Tonight’s game was the Fever’s first pre-season game, and the Sky’s second pre-season win. Several key players on both teams missed tonight’s game due to overseas commitments. Sky players who were not at the game: Dominique Canty, Candice Dupree, Cathy Joens, and Bernadette Ngoyisa. Missing for the Fever were Tully Bevilaqua, Allison Feaster, Ebony Hoffman, K.B. Sharp, and Tammy Sutton-Brown. Stephanie Raymond did not dress for tonight’s game due to a left knee injury. The Fever’s Tamika Catchings. was not present for tonight’s game; she is recovering from a previous injury.

KEY STATS OF THE NIGHT

  • The number two overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft, Sylvia Fowles, earned her first WNBA double-double, scoring a game-high 16 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds. She also finished with 4 blocked shots, 1 steal, and 1 assist.

  • The Sky continued to shoot well from three point range, connecting on 5-of-9 for 55.6%. The team shot 42.0% from the field.

  • The Fever only scored 11 points in the second quarter, while the Sky had a huge quarter, scoring 38 points.

    KEY RUN OF THE NIGHT

  • With 5:21 left in the first half and the Sky leading 26-24, Armintie Price was fouled as she drove down the lane. She sank both free-throws, sparking a 14-0 run. The Sky finished the quarter leading the Fever 52-28.

    SKY-LIGHTS

  • Sky veterans Jia Perkins and Brooke Wyckoff returned to the Sky line-up tonight. Perkins scored 5 points, grabbed 1 rebound, and had 3 assists. Wyckoff played 15 minutes, finishing with 5 steals, but only 1 point and 0 rebounds.

  • Chasity Melvin turned 32 years old today; she played 16:48 minutes, scoring 12 points and grabbing 4 rebounds.

  • Rookie Angela Tisdale scored 10 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and had 3 assists.

  • 2007 Rookie of the Year Armintie Price played less than 7 minutes, but was perfect from the field (2-2) and from the free throw line (2-2). She is 5-of-5 from the free throw line in the pre-season, after struggling there last season.

    SKY QUOTES

    Head Coach Steven Key
    On the win:
    “Although Indiana did not have all their core players here tonight, I felt we took a step forward in building team chemistry for the upcoming season. We are still looking to finalize our roster and these pre-season games are helping me understand what our team is capable of in the upcoming season, and that is without including the performance of two key players who are still overseas – Candice Dupree and Dominique Canty.”

    On Sylvia’s first double-double:
    “Sylvia is beginning to get comfortable with what is happening on the court and what we are asking of her, which showed tonight. As long as she continues to do what she is doing there is no reason she shouldn’t get a double-double every night. The players around her are not just relying on her, they are learning to complement her.”

    #34 Sylvia Fowles
    On her first WNBA double-double:
    “I was really excited and wanted to come out with a punch and play to the best of my ability. All I did was exactly what my coaches asked me to do and pay attention to my teammates on the court. I’m excited about my double-double tonight, everything about being here has been exciting. I am just looking forward to the regular season and doing as well during those games.”

    On the WNBA:
    “Things are still really tough in WNBA, and I’ve come to expect that. I know that being new to the league is going to be a challenge for me to overcome throughout the season, but I am looking forward to that challenge. I’m playing against the best professional women athletes and I have so much to learn about playing at this level.”

    STORM QUOTES

    Head Coach Lin Dunn
    On Indiana’s first preseason game:
    “I thought we played pretty well in the first, third and fourth quarters. We had a real sinking spell in the second quarter when we went to our bench the first time. We have to learn to play hard and play aggressive without fouling. We got a lot better from the first half to the second half. We played with more energy off the bench and we did a better job attacking offensively in the second half.”

    On the Sky’s draft picks:
    “The addition of Fowles and Chaney really add a new dimension to this Chicago team. They are a whole lot better, to the point where they are going to be a real playoff challenger in the East.”