KEY RUNS
- To start the 2nd half, Griner returned to the floor attempting to play thru her first half injury.
- Chicago started the half on a 9-0 forcing a Phoenix time out and the removal of Griner for the rest of the game.
- To start the 4th quarter, the Sky put the game away with a 17-10 run over the first five minutes extending their lead to 20 points
KEY STATS
- Chicago had a 25-6 margin in fast breaks points for the game.
- The Sky had a 50-20 advantage in points in the paint over the Mercury.
- The Sky front court quartet of Diamond DeShields, Astou Ndour, Stefanie Dolson and Cheyenne Parker accounted for 68 of the teams 105 points. They shot .577 from the floor and grabbed 27 rebounds.
- Sky outshot the Mercury 53.2% to 36.9% from the field and 50% to 35.7% from the three-point line
- Sky outrebounded the Mercury 41 to 32.
CHICAGO NOTES
- Chicago scored 100 points in a playoff game for the second time in team history. The 2016 Sky scored 108 vs. Atlanta on Sept. 25, 2016.
- The 29-point margin of victory was their largest in a playoff game. Previous high was 13 @ Indiana 9/3/14 in a 75-62 victory in Indiana that sent the team to the WNBA finals.
- Chicago’s 25 points scored on the break are a team playoff record, eclipsing the 21 they scored vs. Atlanta in double overtime on Sept. 25, 2016.
- The 50 points in the paint by the Sky tied the team playoff record from Sept. 25, 2016 against Atlanta.
- Chicago’s front-court quartet of Diamond DeShields, Astou Ndour, Stefanie Dolson and Cheyenne Parker accounted for 68 of the teams 105 points. They shot .577 from the floor and grabbed 27 rebounds.
- The Sky’s nine 3-point field goals topped the previous team playoff record of seven, set twice previously (Sept. 3, 2014 at Indiana Fever and Sept. 21, 2015 at Indiana).
- Chicago’s 33 defensive rebounds was a team playoff records. Previously, the Sky had 30 defensive rebounds vs Indiana 9/17/15.
- The Sky’s 30 playoff assists topped the previous team playoff high of 26 vs. Atlanta on 9/25/16. The team’s 30 assists ties them for third most in a WNBA playoff game behind Phoenix (33 vs. San Antonio on 8/26/2010, 31 by Los Angeles (vs. Utah on 8/24/02) and tied with Minnesota (vs. Phoenix 9/28/06).
- Vandersloot followed up her record setting WNBA season for assists with another double figure performance. It was her fourth career double-figure assist game in her playoff career.
PHOENIX NOTES
- The Mercury’s loss ends their streak of 6 straight years of reaching the WNBA semi-finals. The last time they failed to reach the semi-finals was 2012 when they did not make the playoffs.
- Phoenix played the game without Diana Taurasi, who sat with a hamstring injury. The Mercury were also without WNBA scoring champ Brittney Griner for all but 13:49 playing time due to a second quarter knee injury.
- The Mercury starting five was outscored 81-44 and outrebounded 25-17.
- Phoenix went to the line 26 times, 9 more than the Sky
- The Mercury scored the first five points of the game (their largest lead). They were tied or behind for all but 4:13 of the game.