The Chicago Sky survived a gritty fourth-quarter push from the Golden State Valkyries to secure a 73–70 victory on Saturday night, holding off the expansion side in a defensive battle that came down to the final possession.

Playing in front of a fired-up home crowd, the Sky leaned on their interior presence and late-game composure to close out a game that swung back and forth over the final ten minutes. Chicago forced a tough contested look on Golden State’s last possession, then corralled the rebound as the final buzzer sounded to seal the three-point win.

Defense and rebounding set the tone

Neither team found much offensive rhythm in the first half, but Chicago’s size advantage in the paint proved decisive. The Sky controlled the glass, turning several offensive rebounds into second-chance points and limiting Golden State to one-shot possessions for long stretches.

Golden State, meanwhile, kept the game close by generating turnovers and pushing the pace in transition. The Valkyries repeatedly turned Chicago miscues into quick scores, and their perimeter defense forced the Sky to work deep into the shot clock on nearly every possession.

Fourth-quarter surge swings the game

After trailing by five points entering the final period, the Sky opened the fourth quarter on an 8–2 run to reclaim the lead. Chicago’s frontcourt duo of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso took over in the paint, combining for key rebounds, putbacks, and timely free throws down the stretch.

Golden State answered with a three-pointer that trimmed the lead to one with under two minutes left, but the Sky responded with a poised half-court set that ended in a layup to push the margin back to three. From there, Chicago’s defense buckled down, forcing a miss and then a rushed desperation shot in the closing seconds.

Standout performers

• Angel Reese (Chicago Sky): Delivered a double-double and was the anchor of Chicago’s rebounding effort, keeping multiple possessions alive and scoring inside.
• Kamilla Cardoso (Chicago Sky): Protected the rim and changed shots around the basket, while also providing a reliable scoring option in the post.
• Golden State Valkyries backcourt: Kept the visitors in the game with aggressive on-ball defense and timely perimeter shooting, pushing the pace all night.

Season impact

The win gives Chicago a valuable home victory as the Sky continue to jockey for playoff positioning in the competitive WNBA standings. Beating a defensively tough Golden State team also adds a useful tiebreaker and confirms that the Sky can grind out low-scoring contests when their offense is not firing on all cylinders.

For Golden State, the narrow loss continues a stretch of competitive outings. The Valkyries showed once again that they can hang with established teams on the road, but converting close games into wins remains the next step in their development.

What’s next

Chicago will look to build on this momentum when they return to action later in the week, while Golden State heads back home aiming to turn this kind of gritty performance into a victory. If Saturday night was any indication, these two teams could meet again in another tightly contested matchup before the season is over.