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Reuters
Not the way Chicago Sky wanted to make it to the WNBA playoffs, but they proved last year that they don't need a top seed to win a championship.
Chicago earned the No. 2 seed and will face Liberty in his first-round opener Wednesday night in Chicago. Sky is her 6th overall seed in 2021, winning his two game-dividing games to reach the semifinals, surpassing Connecticut and Phoenix in the championship series, where he defeated 3-1. I was.
For most of the second half of 2022, Chicago appeared to have home-court advantage every series. Going into the final week of the season, he needed two wins in three games to earn the top seed.
Instead, Sky lost control of the top seed at home to Seattle, where he lost 111-100, and Las Vegas, where he lost 89-78. Chicago's 82-67 win in Phoenix meant nothing in terms of top seeding when the Aces beat Seattle on Sunday with his 109-100 victory.
But with proven winners like Candice Parker, Courtney Vanderthroat, Emma Miesman, Ally Quigley and top scorer Kalia Copper, it's hard to underestimate Skye. It is dangerous.
Vandersloot has been particularly successful in clutch instances. She has won three games this season and is enjoying one of her best offensive seasons with her 11.8 points per game.
"When she feels the energy in the moment, it's great for her to see it," said Chicago coach James Wade.
Meanwhile, New York was looking to make the playoffs until the final day, and he beat Atlanta 87-83 in New York on Sunday. Liberty won his sixth of the last eight, including a weekend sweep of the Dream, earning him the seventh seed.
WNBA First All-Star on her team Sabrina Ionescu said the recent surge was the result of raising internal standards.
"We've all accepted each other to hold to that standard for the betterment of the team," she said. "We all hit the same page for each other and maintaining that high standard."
Game 2 of this best-of-three series takes place Saturday in Chicago.
– Field Level Media
