Chicago hosts Minnesota after Allen's 27-point game
Chicago; Saturday, 1 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Chicago Sky faces the Minnesota Lynx after Rebecca Allen scored 27 points in the Chicago Sky's 87-76 victory over the Dallas Wings.
The Sky are 3-4 in home games. Chicago gives up 86.3 points and has been outscored by 7.2 points per game.
The Lynx are 7-3 on the road. Minnesota averages 84.8 points and has outscored opponents by 10.1 points per game.
Chicago averages 79.1 points per game, 4.4 more points than the 74.7 Minnesota gives up. Minnesota averages 9.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.9 fewer makes per game than Chicago gives up.
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Lynx won the last meeting 80-75 on July 6, with Courtney Williams scoring 25 points in the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Angel Reese is averaging 13.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals for the Sky. Ariel Atkins is averaging 14.4 points over the last 10 games.
Napheesa Collier is scoring 23.5 points per game and averaging 7.9 rebounds for the Lynx. Kayla McBride is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Sky: 4-6, averaging 82.4 points, 36.4 rebounds, 20.6 assists, 7.6 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 83.6 points per game.
Lynx: 8-2, averaging 83.6 points, 34.6 rebounds, 22.8 assists, 7.6 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 73.3 points.
INJURIES: Sky: Courtney Vandersloot: out for season (acl).
Lynx: Karlie Samuelson: out for season (foot).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Collier scores 30, McBride 24 as Lynx beat Liberty 100-93 in Finals rematch
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier had 30 points and nine rebounds, Kayla McBride added 24 points, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the short-handed New York Liberty 100-93 on Wednesday night in a rematch of last year's WNBA Finals. Bridget Carleton made a 3-pointer from the corner with 7:08 remaining in the fourth quarter to give Minnesota a 79-66 lead. She added Minnesota's 14th 3-pointer — on just 27 attempts — less than two minutes later to make it 84-69. Minnesota's lead reached 92-77 before New York scored 11 straight over a two-minute stretch to get within four. Collier ended the run on a three-point play with 50.1 seconds left for a seven-point lead. Collier went 11 of 16 from the field and 6 of 9 at the free-throw line to record her fifth 30-point game of the season for Minnesota (23-5). The Lynx connected on a season-high 15 3-pointers and reached 100 points for the fourth time this season. Sabrina Ionescu countered with 31 points for New York (17-9), which did not have star Breanna Stewart due to a bone bruise in her right knee. Isabelle Harrison added 15 points and Marine Johannes scored 14. Alanna Smith added 12 points for Minnesota, and Carleton and Natisha Hiedeman each scored 10. Courtney Williams had a career-high 13 assists to go with six points and nine rebounds. Collier drained a 3-pointer with 14.3 seconds left in the first half for a 51-42 lead. She scored 19 points in the first half, including the Lynx's final 11 of the second quarter. ___ AP WNBA:
Vancouver Sun
7 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Canucks: What can Jake DeBrusk do after career season? Be more of a hound
There is truth in advertising. When Jake DeBrusk joined the Vancouver Canucks in free agency last summer, his biggest supporter and constant confidant banged the drum about the big winger's potential with a fresh start in a new city. It's what you expect from his father, Louie DeBrusk, a former NHL grinder and a Sportsnet and Hockey Night In Canada analyst. 'The guy is a hound,' DeBrusk told this reporter of his son's upside. 'He's not easy to play against, he tracks back, blocks shots, and can play the penalty kill and power play. The most important thing is the kid is a finisher. Jake brings energy and a lot of speed, and when he's buzzing he'll take over a line.' Or a game. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In that respect, the elder DeBrusk's summation was bang on. However, he could have added a streaky-scorer disclaimer. DeBrusk, 28, bagged a career-high 28 goals in 2024-2025, with 14 on the power play, which ranked fifth in the NHL. He also struck for 19 road goals, which was 10th overall, and had a pair of hat-tricks. His 16.4 per cent shooting accuracy was third on a team that couldn't finish, with a 23rd ranking of just 2.84 goals per outing. DeBrusk scored 12 of his goals with a wrist shot, five with a snapshot and two with a backhand, which showed versatility. And if the Canucks expect a season of redemption and return to the playoffs, they can't be missing the net and must show more moxie on home ice. The team stumbled out of the gate last season at Rogers Arena and were 3-5-3 after 11 dates. They won two straight in Vancouver on just two occasions, and finished at 17-16-8. Minnesota and claimed the final two Western Conference wild-card playoff berths with 23-13-5 and 24-14-3 home marks respectively. While DeBrusk had a season to remember, he scored just nine times at home as the Canucks fell seven points short of the postseason. A few more wins at Rogers Arena and they would have been in. That should stick in the craw. And with two of their first three games next season at home, they need an early swagger. As for DeBrusk, what can he do for an encore? Consistency is key to get to the next competitive level. He's already a salary-cap bargain with seven years left at $5.5 million US in annual average value, but there's always room to improve. DeBrusk didn't score in his first nine games last season. He struck in the next three, then went six games without a goal before erupting for nine in his next seven outings. That was followed by no goals in 11 games, one in a dozen games, and striking for three goals in his final four games. So, what's the key to snapping slumps and being an every-night threat? 