A third quarter that decided everything
Chicago’s final home game of the season came down to eight punishing minutes. Trailing by two at halftime, the Sky reeled off a 16-0 run early in the third quarter and never allowed Toronto back into range, closing the period on a Jacy Sheldon buzzer-beating layup that made it 72-55. By the time the fourth quarter started, the outcome was effectively settled. Final score: Sky 97, Tempo 85.
Sydney Taylor and Gabriela Jaquez each finished with 18 points, Kamilla Cardoso added 17, and Sheldon contributed 12 off the bench in a performance that snapped Chicago’s five-game losing streak at the best possible moment. Courtney Vandersloot chipped in 10, and Elizabeth Williams anchored the interior with 6 points and 11 rebounds.
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Harrison keeps Toronto in it, barely
Isabelle Harrison did what she could, scoring 17 of her 21 points before halftime and finishing with 13 rebounds, while Laura Juskaite added 20. The two of them combined for 41 points, more than double the output of the rest of the Tempo roster. None of it closed the gap that Chicago’s third quarter had opened. The Sky outscored Toronto 28-11 in that period alone. The Tempo did cut a 22-point deficit down to 13 early in the fourth, a brief rally built around Chicago’s bench rotation, before Williams and Jaquez restored the margin with a layup and a steal-and-score that pushed it back to 22.
The first half alone told a different story: 19 lead changes and five ties, with Chicago trailing 20-18 after the opening quarter before a five-point run midway through the second evened things out. Harrison’s three-point play tied it at 44 heading into the break. None of that mattered once the third quarter arrived.
Season series goes to Toronto anyway
Despite Tuesday’s result, Toronto closes the season series with Chicago at 2-1, a reminder that one bad quarter can define a single game without rewriting the whole year. Chicago finishes its home schedule at 16-27, a number that undersells a roster that found its rhythm at exactly the wrong time of the season. Toronto falls to 11-32, still searching for the third-quarter execution that flipped this one in Chicago’s favor.
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