Clark and the Fever are trying to prove that they belong in the upper tier of WNBA teams. The Sky are attempting to make a push for the postseason this year, so both franchises have plenty to show the league and its fans on opening night.

Out of halftime, Van Lith scored five, Ariel Atkins added four, and Rebecca Allen chipped in three to keep the Sky close, despite a 13-point explosion from Collier for the Lynx. Chicago trailed by just three heading into the fourth.

Before the Chicago Sky took Hailey Van Lith with the No. 11 pick in the WNBA draft, Angel Reese had been advocating for the Sky to pick her former LSU teammate.

The Chicago Sky made massive changes to their backcourt this offseason. General manager Jeff Pagliocca re-signed legendary Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot, and he traded for veteran Ariel Atkins.

At the end of a busy few days, the Sky looked solid in their first game back at Wintrust Arena. They got key plays at the end by Hailey Van Lith and Alex Wilson to get the win.