Kamilla Cardoso contributed 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Skylar Diggins tallied 21 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in her debut for the team, leading the Chicago Sky to a 98-83 road victory on Saturday night and spoiling the opener for the expansion Portland Fire.
Rickea Jackson added 19 points and seven rebounds, and Jacy Sheldon chipped in 13 points for the Sky, who reshaped their roster after tying for the league’s worst record with 10 wins last season. The 35-year-old Diggins, signed as a free agent, made 8 of 12 shots from the field, including two three-pointers.
First-round draft pick Gabriela Jaquez and Elizabeth Williams each scored 10 points for Chicago.
Carla Leite led Portland with 18 points, while Bridget Carlson and reserve Sarah Ashlee Barker each added 13. Megan Gustafson contributed 10 points off the bench.
Chicago shot 47.8% from the field and connected on 6 of 17 attempts from beyond the arc. The Sky dominated the glass with a 46-24 rebounding advantage.
The Fire shot 40.8% overall, hitting 9 of 29 three-pointers, and managed only three offensive rebounds.
After seeing a 17-point first-half lead slip away, Chicago unleashed a 15-4 run in the final quarter. Diggins capped it with a three-pointer to give the Sky an 85-74 lead with 4:47 remaining.
Cardoso’s layup pushed the lead to 92-76 with 2:09 left, effectively sealing the game.
Portland trailed by 13 at halftime but rallied to outscore Chicago 30-18 in the third quarter.
The Fire closed the gap quickly in the third, as Carleton drilled two three-pointers to cap an 11-0 run that cut the Sky’s lead to 52-49.
Chicago answered with five straight points from Jaquez to hold a 68-58 advantage with 2:41 left in the quarter.
However, Portland scored the final nine points of the period, capped by Barker’s basket, to pull within 68-67 with 29.9 seconds remaining.
Carleton buried a three-pointer to tie the game at 70 with 8:39 left in the fourth.
Diggins and Jackson each scored 12 points in the first half, helping Chicago take a 50-37 lead into the break. Barker had 11 for the Fire in the half.
The Sky shot just 6 of 18 in the first quarter but still led 19-18. They then shot 75% (12 of 16) in the second quarter, taking their largest lead at 49-32 on two free throws by Jaquez with 59.7 seconds left in the half.
