WNBA Finals: Chicago uses stellar defensive effort to rout Phoenix in Game 3
Kahleah Copper scored 20 of her 22 points in the first half, and Chicago dominated defensively in an 86-50 rout of the Phoenix Mercury on Friday night, moving the Sky one victory away from the franchise’s first WNBA title.
Chicago will look to close out the best-of-five series Sunday.
“I was telling my team: I’m 0-2 in Game 4 closeout at home,” said former Sparks star Candace Parker, who added 13 points for the Sky. “I don’t want that to continue. We know they are a fantastic team and they’ll come out and be ready. Come back stronger.”
The Sky dominated on both ends, holding Brittney Griner to four first-half points on one-for-eight shooting after she scored 29 in the Mercury’s overtime win Wednesday. Chicago also took Diana Taurasi out of the game, holding to her five points on 1-for-10 shooting. Griner finished with 16 points. Both of their nights ended early in the fourth quarter as Chicago kept the lead in the 20s.
The Lakers open the season Tuesday night at home but so far there’s no word on who will start with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.
Copper set the tone early for the Sky with seven points in the first quarter. She finished a three-point play to put Chicago up 20-11 at the end of the first quarter. Copper was five for five from the free-throw line in the quarter, a drastic difference from Wednesday’s loss. The Sky only attempted four free throws for the entire game.
“Her energy is unmatched. Her positivity is unmatched,” Parker said of Copper. “You root for her because she’s a good person. She gives us a lift when we need it on the biggest stage, showing the world what we already knew in practice every day.”
The Sky didn’t slow down in the second quarter. They pushed the ball in transition with Allie Quigley and Stefanie Dolson getting easy points in the paint to force a Mercury timeout as Chicago extended the lead to 25-11 with 7:20 left in the quarter. Copper continued the Sky’s scoring barrage with two three-point plays in just a minute of play to put them up 35-16. She capped off the brilliant first half with another basket to put Chicago up 46-24 at the half.
The 22-point halftime lead matched the biggest ever in the WNBA Finals, equaling the mark held by Phoenix from Game 1 in 2014 against Chicago. That year was the last time either team had been in the championship round.
“We got our butts kicked tonight,” Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello said. “It’s disappointing. They were really, really aggressive. We still got some open looks and missed them. We lost momentum, and they grew a lot of confidence. It rattled us a little bit. We’ve got to be better.”
Candace Parker, a Sparks cornerstone, reportedly will sign with the Chicago Sky. That’s like Clayton Kershaw leaving the Dodgers or Mike Trout departing the Angels.
Quigley finished with nine points and Courtney Vandersloot had 10 assists for Chicago.
The Sky hosted the WNBA Finals for the first time since they played in the Finals in 2014. But on Friday, the team featured more star power led by Parker, who starred at west suburban Naperville Central High School before jumping into the national spotlight at Tennessee and then continuing her legacy in the WNBA. She joined the Sky before the 2021 season and now is one win away from completing a remarkable homecoming.
Phoenix shot an WNBA Finals record low 25.8% from the field (16 for 62), while Chicago shot 50% (30 for 60).
On Thursday, Taurasi was fined $2,500 for making contact with an official but was not suspended. Before the game, Sky coach James Wade had no comment regarding the incident. “What happened? Did something happen? I didn’t see it in the game, so I have no comment. Whatever happens between Diana and the league is between those two. I don’t want to step into that.”
The Sky played their best game of season in front of a sellout crowd that included Chicago Bears starting quarterback Justin Fields and hip-hop artist Chance The Rapper. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also was in attendance, along with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and DePaul women’s coach Doug Bruno.
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