The Chicago Sky are one game away from the WNBA Finals after defeating the Connecticut Sun 86-83.
Kahleah Copper led the way with a career-high 26 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 50 percent from the three.
.@Candace_Parker had to snap a pic of @kahleahcopper after her incredible performance today 📸
— ESPN (@espn) October 3, 2021
☁️ 26 Pts
☁️ 3 Reb
☁️ 2 Stl
☁️ 9-14 FG pic.twitter.com/VLtaXibizI
In addition to Copper’s career night, Allie Quigley chipped in 21 points, and Azurá Stevens cashed in 15 points. Also, Courtney Vandersloot’s 7 points and 13 assists set the tone on offense. Vandersloot’s vision and IQ help this team continue to move the ball.
Chicago’s game three victory was a total team effort as this game went down to the wire. After Sunday night’s win, the Sky find themselves one game away from the WNBA Finals.
Obviously, the last two seasons for Chicago were disappointing as the team experienced early post-season exists. However, this season seems different and there are quite of few reasons why.
Let’s take a look a look at some key takeaways from Sunday night’s game three win:
Chicago Sky: Insert Kahleah Copper
Copper’s career-high 26-points sticks out when you look at the stat line. But her energy is one of the main things that helped propel this team down the stretch.
The Philadelphia native brought a physical toughness down the stretch. In the last two postseasons, this team did not respond well to late-game adversity.
Needless to say, enough is enough, and Copper continued to push her teammates despite multiple lead changes in the late fourth quarter. This season she also asserted herself and took more responsibility as a scorer.
Over the last two seasons, Copper’s points per game have increased (postseason), which has taken the pressure off of Diamond DeShields. Not to mention, Copper’s aggressiveness provides more shooting space which opens the paint up for Candace Parker and Stevens.
Chicago’s Finest: Candace Parker
Before the start of the 2021 season, the biggest headline was Parker signing with the Sky. The signing of CP3 (sorry Chris Paul not you) placed them in the title contention conversation.
Throughout the whole postseason, Parker continues to be that veteran presence that wills the team through mentally. No matter the situation you will always see CP3 huddle the team together.
Parker closed game three out with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists while shooting 57.1 percent from the field. In spite of a double-double, Parker’s game-saving block against Alyssa Thomas with 2.5 seconds was the play of the game.
The mental toughness and playoff experience of CP3 is a game-changer (no pun intended). She is a coach on the floor and provides this team with the leadership needed to advance to the finals.
Home Court Cooking
There is no place like home and that was the case Sunday night. The energy at the Wintrust Arena was unmatched.
Before playing game three, the Sky stole one on the road in Connecticut which is difficult to do. The fact that game four will also be at home speaks volumes.
THIS CROWD THO 🗣 pic.twitter.com/pvKRYJiys8
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) October 3, 2021
Chicago Sky fans were excited to see their team get over the hump and out of the first two rounds. In a series, a home court can make all the difference. The crowd’s energy was contagious as the team fed off of it all night.
Chicago will need their fans to bring the energy one more time as the Sky looks to close out Connecticut on Wednesday night at 8:00 pm on ESPN.
As the 2021 season continues to unfold, follow me on Twitter @ZackeryRogers13 for more WNBA content.
