NFL
In perhaps the most American sports film, Rocky IV, the film’s namesake hero must defy the odds to defeat a Soviet slugging menace, Ivan Drago. The cinematographic brilliance of the final fight scenes lies in how many times Rocky gets pummeled to the ground, only to get up off the canvas. Chicago Sky fans can rightly ask for absolution for feeling like unfortunate Rocky during the last five years! Even worse: the olé defense of the Angel Reese and post-Angel Reese eras meant Chicago often went out without a fight.
A common cliché states of a losing team: ____ is not walking through that door. But, aha! A hero has climbed off the ropes for this season’s Sky. Sydney Taylor’s winning three against Las Vegas seemed to represent the keystone of 2026’s arch. Taylor, however, measured another swing in the fight towards Sky redemption. On Friday night, she slayed another monster.
Looped Playlist?
Those who remember watching movies on DVD can empathize with the fear of scratching a disk. The movie may then not play, or, for CDs, a song might repeat a note indefinitely.
Team NBS Media has, true, sounded just like one of those broken machines when discussing Sky losses. @ us if you must, but there was genuine concern with repeated close losses! Golden State, who played ferocious yet tactically sound defense throughout Friday night, clawed out of a 21-point first-half deficit. It would take more than a Gonna Fly Now karaoke marathon or any overused platitude for Chicago to regain control.
Indeed, even the usually emotionally balanced Courtney Vandersloot grew frustrated throughout the night. At one point, she slammed the ball after a phantom foul call. Later, in the fourth quarter, the Valkyrie defense improbably forced her turnover at midcourt. Kamilla Cardoso, meanwhile, showed her usual angst about the officiating, though her demeanor stayed measured.
After slim reserve guard Kaitlyn Chen’s long three gave State the lead with less than a minute left, Taylor swung back, hitting a tying trey. The Valkyries badly missed a shot, and Sky coach Tyler Marsh wisely used a quick timeout to set up a winning play.
Tear Down That Net!
The last sequence, although filmed far from Hollywood, needed no second take. After Chicago’s inbound pass nearly bounced awry, Taylor gained control of the ball. She marked time, methodically dribbling as seconds ticked away. Finally, it was time for the killing blow.
Swish! With .6 seconds left, her three had improbably put Chicago in front. Golden State, however, still had a timeout and a chance for a realistic final play. De facto team leader Natasha Cloud emphatically gestured to her teammates that no fouls could occur. The team’s decision to dare State to match Taylor’s heroism proved true. Each Sky player kept her defensive assignment, and the last Valkyrie shot bounced short.
As Taylor and her Sky started the night’s second course of celebration after State’s miss, perhaps one could see a joyful parallel between Friday night and Rocky’s epic (albeit fictional) triumph. In the movie, Rocky states that “anybody can change!” after knocking out Drago. And if the Soviets could change Germany for the better in real life, there must be hope for the Sky too. To tear down the wall of doubt that separates Chicago from the playoffs, keeps the WNBA from the market’s ample pocketbooks, and makes us forget that any blessing is possible on the hardwood.
