall.
  • The game was the third overtime contest of the season for both teams, and Indiana’s first double overtime game since Game Two of the 2015 East Finals at Chicago (9/1/15).

KEY RUN:

  • In a game with 20 ties and 19 lead changes, the Sky opened the second overtime period with nine straight points to take a lead they would not relinquish.

INDIANA NOTES:

  • Candice Dupree passed Lauren Jackson as the eighth-leading scorer in WNBA history with her free throw at 9:14 remaining in the first quarter.  She scored 30 points for a new season high.  It’s her seventh game scoring at least 20 points this season.
  • Kelsey Mitchel hit two 3-pointers to give her 69 on the year, passing Katie Douglas (2010) for fourth in a single season in team history. She is third in WNBA rookie history. Victoria Vivians also hit two to give her 65 in her debut campaign. She is currently eighth in team history and two from passing Tonya Edwards for third in league rookie history.
  • Natalie Achonwa blocked six shots, setting a new career high and matching a franchise record.  She posted her sixth double-double of the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds, becoming just the fourth player in team history with at least six in a season. It was her third 20-point, 10-rebound game this season
  • Tiffany Mitchell matched her career high in assists with seven, contributing to 16 points as one of five Indiana players in double-figure scoring.
  • It was the fourth game this season Indiana had five score in double figures.
  • Erica Wheeler dished seven assists, becoming just the sixth undrafted free agent in league history with 1,000 career points and 400 assists.
  • The Fever’s three turnovers through the end of regulation were the fewest in franchise history, and the fewest in the WNBA through regulation this season (previous low was 5).
  • Vivians had 15 points and eight rebounds, one game after recording a season-high of nine rebounds.
  • Indiana’s 106 points matched the second-highest single-game figure in club history.

 

CHICAGO NOTES:

  • Courtney Vandersloot leads the league in assists per game with 8.1 entering tonight’s contest. She recorded her fourth game of 20 or more points. She fell one rebound shy of posting her second triple-double of the season to become the only player in league history to do it twice. There have been seven triple-doubles in WNBA history by seven different people.
  • Allie Quigley finished with 12 points to reach double figures for the fifth straight game..
  • Diamond DeShields followed her season-high of 28 points against Minnesota with 24 against the Fever.  It was the rookie’s eighth game scoring 20 or more points.
  • Cheyenne Parker scored 20 points, tying her career high.
  • Alaina Coates tied a career high with 10 rebounds.

 

Quoting Fever Head Coach Pokey Chatman:

“We had our opportunities to win the basketball game. We played really well in spurts and we did a good job of taking care of the basketball, but we got sloppy in overtime.”

 

(On Candice Dupree)

“She’s a special player. I coached her in USA Basketball and overseas. She’s always been this way. She’s steady, she’s smart, she rises to the occasion and plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played. I am proud to have coached her.”

 

(On second OT)

“We started the third quarter flat. We started the first OT flat and the second one, too. I have to give Chicago credit, but we can’t play flat and endure slow starts all the time. We can’t play like that. It burns timeouts and kills momentum.”

 

Quoting the Fever’s Natalie Achonwa

(On her six blocks)

“Well I was getting blocked, so I was getting mad, so I was trying to block them as well.  It wasn’t working for me in the first half on the offensive end.  So I was really trying to put my time in and my effort in on defense.”

 

(On her double-double and fighting on the offensive boards)

“I really just try to do whatever I can.  Like it said, the offense wasn’t working for me so I was really just trying to get on the boards and give us extra possessions.  They were fake boxing out so it gave me an opportunity to try to squeeze in there and try to grab us some extra possessions.”

 

Quoting the Fever’s Candice Dupree

(On what was working for her on offense)

“A little bit of everything, just trying to be aggressive.  We knew with the way they guarded side pick and rolls that we’d get a lot of open jumpers.  Unfortunately it didn’t fall our way.”

 

(On playing for this crowd)

“You know a lot of people came out to support for our last game this season.  So we were able to feed off of that energy.  I just want to play well for them, being that it is the last home game of the season.  Hopefully next year we can get off to a better start.” 

 

Quoting the Sky Head Coach Amber Stocks

(On being up 3 points at halftime and down one at the end of the third quarter)

“Well Indiana is a unique team in that they have some potent offense coming off the bench with Tiffany Mitchell and Kelsey Mitchell and when those two get on the court the tempo and the whole atmosphere of the game changes.  We’ve got to be mindful of that going into tomorrow’s game as well I credit our team for really sticking together, and everybody has a specific job to do and Diamond DeShields for us is to be efficient on offense and to get stops on defense.  She was charged with stopping Victoria Vivians and Vivians did have 2 three’s but for the most part Diamond did a very good job of taking the 3-point game away from Vivians. Quigley has an important job but although she didn’t play a lot of minutes but came in and did her job at the end which was hit a couple of big three’s.  And then of course Vandersloot has a job which is to be the general of this team and she did just that 40 minutes and she is no spring chicken.”

 

Quoting Sky’s Diamond DeShields

“You know coming into it, we know what the situation is for both teams.  We’re not really playing for anything. But at the end of day, we’re competitors.  So you know we want to go out with a bang and carry the momentum into next season.  Just trying to have fun out there and keep our momentum going and we still have room to grow.  We’re going to use this last game to try and get better.”

 

Quoting Sky’s  Courtney Vandersloot

(On playing the Fever again, tomorrow)

“Well that’s the name of the game I guess.  We would go double overtime on a back to back.  Just kind of how it’s gone for us.  You know it’s easy at least to prepare, preparation wise, we’re already prepared for them.  Just have to turn around and do it again tomorrow.  That’s part of being a pro.  And figure it out