All Things Basketball with GD - WNBA Championship Edition, Chicago Sky vs Phoenix Mercury breakdown

The All Things Basketball with GD podcast - WNBA Championship Edition, Chicago Sky vs Phoenix Mercury breakdown

Show Notes:

WNBA Championship Edition, Chicago Sky vs Phoenix Mercury series breakdown (00:25)

Phoenix Mercury (19-13, 5th place) vs Chicago Sky (16-16, 6th place)

Game 1 in Phoenix

CHI 91, PHO 77

Blowout win on the road for the Sky

Excellent shooting for the team (nearly 53% FG, 100% FT)

Turnover-ridden game for the Mercury

CHI led by Kahleah Copper (21 pts, 10 rebs, 3 asts & 2 stls), Allie Quigley (18 pts with 3 3pgs) & Courtney Vandersloot (12 pts, 11 asts & 5 rebs)

PHO led by Brittney Griner (20 pts, 6 rebs & 3 asts), Diana Taurasi (17 pts, 3 3pgs & 3 rebs) & Skylar Diggins-Smith (15 pts, 4 asts, 4 rebs & 3 stls)

Game 2 in Phoenix

PHO 91, CHI 86 (OT)

A tightly contested & physical match that went into overtime

Taurasi willing her team in overtime to the win

Sky went to the free throw line only 4 times compared to Mercury's 11

PHO led by Griner (29 pts, 9 rebs & 2 blks), Taurasi (20 pts, 4 3pgs, 4 rebs, 2 blks & a stl) & Diggins-Smith (13 pts, 12 asts, 7 rebs & a stl)

CHI led by Vandersloot (20 pts, 15 asts, 5 stls & 3 rebs), Quigley (19 pts with 3 3pgs & 6 rebs) & Copper (15 pts, 9 rebs, & a stl) 

Game 3 in Chicago

CHI 86, PHO 50

A remarkable blowout win for the Sky who led at the half by 22 pts

Tremendous defense effort, holding the Mercury to only 25.8% FG

CHI led by Copper (22 pts), Candace Parker (13 pts, 4 rebs, 3 asts & a stl) & Diamond DeShields (11 pts, 5 rebs, 5 stls & 2 asts)

PHO led by Griner (16 pts)

Game 4 in Chicago

CHI 80, PHO 74

Down by as many as 14 pts in the 4th quarter, the Sky came charging back for the series-clinching victory

CHI led by Quigley (26 pts, 5 3pgs & 5 rebs), Parker (16 pts, 13 rebs, 5 asts, 4 stls & a blk), Vandersloot (10 pts including the basket that put the team in the lead for good in the 4th, 15 asts, 9 rebs & 2 blks) & Copper (10 pts, 2 rebs & a stl)

PHO led by Griner (28 pts, 7 rebs, 2 asts, a stl & blk), Taurasi (16 pts, 2 rebs & 2 asts) & Diggins-Smith (16 pts, 8 asts, 2 rebs & a blk)

CHI wins their 1st ever WNBA title led by coach James Wade

Parker spent her previous 13 years with the Los Angeles Sparks, but decided in free agency to come back to her hometown of Chicago to bring home a championship in her 1st season with the Sky

Copper wins the Finals MVP beating out Vandersloot who you could make a case for winning it

For the Mercury, Taurasi says she returned to the team for the last year of her deal which will be her 20th season

Other players who could be looking at retirement: Sue Bird (SEA), Sylvia Fowles (MIN) & Parker although I doubt she goes that route

For next season, I'd imagine both the Connecticut Sun & the Las Vegas Aces will come roaring back after disappointing postseasons

COVID has kind of set sports out of sync with this CHI team who was a .500 team winning it all

All in all, a great season for the WNBA overall with the talk of expansion on the horizon

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