Chicago Sky oust top-seeded Connecticut Sun, advance to WNBA Finals
Chicago Sky will be making only their second ever WNBA Finals appearance after being swept by the Phoenix Mercury in 2014; Phoenix themselves forced into a decisive fifth game in the other semi-final after being routed by the Las Vegas Aces
Thursday 7 October 2021 10:27, UK
Courtney Vandersloot scored 19 points to help the host Chicago Sky eliminate the top-seeded Connecticut Sun with a 79-69 victory on Wednesday night, winning their semi-final series 3-1 and clinching a spot in the WNBA Finals.
Chicago will be making their second Finals appearance, having been swept by the Phoenix Mercury for the 2014 title.
The sixth-seeded Sky will face the winner of the other semi-final series between second-seeded Las Vegas and fifth-seeded Phoenix, a set that is headed to a decisive fifth game Friday.
Kahleah Copper added 18 points, Candace Parker totalled 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Azura Stevens had 11 points and seven boards for the Sky.
Chicago won both home games in the series after splitting the first two in Connecticut and beat the Sun in five out of seven meetings overall this season.
"It means so much," said Parker, who grew up in nearby Naperville, Illinois.
"I grew up playing in front of these people -- it really is emotional. I know we're not done yet -- we don't want it to be done yet -- but you sometimes have to stop and think and really appreciate this moment."
WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones led all scorers with 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Sun. Natisha Hiedeman had 16 points and Jasmine Thomas scored 11 on off-nights from Connecticut All-Stars DeWanna Bonner (four points) and Brionna Jones (six points).
Connecticut fell short of its first Finals berth since losing to the Washington Mystics in five games in the 2019 title round. The Sun's only other Finals appearances were losses in 2004 and 2005.
Aces ties series with dominant 24-0 run in third
Chelsea Gray scored 22 points and the visiting Las Vegas Aces used a 24-0 third-quarter run to rout the Phoenix Mercury 93-76 and force a decisive final game in their best-of-five semi-final.
Kelsey Plum added 20 points, Riquna Williams scored 17 and A'ja Wilson had 15 points and 12 rebounds as the second-seeded Aces bounced back from consecutive lopsided losses. They will host Game 5 on Friday night with the winner facing the Chicago Sky from Sunday.
Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 14 each and Shey Peddy added 13 points to lead the fifth-seeded Mercury, but Brittney Griner scored just 13, making 6 of 19 field-goal attempts while adding eight rebounds.
Phoenix scored 29 points in the first period but managed just 47 in total through the final three quarters.
The Mercury, already playing without key reserve Sophie Cunningham because of a calf injury, lost starting guard Kia Nurse to a knee injury less than a minute into the game.
The decisive run toward the start of the third quarter gave Las Vegas a 75-48 advantage. Kia Vaughn's basket ended a seven-minute scoring drought for Phoenix, but Las Vegas held a commanding 78-57 lead at the end of the third and it was enough for them to comfortably see out the game.
