TrueStar Staff 
The Chicago Sky welcomed back veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot in style recently, defeating the Portland Fire 124-94 at Wintrust Arena for their second consecutive blowout victory over the team.
Tip-off was at 6:30 p.m., and the Sky came out firing. Chicago dominated the opening quarter, outscoring the Fire 29-17 while controlling the pace on both ends of the floor. Portland answered with a strong second quarter, scoring 31 points to cut into the deficit. Despite the Fire’s push, Chicago maintained a 53-48 advantage heading into halftime. The second half belonged entirely to the Sky.
Chicago tightened its defense while its offense reached another level, erupting for 71 second-half points to put the game out of reach. The Sky’s unselfish play was on full display as they recorded 38 assists, setting a new league record for the most assists in a single game.
Kamilla Cardoso delivered the best performance of her young career, finishing with a career-high 30 points and eight rebounds while shooting a flawless 13-for-13 from the field.
Sydney Taylor continued her breakout campaign with 29 points and three rebounds, providing another explosive scoring performance for Chicago. Making her return to the lineup, Vandersloot added 10 points and seven assists while directing the offense with the poise and leadership that has defined her career. Following the game, Vandersloot praised Cardoso’s dominant performance. “Cardoso is awesome. She’s amazing. She has the most talent at her position. She played well and got her career high today.” Cardoso quickly redirected the attention to teammate Taylor. “Sydney is fun to watch. She’s been doing this since day 1 of training camp. She’s an amazing shooter, and we know she’s an amazing player.”
The victory showcased everything Chicago hopes to build upon this season—balanced scoring, elite ball movement, and a defense that wore Portland down over four quarters. With Vandersloot back in the lineup and young stars like Cardoso and Taylor continuing to flourish, the Sky appear to be finding their rhythm at the right time.
Chicago’s record-setting night and another decisive win over Portland sent a clear message: The Sky are playing some of their best basketball of the season.
By Christopher Lockridge