'Be patient. Don't let it get in your head,' he suggested. 'I need to take more control with body position and stop guessing where the puck is going to go.' DeBrusk is adept at getting to the net to set screens, tip pucks and get rebounds. He's also quick enough to hound the opposition. He could add another dimension by winning corner-board battles and taking a direct route to the net to either shoot or set up a linemate. 'I have to generate more chaos, but feel like I have just been waiting around,' he admitted last season. 'I'm done with that.' The 6-foot-1, 198-pound Edmonton native was third in hits among club forwards last season with 96, but DeBrusk's open-ice collisions in the neutral zone don't matter as much as bravado toward the net. It's what the Canucks were banking on last season and hope to see if they return to the playoffs. DeBrusk led the Boston Bruins in 2024 postseason scoring with 11 points (5-6) in 13 games, and the club's 14th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft was second in hits with 53. Today's game is played down low. It's mosh-pits of establishing position and fishing for loose pucks. It's also top snipers playing on the outside but knowing when to get inside. You can't be stagnate. It's read and react. There is reason for optimism in the top-six mix with how the offseason has played out. Evander Kane was acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers because it appeared Brock Boeser was going elsewhere in free agency. And with a year left on his deal at $5.125 million, the Canucks are counting on a healthy Kane responding with incentive to earn another contract while playing at home. The Canucks can now deploy two credible lines, and Kane could hit 30 goals for the third time in his career. Expect Boeser to bag at least that many, if he stays away from ailments. Same for DeBrusk. Kane could be a candidate to drive play and open space for Elias Pettersson and Boeser, while DeBrusk moves well enough to align with Filip Chytil and Conor Garland to attack off the rush, if the Canucks don't land a support centre via trade or free agency. The Canucks also stack up well physically on the left side and should be harder to play against with Kane, DeBrusk and Drew O'Connor. And if they hound, all the better. bkuzma@
Edmonton Journal
7 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Canucks: What can Jake DeBrusk do after career season? Be more of a hound
Article content There is truth in advertising. Article content When Jake DeBrusk joined the Vancouver Canucks in free agency last summer, his biggest supporter and constant confidant banged the drum about the big winger's potential with a fresh start in a new city. Article content Article content It's what you expect from his father, Louie DeBrusk, a former NHL grinder and a Sportsnet and Hockey Night In Canada analyst. Article content 'The guy is a hound,' DeBrusk told this reporter of his son's upside. 'He's not easy to play against, he tracks back, blocks shots, and can play the penalty kill and power play. The most important thing is the kid is a finisher. Jake brings energy and a lot of speed, and when he's buzzing he'll take over a line.' Article content In that respect, the elder DeBrusk's summation was bang on. However, he could have added a streaky-scorer disclaimer. Article content DeBrusk, 28, bagged a career-high 28 goals in 2024-2025, with 14 on the power play, which ranked fifth in the NHL. He also struck for 19 road goals, which was 10th overall, and had a pair of hat-tricks. His 16.4 per cent shooting accuracy was third on a team that couldn't finish, with a 23rd ranking of just 2.84 goals per outing. Article content DeBrusk scored 12 of his goals with a wrist shot, five with a snapshot and two with a backhand, which showed versatility. And if the Canucks expect a season of redemption and return to the playoffs, they can't be missing the net and must show more moxie on home ice. Article content Article content The team stumbled out of the gate last season at Rogers Arena and were 3-5-3 after 11 dates. They won two straight in Vancouver on just two occasions, and finished at 17-16-8. Minnesota and claimed the final two Western Conference wild-card playoff berths with 23-13-5 and 24-14-3 home marks respectively. Article content Article content While DeBrusk had a season to remember, he scored just nine times at home as the Canucks fell seven points short of the postseason. A few more wins at Rogers Arena and they would have been in. That should stick in the craw. And with two of their first three games next season at home, they need an early swagger. Article content Article content As for DeBrusk, what can he do for an encore? Consistency is key to get to the next competitive level. He's already a salary-cap bargain with seven years left at $5.5 million US in annual average value, but there's always room to improve. Article content DeBrusk didn't score in his first nine games last season. He struck in the next three, then went six games without a goal before erupting for nine in his next seven outings. That was followed by no goals in 11 games, one in a dozen games, and striking for three goals in his final four games.
