NFL
By: Jeffrey Newholm
“It’s Alive!!!”
What, Henry Frankenstein’s Creature? Alas, probably not, as even resurrected monstrosities likely pass away after a century. One can excuse the Chicago Sky, however, for feeling like Frankenstein’s townsfolk during and after a deflating setback Thursday night in Indianapolis.
In the film franchise, the chased, imprisoned, and burned Creature wouldn’t perish. Similarly, despite a valiant effort in Indiana by rookie sensation Sydney Taylor, Chicago again leaves the court wondering: what will it take to, at last, defeat the WNBA’s best?
Will’s Tests
If games were won on the betting ledger, not the court, Fever fans could have enjoyed a night out somewhere else. This fact is proven by Indiana’s superior star power, embodied by expert sharpshooter and diplomatic leader Caitlin Clark and ferocious post-up titan Aliyah Boston. Also, Fever coach Stephanie White has the head-coaching experience long absent from the Sky’s sideline.
Thankfully, no scorebook can be filled out before tip-off. True, Indiana raced out to a 27-12 lead. However, the game turned in an instant. Chicago coach Tyler Marsh listened to his players, who encouraged a challenge on a 50-50 block charge call.
Shazam! The officials reversed Chicago’s foul. Perhaps emboldened by the play, and maybe through a brief, inexplicable lack of concentration by Indina, the Sky fought back. By the early stages of quarter three, Chicago had the lead.
Of further concern to the Fever were two bursts of anger. Clark and White both earned technicals over close plays. The whistles only led to one Sky point, but the Fever’s frustrations reflected a poise Chicago lacked in previous seasons.
Thanks to just enough awesomeness (go figure) by Clark and Boston, Indiana appeared to have secured victory in the final minute. Up three with the ball and a dark shot clock, the Fever only needed to hold the ball.
In the test of mid-American wills, however, two Sky players soared high enough to crash Gainbridge Fieldhouse’s roof before time expired.
Creature Rises
Taylor, a rookie in name only, dazzled. She played overseas for two seasons after her collegiate years before Chicago wisely signed her to a low-risk contract this preseason.
Caitlin who? Taylor dazzled in Indiana, recording an astonishing career-high 30 points and a +7 +/- in a game where the Sky would…
Tie the battle after a turnover and Skylar Diggins three? After the Fever’s last regulation play self-destructed, the night seemed destined for a climactic conclusion.
Or not. An impassioned Clark and her better-developed roster maintained focus. The Fever’s tactical success in overtime proved imperfect. The worst monsters, however, succeed through, not despite, perceived flaws.
In the shocking first action scene of Bride of Frankenstein, the Creature climbs out of an entombment and, with the help of an accomplice scientist, begins greater mischief. To a similar, devastating overtime effect, the exhausted Fever earned a 114-106 triumph.
A Loss is a Loss
For a final time, Team NBS Media relays sage advice from Klay Thompson’s reaction in a too-close 2016 Olympic triumph. “A win’s a win,” Thompson stated in an embracing of victory’s never-perfect glow.
And, for Chicago, another loss is another loss. Sky fans can only imagine what Frankenstein must have felt after learning of his Creature’s unfathomable endurance. Sometimes a biologist, or a basketball team, can play its cards perfectly and still get trumped by fate’s joker.
And yet: life’s what one makes of it.
Natasha Cloud, in fair enough spirits, laughed on the sideline after fouling out late in overtime. Courtney Vandersloot, not ready to return to the court, also helped elevate Chicago’s spirit during Taylor’s torrent. Thus, although the scoreboard listed Indiana as the victor, the Sky’s soul remains fruitful.
As long as Chicago continues to improve, leaving moral victories in always-overflowing Wintrust trash cans, those fruits will soon blossom into a cornucopia of sweet Windy City bliss.
