CHICAGO – Candace Parker came home to bring the Windy City a basketball championship and did just that, leading the Chicago Sky to the franchise’s first title.
Allie Quigley scored 26 points and Parker added 16 with 13 rebounds and five assists as the sixth-seeded Sky beat the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury 80-74 on Sunday in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, wrapping up the best-of-five series in which Chicago’s loss came in overtime in Game 2.
“This one is so sweet,” a champagne-soaked Parker said. “To do it with this group – I love this group, I love this team. And to do it here at home, it was just supposed to be.”
Courtney Vandersloot added 10 points and 15 assists as the Sky rallied from a 72-65 deficit with 4:42 left. Chicago scored the next nine points to take a two-point lead on a layup by Stefanie Dolson, who added another basket to make it 76-72 with 45.8 seconds left.
The Mercury’s Diana Taurasi was fouled on the next possession attempting a 3-pointer; she made the first two free throws but missed the third. Vandersloot then scored in the lane to seal the victory and set off the celebration.