The Chicago Sky welcome the reigning champion New York Liberty to Wintrust Arena on Thursday, May 22, 2025, for an early-season clash that figures to tell us plenty about both clubs. These teams had opposite results in their season openers, and New York will look to keep their winning ways going, while Chicago looks to rebound from a bad start. Here, we break down Liberty vs Sky and make our prediction for this contest in the betting markets.
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Liberty vs Sky Preview
The Liberty opened their title defense with a convincing 92-78 win over Las Vegas behind Breanna Stewart’s 25 points and a sparkling debut from offseason acquisition Natasha Cloud, who poured in 22 while directing an offense that hit nearly half its shots. Chicago’s curtain-raiser could not have been more different. The Sky fell 93-58 at Indiana, shooting just under 30 percent from the floor despite sophomore centerpiece Angel Reese grinding her way to 12 points and 17 rebounds. One game never defines a campaign, yet the optics create a steep hill for a Sky group still learning one another’s preferences on both ends.
New York enters with the confidence that flows from a banner season and a roster that returned its core. Stewart continues to anchor everything with her versatile scoring, rim protection, and nimble passing out of doubles. Cloud brings pace and vocal leadership, adding a downhill threat that forces help and opens lanes for sharpshooters like Sabrina Ionescu.
German forward Leonie Fiebich, fresh off a Spanish league title, gave coach Sandy Brondello 30 high-energy minutes in the opener, flashing the defensive switchability that made her an All-Rookie pick a year ago. The Liberty scored 92 points despite hitting only four threes, which is a scary sign for the rest of the league. Those numbers illustrate balanced half-court scoring and a willingness to win through paint touches rather than perimeter volume whenever opponents run shooters off the line.
Chicago’s rebuild remains a work in progress. Reese provided relentless activity on the glass against Indiana, but the Sky lacked complementary scoring. Guard Ariel Atkins had 11 points yet little help, and veteran facilitator Courtney Vandersloot is still finding timing with new teammates after re-joining the Sky this past offseason. Chicago’s 58 points, 17 turnovers, and -35 point differential highlighted issues with spacing and transition defense that they will need to clean up against the champs.
Betting Insights
- Spread: Liberty –11
- Total: 162
- Moneyline: Liberty –675, Sky +490
Market movement opened with New York a double-digit favorite, and nothing from the first weekend suggests bettors will rush to the underdog. The Liberty have covered in ten of their last fourteen road games, while Chicago is 0-5 against the number over its previous five overall and 1-5 in the same span versus New York. Unders have cashed in four of New York’s last five and in five straight meetings at Wintrust, a trend rooted in the Liberty’s improved half-court defense and Chicago’s recent scoring woes.
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Liberty vs Sky Prediction
Chicago’s best avenue to keep this contest tight is a dominant rebounding night paired with efficient half-court execution and limiting turnovers that fuel Liberty run-outs. That script requires multiple perimeter scorers to heat up simultaneously, plus disciplined help defense on Stewart’s post-ups and Cloud’s drives. Through two weeks of preseason and one official outing, such cohesion has yet to surface.
Conversely, New York showcased polished ball movement, depth, and championship composure against the league’s most talented roster. The frontcourt trio of Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Fiebich has a clear athletic edge over everyone but Angel Reese in the paint for Chicago, and the Liberty guard rotation holds equal authority on the perimeter. Absent an outlier shooting performance from the Sky, every metric favors the visitors.
Pick: Liberty –11 and Under 162. Projected score: New York 87, Chicago 70. Back the champions to impose their pace, pile up second-chance buckets, and mute a Sky offense still searching for reliable creation from its guards.
