Dallas Wings beat Chicago Sky 99-89

The Dallas Wings left Chicago with a 99-89 win on May 20 after turning the Sky’s home opener at Wintrust Arena with a dominant second half. Chicago led by 11 late in the first quarter, but Dallas outscored the Sky 34-26 in the third and 28-25 in the fourth to pull away. Jessica Shepard recorded the first triple-double in the WNBA this season, and Kamilla Cardoso’s 24-point, 11-rebound night was not enough for Chicago. Rickea Jackson was not in uniform for Chicago, and the Sky were already dealing with a thinner rotation in the frontcourt and on the wing. The Chicago Tribune reported that Chicago could not overcome Jackson’s absence despite Cardoso’s third double-double of the season. CBS Sports said before the game that Jackson would miss the rest of the 2026 season. (wnba.com) ### How did Dallas flip a game Chicago seemed to control early? Rachel Banham’s four-point play capped a 10-0 Chicago run and gave the Sky an 11-point lead late in the first quarter. Chicago finished the opening period ahead 22-16 and looked comfortable getting into the paint and to the foul line. The third quarter changed the game. Dallas scored 34 points in the period, with Shepard producing eight points, six rebounds and five assists in that stretch alone, according to the game recap carried by CBS Sports. (chicagotribune.com) The Wings shot 50.0% from the field for the game and finished with 28 assists on 36 made baskets. ### What made Shepard’s night the defining stat line? (wnba.com) Jessica Shepard finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in 31 minutes. The Dallas Morning News called it her second career triple-double, and the WNBA box score shows she shot 6-for-7 from the field while helping organize Dallas’ offense from the high post and in transition. (cbssports.com) Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale gave Dallas the scoring it needed around Shepard’s all-around game. Bueckers scored 24 points on 11-for-19 shooting, while Ogunbowale added 23 points and scored 11 in the fourth quarter, according to the Dallas Morning News recap. Azzi Fudd added 12 points for the Wings. ### What did Chicago get from Cardoso, and where did it fall short? (dallasnews.com) Kamilla Cardoso delivered 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting with 11 rebounds and five assists. The Chicago Tribune described it as her third double-double of the season, and CBS Sports said it was her second straight double-double. Natasha Cloud added 21 points and eight rebounds, while Skylar Diggins scored 15. (dallasnews.com) Chicago’s offense became more uneven after the fast start. The Sky got 10 points from Banham and 12 from Gabriela Jaquez, but they had less margin for error without Jackson available. The box score also showed several regular contributors at 0:00, underscoring how short-handed Chicago was for its home debut. ### How does Jackson’s absence change the picture for Chicago? (chicagotribune.com) Rickea Jackson’s absence was the central roster fact entering the game. USA Today and CBS Sports both reported before the opener that Chicago would begin life without Jackson, with CBS Sports saying she was out for the rest of the season. (herhoopstats.com) The Tribune’s game story framed the loss as an early test of whether Chicago could sustain its start without her. On this night, Cardoso produced, but Dallas had more creators and more lineup flexibility once the game turned in the second half. That is an inference from the box score and game flow rather than a direct team statement. (usatoday.com) ### What comes next on the schedule? Dallas is scheduled to visit Atlanta on Friday, according to the WNBA game summary. Chicago is scheduled to host Minnesota on Saturday as the Sky continue a stretch of games without Jackson in the rotation. (wnba.com) (chicagotribune.com)