Rickea Jackson Dropped 18 Points in the Final 1:41 and the Sky Are Already 2-0

The Chicago Sky are not messing around. After going 10-34 last season, they came into the 2026 WNBA campaign looking to prove everyone wrong, and so far, they're doing exactly that. On Wednesday night in San Francisco, Rickea Jackson saved five of her game-high 18 points for crunch time and the Sky held off the Golden State Valkyries 69-63 at Chase Center to improve to 2-0 on the season with back-to-back road wins at Portland and Golden State.

The Defense Won This Game

Chicago's offense looked shaky early. They scored just 24 points in the first half and fell behind by as many as 12. The Valkyries looked like they might run away with it. But the Sky's defense tightened up after the break and that's what won this game. They harassed the Valkyries into an ugly 29.3% from the field and 7-for-26 (26.9%) from three. Kamilla Cardoso led the way with seven rebounds and two blocks. Jackson and Diggins also chipped in with a pair of blocks each. Golden State came in averaging 93 points over their first two wins. They couldn't touch that on this night.

Jackson Takes Over When It Matters

The game stayed tight down the stretch. Kaila Charles got Golden State within 60-58 with 1:57 left, but Jackson answered with her first three-pointer in five attempts, a clutch shot that gave Chicago a five-point edge. She then added a pair of free throws with 46.7 seconds remaining to extend the lead to 65-58. Skylar Diggins chipped in 15 points and a game-high seven assists for the Sky. Jacy Sheldon added 12 points and three steals. Sheldon sank a layup with 23.8 seconds to go and Diggins made two free throws with 19.4 seconds left to close it out.

The Valkyries Stumble Out of the Gate

Golden State's offense fell apart in a way nobody expected. Gabby Williams tied Jackson for team-high scoring honors with 18 points and Veronica Burton had 16, but that wasn't enough. The real shocker was what happened to 2025 All-Star Kayla Thornton. She went scoreless, missing all 11 of her shots and all three of her three-point tries. Kiah Stokes pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to go with seven points and five blocks. Golden State sends their first loss in three games this campaign.

Chicago's offense wasn't perfect either. They shot just 36.2% from the field, 6-for-20 from three, and 13-for-21 from the line. But when you hold a team to under 64 points and make the plays when it matters most, that's how you win games on the road. The Sky head home with two wins in the bank.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.