As Angel Reese stepped back from the free throw line, she put a finger to her mouth, signaling the crowd at Barclays Center to quiet down with just 26.4 seconds remaining.
In a surprising turn of events, Reese and her team overcame the defending champions, clinching a 91-85 victory.
This time, Freedom found itself once again caught in a trap.
New York came into the game riding high after finally defeating the Lynx just two nights earlier but faced another tough challenge.
Freedom had no one but themselves to blame for the frustrating losses.
They shouldn’t have let the game remain competitive for nearly the entire match.
In the fourth quarter, the Sky were only trailing by three points, leading to an intense final ten minutes.
Freedom attempted to boost their performance in the final stretch, but it appeared to be too little, too late. Sloppy plays and a lack of focus hampered them, especially given their five-game winning streak prior to this and the league’s second-worst record.
The Sky’s strong inside game, driven by Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, kept them competitive against New York.
Chicago dominated the paint, outscoring Freedom 52-26 and also controlling the boards 42-27. Meanwhile, New York shot 37 out of 72 attempts from the field.
Cardoso finished with a noteworthy 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Reese added 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Sky.
Johnkel Jones was the top scorer for Freedom with 25 points.
In a rare moment, Sabrina Ionescu fouled out for the first time in her career during the closing minutes of the game.
This game was a critical loss for Freedom, especially given the tight playoff race. New York was aiming for a second-place spot but risked dropping to fifth, eliminating their home-court advantage for the playoffs.
Liberty will have a few days to regroup before facing Atlanta on Saturday, a matchup that could have significant playoff implications.
