candace parker I did everything in my power to lead Sky to victory on Sunday night.
It just wasn’t enough.
of Connecticut Sun Beating Sky 68-63 in Game 1 of the semi-final series at Wintrust Arena fended off a massive 4th quarter push and a historic outing for Parker.
Sun manager Kurt Miller said, “Much of the four-team free-flowing offense is gone and we know who we are. Via ESPN“We’re blue collar. It was an advantage of
After limiting Chicago to just 12 points in the third quarter as a team, the Sun maintained a game-maximum 8-point lead and looked to be rolling to the finish.
However, Sky had other plans. Parker, who played every second of his last two quarters, pushed Chicago to his 11-2 run and tied things midway through the fourth quarter. Things got a little shaky during that run as well, and fans saw what had to be the longest jumping ball seen all year.
However, its run didn’t last very long. The Sun finally found an answer for Parker, keeping Chicago scoreless with the final 2:11 of the game. That helped them push to a 5-point win and an early 1-0 series lead.
The Sun also started the night with an early hole, but responded with a huge 11-0 run that spanned almost four minutes to take a brief lead after the first quarter. The two teams then entered halftime tied at 34 after he trailed by a whopping 20 minutes from Parker, who had nine points and eight rebounds at the break. Sky had plenty of moments that looked poised for a breakaway, but seven turnovers in the first half gave the Suns 11 points and kept things closer.
chicago star courtney vanderthroat After sinking a three-pointer from the top of the key, he finally got on the board minutes into the third quarter, giving Sky a short lead. But that vanished in mere minutes after a 12-0 Sun run supported by deep buckets from both. Natisha Heidemann When Dewana Bonner.
That run gave them the biggest 8-point lead in a game to date. The Sun finished third on a 14-2 run total, holding Chicago to just 12 points in that period.
Bonner led the Sun with 15 points and 9 rebounds, and she was one of four players to score in double figures in the win. Alyssa Thomas Dropped 12 points and 10 rebounds, both jonkel jones When bryona jones Also 12 points up. The Sun had 11 turnovers and 11 more rebounds than Chicago, despite shooting only about 23 percent from his line from 3-point range.
Parker led the Sky with 19 points and 18 rebounds in a historic trip at age 36. He became the first player in league history to record 15 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks in his playoff game.
Kalia Copper, who turned 28 on Sunday, added 13 points to Chicago while Miesmann finished with 10. They were the only ones to score in double figures for Sky.
“We felt like we played their style,” said Sky coach James Wade. Via ESPN“They wanted to play their style of game, slow and methodical. We want to play a little more freely… ready for the next game.”
WNBA semifinal schedule
Game 1: sun 68, sky 63
Game 2, Wednesday: Connecticut v Chicago, 8 p.m., ESPN2
Game 3, Sunday, September 4: Chicago, Connecticut, 1 PM ET, ESPN2
Game 4*, Tuesday, September 6: Chicago, Connecticut, 8 PM ET, ESPN2
Game 5*, Thursday, September 8: Connecticut, Chicago, 8 PM, ESPN2
*If necessary
