The WNBA's yearly awards include the opportunity to celebrate its peak performers, who led the league in points, rebounds and assists per game. The league tried different combinations of shooting and rebounding recognition until it landed on its 3-stat format in 2006.
The Chicago Sky have had a trio of players represent them as some of the league's peak performers in years past. Now-New York Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot was recognized as a peak performer in assists six times, including five times from 2017-21. Forward Elena Delle Donne was the Sky's one and only peak scoring performer. She earned the honors in 2015. Center Sylvia Fowles, who was recently named a nominee for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, was a rebounding peak performer in 2013.
This year's peak game performers will celebrate those who earned the highest single-game scoring, rebounding and passing performances for the Sky last season, along with how their respective season averages ranked with the rest of the league.
Points: Chennedy Carter, 34 points
Carter scored a season-high 34 points in what would be a defining performance in her resurgent season. Her cuts and expert drives to the basket led to plenty of contested makes in the paint or in the mid-range. She earned 20 of her points in the paint, six off turnovers and six off second-chance points. The 5-foot-9 guard jumped out to a confident start with 14 points in the first quarter.
Carter led the Sky with 17.5 points per game this season. She took 12th place in the league in points per game. Carter would continue a long line of excellent scoring guards for the Sky after Kahleah Copper, who led Chicago in scoring for three consecutive seasons, would be shipped off to the Phoenix Mercury in February.
Rebounds: Angel Reese, 22 rebounds
From one Aces game to another.
Whether it be a former Iowa star in Megan Gustafson, a two-time champion in Kiah Stokes or the league's unanimous MVP in A'ja Wilson, it seemed like no one could stop Reese from tracking down missed shots with ease. The rookie phenom brought down a season-high 22 rebounds in a low-scoring loss to the Aces in August. She grabbed 10 boards on offense and 12 on defense. It would be the third time in the span of one week that she logged 20 rebounds or more.
Reese would average a league-leading 13.1 rebounds per game by season's end. She would be recognized as one of the league's peak performers, joining Wilson (scoring) and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (assists). Reese became the Sky's first peak performer since Vandersloot in 2021 and its first rebounding peak performer since Fowles.
Assists: Marina Mabrey, 8 assists
Now-Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey logged a season-high eight assists in a May victory over the Dallas Wings. She dished quick passes all across the halfcourt for plenty of scores on the inside. Center Elizabeth Williams seemed to be her favorite target that night. She assisted the veteran big on four makes in the paint.
Mabrey would average a Sky-leading 4.5 assists per game in her 24 games played with Chicago this season. Her total season average of 4.1 assists per contest put her just ahead of Chicago guard Lindsay Allen for 12th place in the WNBA. Allen, who played in 40 games and started in 28 for the Sky, came in a close second on Chicago's roster with 3.9 assists per game. She logged her 2024 season high of seven assists in four games. She earned her career-high of 10 assists in 2021 and 2023.