The Chicago Sky are WNBA Champions for the first time in franchise history after defeating the Phoenix Mercury 80-74 in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals.
With the help of outstanding contributions from Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley and WNBA legend Candace Parker, the Sky displayed resilience, coming back from behind late in the second half to secure their third win in the best-of-five series.
Vandersloot finished with a near triple-double, dropping 10 points, 15 assists and 9 rebounds, while her teammate and wife, Quigley, had a team-high 26 points. Parker had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, including five assists and four steals.
The Mercury were up by as many as 14 points with just over two minutes left in the third quarter, led by solid performances from Brittney Griner and the GOAT, Diana Taurasi, who each finished with 28 and 16 points, respectively.
Parker stopped the bleeding, first knocking down a right-wing three and then finishing a fast-break layup in succession.
However, her most notable moment came with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter when she drained a clutch three from the left wing to tie the game up at 72-72.
While Parker had previously won a chip as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks, this title was especially sweet for the six-time All-Star, given that she grew up right outside of Chicago.
“I had flashbacks from high school when I first realized we won the state championship, and it was kind of like similar,” Parker said after the game. “It was amazing to just hug my dad and my mom and my family. It was just an amazing feeling to be from here and see so many people in the stands that have been supporting you since you started.”
Mercury forward Kahleah Copper was crowned MVP of the 2021 Finals, during which she averaged 17.0 PPG and 5.5 RPG.
