GAME HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE

• Sky had 6 players in double figures (all 5 starters plus Dolson).  The 6 accounted for all 91 points.
• Both Kahleah Copper and Vandersloot had double doubles in the game.  It was the 2^nd for each in the 2021 Playoffs
• Sky outscored Phoenix 48-32 in the paint.
• The Sky held Phoenix to 28 total rebounds and only 18 on the defensive glass.  The Mercury’s 11 offensive rebounds in the game yielded only 7 points
• The Sky had 10 offensive rebounds and 15 Second Chance Points
• This was the Sky’s 1^st WNBA Finals victory in franchise history. 

WNBA Finals Game 1 Postgame Media Availability

NEXT UP:  The Chicago Sky will play the Phoenix Mercury in Game #2 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday 10/13 with tip-off set for 8:00 p.m CT (9:00 p.m. ET) on . Sky fans can catch all the action on ESPN.  Tickets for Games #3 and #4 (if necessary) that are scheduled for Wintrust Arena are on sale.  See the Chicago Sky website (www.chicagosky.net) for details. 

Chicago Sky Highlights vs. Phoenix Mercury| Game 1 WNBA Finals

 KEY RUNS

• The Mercury had an 11-5 run over 2 minutes in the 1st quarter (from 4:09) to extend to a 9-point lead, their biggest of the game.
• The Sky ran off a 26-6 run over the last 8:59 of the 2^nd quarter.  The run included a 17-0 Sky spree.  The Mercury were leading by 9 when the run began.
• After a Phoenix timeout at 9:11 of the 3^rd, the Mercury had an 8-0 run to cut the Sky lead from 15 to 7. The Sky responded with a 6-0 run over the next minute to extend their lead back to 13
• Sky started the 4^th quarter on a 15-5 run to push their lead to a game high 23 points
• Phoenix responded with an 11-0 run over the next 2 ½ minutes to cut the lead to 12 and force a Sky timeout

KEY STATS 

• The Sky shot 36 for 68 (52.9) from the field for the game.  It ws the team’s best shooting performance for the 2021 Playoffs
• Diana Taurasi played with foul trouble most of the game which limited her to 25 minutes on the floor
• Griner, the leading rebounder for the Mercury in the regular and post season, was limited to 6 total rebounds and only 3 on the defensive boards
• Griner, who led the WNBA in blocks in 8 of her 9 seasons, did not have a block today against the Sky
• Stephanie Dolson scored 14 on 6 for 8 shooting (75%) including 2 for 3 (66.7%) from Three in 16:37 off the bench

CHICAGO NOTES 

• In the 2014 Finals vs the Mercury, the Sky never led in Game 1.  Their Big Lead for the series was 4 points (in Game 3) and led by a total of 3:26.  Today’s Big Lead was 23 and the team held the lead for 13:14 of the game (from 3:14 of the 2^nd until the end)
• Kahleah Copper’s 10 rebounds equals her career high in playoff or regular season.
• Courtney Vandersloot recorded her 3^rd career Playoff Double Double and 8^th career double figure assist game.
• With her first assist of the game, Vandersloot moved past Ticha Penicheiro into 6^th place for career Playoff assists. Vandersloot now has 211.
• Candace Parker’s 4^th FGM moved her into 3^rd place for career Playoff field goals ahead of Seimone Augustus (362)
• Parker moved into 4^th in career Playoff Finals steals (26) moving past Deanna Nolan (25) and tied for 5^th in career Playoff  Finals blocks with Ruth Riley (25)
• The Sky is now 4-1 all-time in the month of October
• James Wade tied Pokey Chatman in career Playoff wins by a Sky coach (7).  Wade reached the total in 10 games, Chatman reached it in 19.

PHOENIX NOTES

• Phoenix, who led the league in blocked shots in 2021, had only 1 block in today’s game
• The Mercury Big 3 (Diggins-Smith, Griner and Taurasi) scored 52 of the 77 Phoenix points (67.5%).  The rest of the team was 10 for 53 (18.9%) from the field
• Phoenix bench was 3 for 15 (20%) for the game for 9 points,  They also committed 8 turnovers.