2021_Chicago_Sky_season

2021 Chicago Sky season
2021 Chicago Sky season
WNBA champions
Coach	James Wade
Arena	Wintrust Arena
Attendance	3,187 per game
Results
Record	16–16 (.500)
Place	2nd (Eastern)
Playoff finish	WNBA Champions (Defeated Phoenix Mercury 3–1 in WNBA Finals)
Team Leaders
Points	Kahleah Copper – 14.4 ppg
Rebounds	Candace Parker – 8.4 rpg
Assists	Courtney Vandersloot – 8.6 apg
	← 2020 season 2022 season →

2021 Chicago Sky season

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The 2021 Chicago Sky season was the franchise's 16th season in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and its third season under head coach James Wade. In the postseason, the Sky won their first WNBA championship.

Quick Facts Chicago Sky season, Coach ...

The offseason was marked by two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker joining the team. The Sky started the season with two wins but followed with a seven-game losing streak through mid-June. However, they went on a seven-game winning streak that included back-to-back wins over eventual top seed Connecticut. They entered the mid-season Olympic break with a 10–10 record. After the break, they recorded a 4–3 record in August, including back-to-back road wins in Seattle. In September, they began with a road loss and closed out the season with a four game home-stand that they split 2–2, finishing the season 16–16.

The Sky entered the playoffs as the sixth seed. They hosted the Dallas Wings in the First Round, and won in dominating fashion, 81–64. They faced the Minnesota Lynx on the road in the Second Round, winning the game 89–76. Facing the first-seeded Connecticut Sun in a best-of-three semifinals series, they won the Game 1 in double overtime but lost Game 2 on the road. The series returned home to Chicago, where the Sky won both games to win the series 3–1.

The Sky reached the Finals for the first time since 2014. They were only the third team to reach the finals with a record of .500 or below, and the lowest seed to do so since the new playoff format was introduced in 2016. In the WNBA Finals, the Sky defeated the Phoenix Mercury in four games to win their first WNBA championship. Their only loss came in overtime in Game 2.^[1]^[2]

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Round	Pick	Player	Nationality	School/Team/Country
1	8	Shyla Heal	Australia	Townsville Fire (Australia)
2	16	Natasha Mack	United States	Oklahoma State

Date	Trade or Roster Change
January 7, 2021	Waived F Kiah Gillespie^[3]
January 9, 2021	Full-Season suspend G Maria Conde^[3]
January 13, 2021	Extended Qualifying Offer to F Alexis Prince^[3]
February 1, 2021	Signed F Candace Parker^[4]
February 9, 2021	Acquired the 16th Pick in the 2021 WNBA draft from Dallas in exchange for Chicago's Second Round Pick in the 2022 WNBA draft.^[5]
February 9, 2021	Signed G Brittany Boyd-Jones to a training camp contract^[6]
February 17, 2021	Signed F Azurá Stevens to a Contract Extension^[7]
March 7, 2021	Waived F Stephanie Mavunga^[8]
March 8, 2021	Signed F Astou Ndour^[9]
April 13, 2021	Signed F Alexis Prince and G Jessica January to Training Camp Contracts^[10]
April 17, 2021	Signed G Shyla Heal, G Petra Holešínská, F Natasha Mack, F Sierra Campisano, and G Sparkle Taylor^[11]
April 20, 2021	Signed G Lexie Brown^[12]
May 6, 2021	Full-Seasons Suspended F Gabby Williams^[13]
May 7, 2021	Waived G Petra Holešínská^[14]
May 9, 2021	Traded Gabby Williams to Los Angeles in exchange for Stephanie Watts and the rights to Leonie Fiebich^[15]
May 10, 2021	Waived G Jessica January, G Sparkle Taylor, and F Sierra Campisano^[16]
May 13, 2021	Waived G Brittany Boyd-Jones, G Lexie Brown, F Alexis Prince and F Natasha Mack, and F Kobi Thornton^[17]
May 13, 2021	Temporarily Suspend G Shyla Heal^[18]
May 15, 2021	Signed G Brittany Boyd-Jones to Hardship Contract^[19]
May 17, 2021	Temporarily Suspend C Stefanie Dolson^[20]
May 18, 2021	Signed F Natasha Mack to Hardship Contract^[21]
May 20, 2021	Released G Brittany Boyd from Hardship Contract^[22]
May 21, 2021	Activated G Shyla Heal from Temporarily Suspension List^[23]
May 22, 2021	Released F Natasha Mack from Hardship Contract^[24]
May 23, 2021	Signed F Natasha Mack to Hardship Contract^[25]
May 30, 2021	Released F Natasha Mack from Hardship Contract^[26]
June 1, 2021	Signed G Lexie Brown to Hardship Contract^[27]
June 2, 2021	Traded G Shyla Heal, a 2022 3rd Round Pick, and the option to swap 1st Round Picks in 2022 to the Dallas Wings in exchange for G Dana Evans^[28]
	Waived G Stephanie Watts
	Activate C Stefanie Dolson from Temporary Suspension List^[29]
	Released G Lexie Brown from Hardship Contract
June 7, 2021	Signed F Sierra Campisano^[30]
June 8, 2021	Waived F Sierra Campisano^[31]
June 8, 2021	Temporarily Suspend F Astou Ndour due to Overseas Commitments
June 9, 2021	Signed F Natasha Mack^[32]
June 10, 2021	Waived F Natasha Mack^[33]
June 14, 2021	Signed G Lexie Brown^[34]
June 30, 2021	Activate F Astou Ndour from Temporary Suspension^[35]

