For the first time in franchise history, the Chicago Sky are WNBA Champions.
After losing the first three quarters to the Phoenix Mercury, the Sky came out on top with an 80-74 victory in front of a sold-out home crowd at Wintrust Arena.
"This is amazing," said Candace Parker on winning her second WNBA title in her hometown. "Look at the city, man. They all showed up."
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Phoenix led by seven points with 4:42 left in the game, but the Sky capitalized on three straight missed layups by the Mercury. Parker tied the game on a three-point shot with just under two minutes remaining.
After Azurá Stevens was pulled by Sky head coach James Wade, Stefanie Dolson entered and gave the Sky the lead with a layup and put up another shot for some minor insurance. The Sky led 76-72 with 45.8 seconds on the clock.
"We stayed together," Wade said, "By the end of it, once we made one basket, two basket, the crowd took over, our players stayed together and they kept going and we started to see who we were."
After scoring 11 points in the first half, Allie Quigley got things heated up in the fourth quarter with a couple of three-point shots. She finished with 26 points.
WNBA
"Layups, we missed them, they made them," said Mercury head coach Sandy Brondello. "But I think Allie (Quigley) really just changed the momentum."
Courtney Vandersloot — who's had record-breaking performances in the playoffs — finished with nine points and 15 assists. Her three key assists came from Parker's tying shot and Dolson's final points.
"That's what you work for," the 11-year Sky veteran Vandersloot said. "That's why we're here."
Vandersloot scored the last four points in the game on a 7-foot two point shot followed by two free throws.
Kahleah Copper was named the MVP of the WNBA Finals after helping the Sky get to Sunday's Game 4. In Game 3, Copper led the offense with a game-high 22 points. She had 21 points in Game 1, 15 in Game 2 and finished Game 4 with 10 points. Copper averaged 18.6 points on 54.5 % shooting, 7.7 rebounds and 2 assists during the 2021 postseason.
"I'm just feeling this sense of reward of just my process and everything," Copper said. "I'm just so grateful that I have these teammates and that I have the coaching staff that genuinely believes in me and just gives me the confidence no matter what's going out there on the floor."
And Wade did believe in her all the way.
"We knew Kah was gonna be MVP," Wade said. "Y'all just didn't know it yet."