Rickea Jackson Dropped 18 Points in the Final 90 Seconds and the Sky Are 2-0, Already Looking Nothing Like Last Year's Disaster

The Chicago Sky walked into Chase Center on Wednesday and looked like they had absolutely no business being there. Down 12 at halftime, shooting 24 points in the first half, getting outplayed in every direction. But Rickea Jackson had other ideas, and by the time the final buzzer sounded, the Sky had stolen a 69-63 win over the Golden State Valkyries and improved to 2-0 on the season.

Jackson saved her best for the moment that mattered most. She scored five of her team-leading 18 points in the final 1:41, including a crucial 3-pointer with 1:57 remaining after Kaila Charles had cut it to 60-58. She wasn't done either, nailing a pair of free throws with 46.7 seconds left to put the game away. That's the kind of closing performance that separates good wins from forgettable ones.

A Complete Defensive Turnaround in the Second Half

Here's what makes this even more impressive: the Sky came in shooting like they'd never seen a basketball before. They finished 36.2% from the field, 6-for-20 from deep, but they didn't need to be great offensively. They just needed to clamp down defensively, and they did exactly that.

Kamilla Cardoso was everywhere on that end, pulling down seven rebounds and swatting two blocks. Jacy Sheldon chipped in three steals and 12 points. Even Jackson and Skylar Diggins each blocked a pair of shots. Golden State got absolutely smothered into just 29.3% shooting overall and 26.9% from 3-point range. That's the kind of defense that wins playoff basketball in May.

The Valkyries' Star Fell Silent When It Mattered

Kayla Thornton, the 2025 All-Star, went scoreless. She missed all 11 of her shots, all three of her 3-pointers. On a night when Golden State had averaged 93 points in their first two wins, they couldn't crack 70 because their biggest weapons misfired.

Gabby Williams and Veronica Burton tried to keep it close with 18 and 16 points respectively, and Kiah Stokes battled with 11 rebounds and five blocks, but it wasn't nearly enough. Diggins tied it together with 15 points and a game-high seven assists for Chicago.

Remember, the Sky were 10-34 last season. Now they're 2-0 with back-to-back road wins at Portland and Golden State. That's not luck. That's a team that came in hungry and refused to let a slow start define their night.

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