#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB	Conf.	Home	Road	Cup
1	x – Connecticut Sun	26	6	.813	–	12–3	15–1	11–5	9–1
2	x – Las Vegas Aces	24	8	.750	2	11–4	13–3	11–5	6–4
3	x – Minnesota Lynx	22	10	.688	4	10–5	13–3	9–7	7–3
4	x – Seattle Storm	21	11	.656	5	9–6	11–5	10–6	8–2
5	x – Phoenix Mercury	19	13	.594	7	6–9	7–9	12–4	5–5
6	x – Chicago Sky	16	16	.500	10	10–5	6–10	10–6	6–4
7	x – Dallas Wings	14	18	.438	12	7–8	7–9	7–9	3–7
8	x – New York Liberty	12	20	.375	14	6–9	7–9	5–11	5–5
9	e – Washington Mystics	12	20	.375	14	7–8	8–8	4–12	4–6
10	e – Los Angeles Sparks	12	20	.375	14	2–13	8–8	4–12	1–9
11	e – Atlanta Dream	8	24	.250	18	6–9	4–12	4–12	4–6
12	e – Indiana Fever	6	26	.188	20	4–11	4–12	2–14	2–8


First round Sept. 23			Second round Sept. 26			Semifinals Sept. 28 – Oct. 8							WNBA Finals Oct. 10 – Oct. 17



						2	Las Vegas Aces	96	91	60	93	84

			4	Seattle Storm	80	5	Phoenix Mercury	90	117	87	76	87

5	Phoenix Mercury	83	5	Phoenix Mercury	85^OT								5	Phoenix Mercury	77	91^OT	50	74	–

8	New York Liberty	82											6	Chicago Sky	91	86	86	80	–

						1	Connecticut Sun	95	79	83	69	–

			3	Minnesota Lynx	76	6	Chicago Sky	101^2OT	68	86	79	–

6	Chicago Sky	81	6	Chicago Sky	89

7	Dallas Wings	64

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game	RPG	Rebounds per game
APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game	BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage	TO	Turnovers per game
PF	Fouls per game		Team leader		League leader

2021_Chicago_Sky_season

2021 Chicago Sky season

Transactions

WNBA draft

Trades and Roster Changes

Roster

Game log

Preseason

Regular season

Playoffs

Standings

Playoffs

Statistics

Regular Season

Awards and honors

References

External links

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Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Kahleah Copper	32	32	30.8	45.9	30.6	81.8	4.2	1.8	0.9	0.3	14.4
Candace Parker	23	23	26.7	45.8	32.9	79.4	8.4	4.0	0.7	1.2	13.3
Allie Quigley	26	11	24.4	44.8	45.4	95.9	2.7	2.3	0.5	0.3	13.2
Diamond DeShields	32	22	26.9	39.3	30.0	82.0	3.5	2.3	1.2	0.4	11.3
Courtney Vandersloot	32	32	30.5	43.3	34.6	85.7	3.4	8.6	1.7	0.4	10.5
Stefanie Dolson	24	15	20.0	48.6	40.4	94.7	3.5	1.3	0.3	0.8	7.5
Azurá Stevens	30	11	19.6	50.0	33.3	81.3	4.6	0.8	0.8	0.7	7.4
Astou Ndour-Fall	20	8	17.1	39.7	23.5	94.1	4.8	0.4	0.4	0.8	6.6
Ruthy Hebard	30	6	16.8	52.9	0.0	79.4	4.4	0.8	0.7	0.7	5.8
Dana Evans	23	0	8.6	35.6	40.5	87.5	0.5	1.2	0.2	0.0	3.9
Lexie Brown	17	0	9.5	26.3	24.2	0.0	0.7	1.1	0.4	0.0	1.6

Recipient	Award	Date awarded	Ref.
Courtney Vandersloot	Eastern Conference Player of the Week	June 21	^[37]
Kahleah Copper	WNBA All-Star Selection	June 30	^[38]
Courtney Vandersloot
Candace Parker
James Wade	Coach of the Month – June	July 1	^[39]
Courtney Vandersloot	Peak Performer: Assists	September 20	^[40]
Dana Evans	WNBA All-Rookie Team	October 5	^[41]
Courtney Vandersloot	All-WNBA Second Team	October 15	^[42]
Kahleah Copper	WNBA Finals MVP	October 17	^[43]