Keeping The Momentum – 2013 Season

With Delle Donne joining a roster of experienced veterans including Swin Cash, Courtney Vandersloot, Sylvia Fowles and Epiphanny Prince, the Sky was the team to beat to start the 2013 season.

Newcomer Delle Donne made quite the first impression on her new team and new league by putting up big numbers to open the 2013 season. She led the way for all rookies through the first ten games of the season by averaging 19.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Delle Donne was also quickly becoming a fan favorite at Allstate Arena and around the Chicago-land area.

The Sky kept their hot start of the season going into the all-star break in first place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 12-5. The Sky was also led by their three all-stars. Rookie and top all-star vote getter Delle Donne was making her first WNBA All-star appearance alongside teammates Prince (second appearance) and Fowles (third appearance).

The team continued to put pressure on its opponents as it moved through a hectic WNBA schedule, setting many new franchise records along the way. The Sky opened the season with its best start in history, winning its first three games and recorded its best home start record ever, winning five straight at the Allstate Arena between May 31st and June 29th.

While the Sky was finding success as a team, its players were excelling individually and started receiving recognition for their stellar play from the league. Fowles set a franchise record with 22 rebounds May 31st against Connecticut and was selected for Player of the Week honors from July 8-July 14th. Delle Donne also took back-to-back Player of the Week awards from June 24th to July 7th, and became June’s WNBA Rookie of the Month after leading all rookies in free-throw percentage (93.8%), points (19.1) and minutes (33.1) per game.

With the historic start to the season, the Sky were geared up and ready to make a push for their first ever playoff appearance in franchise history.

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The wins keep coming – 2013

As the first half of the season came to a close, the Sky were sitting in first place in the Eastern Conference and rookie and top all-star vote getter Elena Delle Donne would be making her first WNBA All-star appearance alongside teammates Epiphanny Prince (second appearance) and Sylvia Fowles (third appearance).

In the 2013 All-Star game, rookie sensation Delle Donne was unfortunately unable to participate due to a concussion, but her two Sky teammates made a huge impact for the East although the West team came away victorious 102-98 in front of a raucous crowd of over 9,000 in Connecticut. Prince would end up starting for the East team and would finish the game tied for a team-high 15 points. Fowles would come off the bench and help pour in six points and capture four rebounds.

Riding the hot streak of the first half of the season, the Sky picked off right where they left off. The Sky would open the second half of the 2013 season at home with a game against the Washington Mystics. The team was without rookie star Delle Donne, who was still sidelined with her concussion injury. Other players stepped up in her absence and against the Mystics. Fowles dropped a double-double while pouring in 32 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.

Although the Sky would drop their next two games, the team would go on a tear in the month of August to post a 9-3 record and clinching the organization’s first playoff berth on August 23 and then clinching the Eastern Conference regular season title on August 31. The Sky finished the second half of the regular season winning eight of their last 10 games to secure the number one seed in the Eastern Conference and a date with the Indiana Fever in the first round of the 2013 WNBA Playoffs.

 

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Playoffs and Awards – 2013 Season

For the first time in Chicago Sky history, there would be playoff basketball at Allstate Arena. Not only was a playoff berth clinched, but the Sky also clinched the Eastern Conference regular season title along with the number one overall seed in the 2013 playoffs.

The team’s first round matchup would see them facing the number four seed in the Eastern Conference and defending WNBA champions, the Indiana Fever. Their own pair of all-stars, Tamika Catchings and Shavonte Zellous, led the Fever throughout the series. With a 1-0 series lead, the Fever completed the first round upset in game two. The Fever led throughout the whole game and would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals on the heels of a 79-57 victory.

Although the Sky were eliminated in the first round of the 2013 playoffs, the young squad learned a lot about playoff basketball and would come back even stronger in the 2014 season.

Many individual players found success on the court and were honored for their stellar performances throughout the 2013 season. The Sky’s rookie sensation Elena Delle Donne was the unanimous selection for Rookie of the Year honors, joining Armintie Price as the only players in Sky history to win the league award. Sylvia Fowles was awarded for her dominant defensive play throughout the season being named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career (2011) and remaining the only player in Sky history to win this league award. During the season, Fowles set a franchise record with 22 rebounds on May 31st against the Connecticut Sun, which contributed to her defensive domination during the 2013 season.

Although the 2013 season didn’t end the way the team would have hoped, the awards, the wins and the playoff berth contributed to the most exciting season to date in team history.

Through The Years Archive