Chicago Sky beat Portland Fire 98-83 in WNBA opener
Updated
Updated · ESPN · May 9
Chicago Sky beat Portland Fire 98-83 in WNBA opener
6 articles · Updated · ESPN · May 9
In Portland, Kamilla Cardoso led Chicago with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Skylar Diggins added 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Expansion side Portland, back in the league's city after 24 years, erased a 17-point first-half deficit to tie the game at 70 before Chicago pulled away.
Carla Leite scored 18 for the Fire, whose opener began a four-game homestand, while the revamped Sky started a four-game road trip without ill veteran signing Natasha Cloud.
With player salaries soaring, can new WNBA expansion teams now compete for a title in their first season?
Chicago's veterans won, but with key players injured, are they true contenders or just early pretenders?
Will Portland's novel coaching and business model become the new blueprint for successful WNBA expansion franchises?