On Sunday, October 17, the Chicago Sky defeated the Phoenix Mercury 80-74 to win their first WNBA Championship in franchise history. A true team win, the Sky had four players in double digits and took the lead for good with 1:22 left in the fourth.
How they won Game 4
This game was no easy win. The Mercury came with veteran leadership and championship intensity. Griner was unstoppable, scoring 28 points on 12 for 19 shooting. Diggins-Smith had a stellar performance scoring 16. And Taurasi did a respectable job guarding Allie Quigley and scoring 16 herself.
The one thing Phoenix was unable to do is get production from their bench. No one stepped up and played well. The Mercury bench combined 9 points in their 37 minutes of play. Rebounding was also subpar. They lost the rebounding battle 36-34, including some missed layups and an inability to get offensive rebounds late in the game, which sealed their fate.
Chicago had a complete performance in Game 4. Quigley had a phenomenal performance scoring 26 points and hitting three-pointers in the fourth to put Chicago back into the game after being down nine entering the fourth. Dolson hit back-to-back layups off of Courtney Vandersloot’s assists to extend the Sky lead and seal the victory.
Kahleah Freaking Copper
The WNBA Finals MVP was and Kahleah Copper. Sher had an average game today, but she was consistently the best player for the Sky during this series. So much can be said about her development throughout the years. She has improved by leaps and bounds every season, and this year was no exception. The kid from South Philly has become a franchise player and a champion.
What’s next?
The upcoming months will decide if this team is in the middle of a championship window or if this is the highlight of the James Wade era. For now, Candace Parker and the Chicago Sky can rest easy knowing they accomplished their ultimate goal. They’ve won a WNBA championship. They are now, officially, the greatest Chicago Sky team ever assembled and have given the city of Chicago their first championship since 2016.
Sky in the Chi 