Indiana Fever beat Chicago Sky 90 to 86 on Friday night in a WNBA match that went deeper than the scoreboard suggested. The visitors held their nerve after building a 17-point lead, while the hosts kept pushing until the final whistle. It was a game decided in the closing stages, not the opening minutes.
Chicago made things difficult for themselves with 13 turnovers, though they won the battle on the boards with 30 rebounds to Indiana's 34. The hosts shot 31 from 68 field goals and went 15 for 20 from the free-throw line. To be fair, they stayed within striking distance for long stretches.
Indiana were more efficient, converting 35 of 68 shots and 11 of 16 free throws. They led by 17 at one point, which should have been enough, but Chicago never stopped looking for a way back. By then the momentum had shifted, and the visitors found themselves chasing the result instead of protecting it.
Both sides hit nine three-pointers from 22 attempts, so the game wasn't decided from deep. Indiana's advantage came inside — 46 points in the paint compared to Chicago's 38. The hosts managed 16 points off turnovers, while Indiana scored 15, so neither side could capitalise consistently on mistakes.
Chicago's recent form has been mixed. They beat Los Angeles Sparks 95 to 88 on Wednesday and edged past Connecticut 94 to 88, but losses to Phoenix and New York suggest inconsistency. Five wins and 25 defeats over 40 games keeps them fifth, though the gap to the top teams remains clear.
Indiana sit second with 26 wins from 40 games. A loss to Las Vegas on Wednesday was followed by a win against Portland, so this result keeps them in the hunt. The final margin of four points tells you how close it was, and neither side should feel they deserved more from the evening.