WNBA Playoff Preview: Why Sky Fans Should Watch Storm vs. Aces
Though the Chicago Sky are not in this year's playoff tournament, this matchup is certainly of some interest. The Seattle Storm won their fourth and most recent WNBA title in 2020, a year before the Sky won their's in 2021.
The Las Vegas Aces won the next two years after Chicago. Tyler Marsh, current head coach for the Sky, was also an assistant coach for the Aces during both championships (2022 & 2023). This is a matchup between the team that won the WNBA championship before the Sky and the team that won it after (twice).
The official bracket for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs presented by @Google is set 🚨
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 12, 2025
Round 1 begins Sunday, September 14! pic.twitter.com/h591q7gCt1
As mentioned, Marsh came to the Sky from the Aces. Las Vegas won both WNBA titles following Chicago's championship in 2021. Candace Parker played for both teams and won titles with each (2021 and 2023) before retiring from the WNBA.
This will be the fourth and final playoff series for the WNBA on Sunday, September 14. On the heels of wrapping up the 2025 regular season with a 16-game win streak, the Aces earned the third-seed and were rewarded with home court advantage against the Storm.
This playoff series between Seattle and Las Vegas is interesting. After spending 10 seasons with the Storm, guard Jewell Lloyd was traded to the Aces before the 2025 season started. Lloyd burned the Sky from behind the arc this month in their two meetings, going off for a combined 7-for-15 from deep.
Chicago Sky connections with Seattle Storm (23-21)
Former Sky forward Katie Lou Samuelson would be playing for the Storm; however, she has been out for months with a season-ending injury. Unfortunately, she shares that with her former Chicago teammate Courtney Vandersloot.
Gabby Williams is also a former Chicago Sky forward. She played her first three WNBA seasons there before missing 2021 when they won the championship. The next year, Williams joined the Storm. She has averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, as well as 2.3 steals a game for Seattle in 2025.
Ten-year veteran Skylar Diggins has played strong for the Storm this year. She was a member of the Phoenix Mercury with Brittney Griner in the 2021 WNBA Finals against the Sky. Diggins averaged 15.5 points and 6.0 assists per game during the regular season this year for Seattle.
Chicago Sky connections with Las Vegas Aces (30-14)
One of Las Vegas's best bench players, Dana Evans, is former Chicago member. She was drafted by the Dallas gs in 2021, but sent to the Windy City as the team finished with a .500 regular season record before capturing the WNBA championship that year.
In addition, Aces forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus played for the Sky in her first six WNBA seasons. From 2015 to 2020, she played in over 160 games for Chicago and recorded more than 1,160 points. Parker-Tyus is on the playoff roster for Las Vegas heading into Sunday's Game 1 against the Storm.
How the Sky did against the Storm and the Aces in 2025
Chicago was swept by Seattle and Las Vegas this season. Of their 34 losses in 2025, the Storm and Aces combined to give the Sky six losses. Angel Reese and Company couldn't defeat either team in 2025.
A'ja Wilson torched Chicago for 31 points and 11 rebounds during the Sept 7 game at Wintrust Arena. Evans averaged 6.6 points a game this season but scored higher than that in two of the three meetings against the Sky this year.
With Seattle, they swept the season series against Chicago, too. Diggins had a 24-point showing against the Sky at Wintrust Arena last month and had a 21-point and seven-rebound performance in July, also at Wintrust. Chicago would love to see Wilson or Diggins score for them than against them.
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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.