After missing the Sky's previous four games because of health and safety protocols, Chennedy Carter returned for Chicago in impressive fashion Friday night.
Carter, the Sky's top scorer at 17.1 points per game, flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in the team's 92-78 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Sparks.
"I feel good," Carter said. "It's good to just get up and down and get my legs back under me and be out there with the girls. It was fun, for sure."
Chicago snapped a seven-game losing streak and remained in eighth place as it looks to secure the WNBA's final postseason berth.
Carter had last appeared in a game on Aug. 25 but showed few signs of rust. Her 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting were second most on the Sky, while her team-high seven dimes were a season best. She also finished with zero turnovers.
"I'm just trying to learn to play off my teammates," Carter said. "I think we have a lot of special weapons that we haven't even unlocked yet, and so just playing off them, seeing where they're going to be, ultimately unlocks my game. I'm not someone that always has to have the ball, so I can play off other people, and we're seeing that."
Having Carter back in the lineup helped unlock the Sky's offense, which had struggled mightily in her absence. Chicago's 92 points were its most since it scored 93 against Las Vegas in the final game prior to the Olympics. In their four games without Carter, the Sky surpassed 80 points just once.
Their 24 assists against the Sparks were their third most of the season.
"That type of energy is contagious," coach Teresa Weatherspoon said of Carter. "It gives everybody else an extra boost. She does an incredible job of getting to the rim, breaking defenses down and giving our players easy access to the rim, easy buckets at the rim, easy buckets of just standing and shooting. She makes life a little bit easier because of the attention that she draws."
Carter was treated to an ovation from the Chicago crowd as she checked out of the game for the final time.
"For me, it means a lot. I haven't been at this place, in this moment in my career, I don't think ever," Carter said. "So to feel that from not only our fans, but my teammates and my coaches, makes me feel loved, makes me feel valued. It's an amazing feeling."
While the Sky and Atlanta Dream have identical 12-22 records, Chicago currently owns the tiebreaker since it's 2-1 in the head-to-head matchup (the teams meet for a final time Sept. 17). The Washington Mystics are one game back.
"The seven-game losing streak was tough," said Angel Reese, who recorded her 26th double-double of the season with a team-best 24 points and 12 rebounds. "I think we learned a lot about ourselves. Pressure breaks pipes, and I think that we came together and we fought for this one tonight."
Added Weatherspoon: "We talked about in the locker room, about this being like your last game you'll ever play. You give it everything you have, you leave everything out on the floor. And they did that ... and that's the way we're approaching every game [moving forward]."
With the loss, the Sparks became the first team eliminated from playoff contention.