GAME HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE
● Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot dished out a team-high 20 points and 14 assists on Wednesday night in the Sky’s single-digit overtime loss to the Phoenix Mercury. It’s her fourth postseason points and assists double-double, which ties her at second all-time.
● With two rebounds in the first half, Sky forward Candace Parker became just the third player in WNBA Playoffs history to total 500 rebounds. She finished Game #2 of the 2021 WNBA Finals with nine boards.
● After scoring her 11th point at the 6:36-mark in the third quarter, Parker also became just the fourth player in league history to accumulate at least 1,000 points in her WNBA Playoffs career. She scored 13 points against the Mercury on Wednesday.
● All of the Sky’s starting five logged at least 33 minutes of action on the floor.
WNBA Finals Game 2 Postgame Media Availability
NEXT UP: With the series tied at 1-1, the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury head to Wintrust Arena for Game 3 and Game 4 of the 2021 WNBA Finals. Tip-off for Game 3 is set for 8:00 p.m. CT (9:00 p.m. ET) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. In addition, Game 3 is expected to be a sell out crowd. Sky fans outside of Wintrust Arena can cheer on the Sky on ESPN2.
KEY RUNS
● In the first quarter and over a three-minute stretch starting at the 3:43-mark, the Sky went on a 6-0 run to extend its biggest lead of the night thus far (nine points), forcing a Phoenix timeout. The Mercury returned from the timeout with an 8-2 run of their own, cutting the lead down to three points and forcing a Sky timeout.
● Phoenix had an 8-0 run over two minutes of action in the second quarter (starting at 7:26) to tie the game at 34 points a piece. During this run, Chicago went 0 for 5 from the floor.
● During the third quarter, Chicago’s offense went on a 9-0 to turn a four-point Phoenix lead into a five-point Sky lead.
● In the fourth quarter, Phoenix turned a seven-point Sky lead at the 9:15-mark to a two-point lead at the 7:30-mark with a six-point run, including a three-point shot by the Sky’s Diamond DeShields taken off the scoreboard (shot clock violation).
KEY STATS
● Tonight’s overtime game is just the fifth WNBA Finals game to go into extra time. Ironically, the last overtime game in a WNBA Finals series was also Phoenix in Game 1 of the 2009 WNBA Finals against Indiana.
● Two Sky players and two Mercury players both played at least 41 minutes a piece in Wednesday’s overtime thriller.
● The Sky converted 46.3% of its shots from the field and 31.0% of its shots from beyond the three-point line while Phoenix made 44.4% of shots from the floor and 34.6% of their shots from deep.
● Phoenix scored 25 points off 19 Sky turnovers. Chicago scored 13 points off 15 Mercury turnovers.
CHICAGO NOTES
● Vandersloot became the first WNBA player ever with at least 20 points scored, at least 10 assists and at least 5 steals in a WNBAPlayoffs game and the first with a 20-point, 14-assist and 5-rebound performance in any WNBA game.
● Through two games in the 2021 WNBA Finals, Sky forward Kahleah Copper has totalled 36 points and 20 rebounds.
● Four of the Sky’s five starters (Vandersloot, guard Allie Quigley, Copper and Parker) scored double figures, as they combined for 67 of the team’s 86 total points.
● Vandersloot tied a WNBA Finals record with five steals in the game. Eight other players have also had five, including Candace Parker (2017).
● Chicago shot just four free throws on Wednesday evening.
PHOENIX NOTES
● Tonight, Mercury center Brittney Griner passed Katie Douglas for 11th on the WNBA Playoffs points leaderboard and finished Game #2 with a team-best 29 points, good for the fourth-most points scored in a WNBA Finals game in Mercury history and ties her personal playoffs high. In addition, she scored 10 of the team’s 20-first quarter points.
● Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi (69) passed Tamika Catchings (68) for third on the WNBA Playoffs games played all-time leaders list.
● Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith finished with 13 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds versus the Sky and became the only player with at least 10 points scored, at least 12 assists and at least 5 rebounds in a WNBA Finals game.
● The Mercury took their first lead of the game with 1:41 left in the second quarter, courtesy of a layup by forward Brianna Turner. At the end of the first half, the score was 40-40.
● Attendance for Wednesday night’s WNBA Finals Game 2 at the Footprint Center was listed as 13,685. It marks the fifth-best attendance in WNBA Playoffs history for the Mercury and the third-best for the franchise in the WNBA Finals.
● Phoenix is 3-0 following a loss in the 2021 WNBA Playoffs this season.