Three Reasons Sky and Sun are Rivals
The Chicago Sky's next opponent, the Connecticut Sun, is one that they have quite a history with. These two Eastern Conference foes face off on Wednesday night.
Right now, these two teams have a few things in common. Both have different coaches than they did last year as Teresa Weatherspoon and Stephanie White are no longer on the sidelines calling the shots. Furthermore, neither the Sky or the Sun appear to be heading to the postseason this year.
Last year, Chicago sent one of their stars in Marina Mabrey to Connecticut in a trade deadline deal. The Sun sent Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson to the Sky.
Mabrey will have a chance to play against some of her former teammates, like Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, on Wednesday night. Ahead of their second of four meetings this season, let's look at the three reasons why the Sky and the Sun have become rivals.
1. The 2021 WNBA Semifinals
In the best-of-five series to determine who would go to the 2021 WNBA Finals, the Sky and the Sun took the court in the semifinals that year.
The Sun came into the series the higher ranked team and owned home court advantage. That didn't stop the Sky from pulling off the upset and winning the series, 3-1.
Game 1 went down to the wire as Chicago won 101-95 in overtime. Connecticut came back and won Game 2.
With the next two games at home for the Sky, the eventual 2021 WNBA Champions took advantage. Their second and third wins to close out the series gave Chicago the momentum to beat the Phoenix Mercury, 3-1, as well. The Sun was sent home earlier than they would like.
2. The 2022 WNBA Semifinals
This would end up being Candace Parker's final times she played for the Sky. Chicago faced their nemesis a year later on the same stage. The stakes were the same; the winner advances to the WNBA Finals.
Parker, Kahleah Cooper and Courtney Vandersloot were ready to defend their first and only title with the Sky. In the five-game series, Chicago fell to the Sun, 3-2.
Four out of the five games were close. A critical Game 4 was a blowout loss to the Sun as the Sky were dismantled, 104-80. After winning both games in Chicago in the 2021 playoffs against, Connecticut, the Sky lost two of three in 2022.
Not only did the Sky lose in the WNBA Semifinals that season, but they also lost the Commissioner's Cup to the eventual 2022 WNBA Champions, the Las Vegas Aces.
3. The 2020 WNBA Playoffs, First Round
The Sky broke into the WNBA in 2006, three seasons after the Sun were re-branded from the Orlando Miracle. The first time these two teams met in the playoffs was in 2020.
The Sky made it to the second round the year before during James Wade's first year as the head coach in Chicago. The Sun bested the Sky in their first postseason meeting.
Curt Miller, the head coach for Connecticut at the time, kept the Sun in title contention from 2017 through 2022. The Sky just happened to be one of their many victims they were able to beat in the playoffs.
Chicago travels to Connecticut to play the Sun on Wednesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Instead of a chance to play for the WNBA title, the potential to receive the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft is in play.
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My name is Scott Conrad and I am a Contributor for the Chicago Sky with Sports Illustrated.com. I am also a Contributor with FanSided on NinerNoise, as well as Da Windy City. In addition, I am the Site Editor/Expert for The View from Avalon. I spent two seasons (2015 & 2016) with the Tampa Bay Times as a Correspondent covering high school football. I am a two-time published author with more work to come. In my teenage years, I started watching both MLS and WNBA start in 1996 and grow to be the juggernauts they are in their respective sports. Much love to the career on and off the court for fellow-Napervillian and former Sky forward Candace Parker. Outside of the sports journalism world, I am a travel volleyball coach. I accepted the Head Coach position with Greater Cincinnati Volleyball Club for their U13-2 team. In terms of active sports, I play volleyball, soccer, softball, kickball and train in mixed martial arts.