The 2021 WNBA season will reach its crescendo as the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury battle for the title.
The sixth-seeded Sky and fifth-seeded Mercury are the last two teams standing after taking down the top two teams with the best records. This marks the first time that the teams that had to go through a pair of single-elimination games made it all the way to the championship stage since the current playoff format was implemented in 2016.
These two franchises previously met in the 2014 Finals when the Mercury swept the Sky. Phoenix will be gunning for its fourth championship while Chicago will look to win its first. The series has all the trappings of a great matchup highlighted by the star power of their leaders and two of the all-time greats in Diana Taurasi and Candace Parker.
Game 1 of the best-of-five series is on Monday at 3:00 AM (PHT).
How the Sky got here
The Sky's journey to the Finals began with the offseason acquisition of Candace Parker. After spending 13 years as the centerpiece of the Los Angeles Sparks, she decided to go home. In Chicago, she carried with her a treasure trove of experience, including a 2016 championship and two MVPs.
However, Parker's homecoming didn't automatically translate into wins. The 35-year-old forward sustained an ankle injury to start the season and missed eight games. The Sky plummeted down the standings, struggling to find their footing. It was clear that the six-time WNBA All-Star's impact was the missing piece, and it became more evident when the team finally found its stride when she returned.
The Sky, who finished the regular season with a 16-16 record, enter the Finals as the lowest-seeded team to reach this far since the playoff format change in 2016.
They defeated the Dallas Wings in the first round and stunned the third-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the next. After back-to-back elimination games, they faced the top-seeded Connecticut Sun, who had the MVP, Most Improved Player, and Coach of the Year. Not to mention, the Sun were riding a 14-game winning streak entering the playoffs. But Parker, veterans Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot, and rising star Kahleah Copper peaked at the right time to get to the finals.
How the Mercury got here
The Mercury’s Big 3 of Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, and Skylar Diggins-Smith have been the franchise’s lifeblood. Taurasi had been in and out of the lineup due to injuries to her sternum, hip, and ankle at different points of the season. But Griner and Diggins-Smith consistently held the fort whenever Taurasi was not available to play.
And when Taurasi is on the court – even if she’s not at a hundred percent – she just flips the switch and takes over during crucial moments. Case in point: their finals-clinching win against the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals.
After the Aces went on a run that could have ended the Mercury’s season, Taurasi seemingly put on a superhero costume and allowed her clutch gene to work its magic. She scored 14 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter, including a crucial 3-pointer with over a minute to go, which she shot after blocking Liz Cambage’s potential go-ahead bucket on the other end.
The Mercury had a lackluster start to the season, but they managed to turn things around after the Olympic break. They went on a hot streak and won 10 straight games before ending the regular season with a three-game slide. Without Taurasi, they escaped the New York Liberty in the first round. Taurasi then returned and helped the team dethrone Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm in the second round before taking care of the Aces in five games.
Keep an eye on
Brittney Griner has been an unstoppable force for the Mercury. She could single-handedly alter the opposing teams’ defensive schemes, given her ability to dominate inside. She’s also a capable passer who knows when to let go of the ball and how to get her teammates involved.
Throughout the playoffs, Griner has averaged 21.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.0 blocks. She’s a huge matchup problem given that nobody can stop or even slow her down one-on-one. Throwing multiple defenders on her opens up opportunities for Brianna Turner and the rest of the team.
With that said, it will boil down to how well the Sky can defend Griner.
With all due respect to the Sun's formidable frontcourt of Jonquel Jones, Brionna Jones, and DeWanna Bonner, they don't compare to the size of Griner who is listed at 6-foot-9. The Sky had their hands full no doubt with the Joneses and Bonner, but Griner presents a slightly different problem. It's her deadly combination of length and skill – making the Mercury's game plan of consistently feeding her in the post really effective – which makes her so tough to guard.
The Sky will rely on 6-foot-6 Azurá Stevens, who was critical in Chicago's closeout game versus Connecticut, 6-foot-5 Astou Ndour-Fall, and 6-foot-5 Stefanie Dolson. All three have rotated in defending the paint with varying results in the playoffs. Will the Sky choose to double? Will Parker have a crack at Griner? Will the team have to gang-rebound to secure the ball?
X-Factors
Coach Carolyn Peck said it best on the ESPN halftime show during the WNBA playoffs... "Kahleah Freaking Copper!" Copper only gets the X-factor label behind the star power of Parker and Vandersloot but she's on her way to making a name for herself on the W's biggest stage.
Copper has been elevating her game right before our eyes. After being the Sky's leading scorer during the regular season with 14.4 points per game on her way to her first All-Star selection, she increased her production in the postseason. In six games, she's up to 18.2 points, including a 26-point bomb in Game 3 when she went 9-for-14 from the field. She needs to come out with guns blazing against the Mercury.
The Mercury are extremely shorthanded heading into the WNBA Finals. Kia Nurse is out for the season (torn ACL), while Sophie Cunningham’s status remains uncertain (calf strain). How the players outside of Phoenix’s Big 3 contribute could spell the difference in the finals.
Turner’s role is undoubtedly vital, but getting firepower off the bench is where it gets tricky for the Mercury. Cunningham and Shey Peddy had been their consistent sparkplugs, and while Peddy has embraced her starting role in place of Nurse in their previous game, it still does not address their bench depth problem.
It might be too much to ask Bria Hartley to be the difference-maker, knowing that she just returned a few weeks ago after recovering from an ACL injury. But Phoenix’s shortage of personnel leaves Hartley with no choice. She has to channel her stellar pre-injury bubble performance to give the Mercury a fighting chance against a healthy and well-rested Sky team.
Winning blueprint
While Griner will be the focal point of the Mercury’s offense, their backcourt will have to show out to give the Mercury an opportunity to win the series They will be facing one of the best point guards ever in Vandersloot and a lethal shooter in Quigley.
Diggins-Smith, an exceptional scorer and playmaker herself, will have to turn her game up another notch against the Sky’s veterans. And of course, we all know what Taurasi can do in high-stakes situations. Whether it’s in the NCAA, WNBA, Euroleague, or Olympics, Taurasi has made the biggest stages her playground.
It’s always hard to bet against a team that has Diana Taurasi, but then Chicago also has a GOAT contender in Candace Parker.
It starts and ends with Parker for the Sky. At this point in Parker's career, you're not looking for the eye-popping numbers. She can still give you a solid all-around game when she drops something like 14 points, eight rebounds, seven assists. She's still that good and the Sky will need every bit of that production.
It's cliche to point out that Parker's leadership and experience will be the difference, but the Sky need her now more than ever. It's her being vocal on the defensive end. It's her knowing when to push the ball off a rebound. It's her in the huddle keeping everyone in check. It's even her in the postgame, giving a shoutout to her teammates.
It's the little things for Parker, but in winning a title, the little things make all the difference.
