GAME HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE
● Sky forward Candace Parker passed Lisa Leslie for third on the all-time WNBA Playoffs rebounds leaders list as she grabbed 10 boards against the Sun in the Sky’s Game #3 2021 WNBA Semifinals win on Sunday. Parker now has 481.
● For Chicago, forward Kahleah Copper scored a playoff-career high 26 points and shot 64.3% from the field as well as 50% from beyond the three-point arc.
● The Sky’s nine three-point field goals was the team’s most in a playoff game this season.
● Today, Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot finished with 13 assists in the playoffs for the fourth time in her career. With this finish, Vandersloot is now the first player to have 13 or more assists in a playoff game multiple times in the same postseason. In addition, Vandersloot now has 200 career playoff assists, good for seventh on the all-time list.
● Chicago has won two games in the WNBA Semifinals for just the second time in franchise history. The first was in 2014, when the Sky beat Indiana 2-1 to clinch the Eastern Conference title and advanced to the 2014 WNBA Finals.
WATCH: Semi-Finals Game 3: Chicago Sky Highlights vs. Connecticut Sun
NEXT UP: With the victory, the Chicago Sky take a 2-1 series lead in the 2021 WNBA Playoff Semifinals headed into Game #4, which will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021, on ESPN. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. CT (8:00 p.m. ET) and Sky fans can be part of the action by purchasing tickets on the team’s website.
WATCH:Postgame Media Availability – Semi-Finals Game 3 Sky vs. Sun
KEY RUNS
● Chicago kicked off Game #3 of the 2021 WNBA Playoff semifinals on an 8-2 run. Then, after falling behind 8-13 in the same quarter, Connecticut went on a 11-0 run to take a 19-13 lead.
● Chicago ended its first half on a 10-3 run to take a 37-35 lead into the Wintrust locker room.
● To end the third quarter and start the fourth, the Sun saw its offense go on a 10-2 run over roughly two minutes of action to take a 70-62 lead.
● Midway through the fourth quarter, Chicago went on an 8-2 run to cut Connecticut’s lead to 1 point with just over five minutes left in the game.
● Down by 7 points with 8:04 left in the fourth, the Sky went on a 15-2 run over 4:30 minutes of play to take a six-point lead that the team never relinquished
KEY STATS
● In the first half, Chicago scored 37 points and grabbed 22 rebounds while shooting 38% from the field and 46% from three-point land. In comparison, Connecticut finished with 35 first-half-points and 12 rebounds while converting 39% of their shots from the floor and 31% of their shots from beyond the arc.
● Today’s game saw 16 lead changes and 10 times that the score was tied as Chicago made shots when it mattered and converted 62.5% of its shots in the fourth quarter.
● Although turnover margin was close between both teams (Chicago: 13 turnovers, Connecticut: 17 turnovers), the Sky scored 23 points off turnovers on Sunday.
● The Sky outrebounded the Sun by five overall (35-30) and by five (12-7) on the offensive boards. The team that has led these two categories in each game of this playoff series has been the winner.
● Four Sky players scored at least 10 points on Sunday, with two players (Copper/guard Allie Quigley) scoring 20+ points.
● As a team, Chicago converted 46.3% of its shots from the floor while the Sun converted 48.5% of their shots.
CHICAGO NOTES
● The Sky outscored Connecticut in fast break points (10- 2).
● Aside from Vandersloot, only five other Chicago players dished out at least one assist, and in addition, only three Sky players recorded more than two (Vandersloot, Parker, Copper).
● Copper and Quigley shot a combined 15 for 25 from the floor and 7 for 13 from three for the game.
● The Sky took nine more free throws than the Sun (19-10) and made seven more (15-8) for the game.
● Multiple members of the Chicago Bulls basketball team were in attendance at Wintrust to watch the Sky take a pivotal Game #3 over the Sun on Sunday afternoon.