Diana Torashi has returned Phoenix Mercury to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
Next up are the familiar enemies, Candace Parker and the Chicago Sky.
These two teams got together for the championship seven years ago. This is the last appearance of both teams on the biggest stage of the game. Taurashi and Mercury swept the three-game series. They will launch the Best of Five series in Phoenix on Sunday.
Taurashi scored 14 out of 24 points in the fourth quarter to help Mercury defeat second-seeded Las Vegas 87-84 on Friday night in Game 5 of the semi-final series. Chicago won top-seeded Connecticut in other semifinals in four games.
It’s the first time that neither of the top two teams has made it to the finals since the WNBA changed the playoff format in 2016. Phoenix was the fifth seed and Chicago was the sixth seed.
“It’s difficult,” said Taurashi. What are the 7th and 8th seasons now? And when you get there, you think you’re always going to get there. And it’s not. I know the size of this, and these guys were great all year round. This team is resilient all year round. We were injured this and that, and we were always together and could love each other. This is a big deal. “
Chicago faced adversity this season, overcoming a 2-7 start while Parker was recovering from an ankle injury. Parker decided to return to Chicago after spending the first 13 years of his career in Los Angeles.
Now she has three victories in the sky from winning their first championship.
“It’s like a lap moment,” Parker said. To look up at the stand and see the people who started playing basketball in front of me. It’s very special. This is a special group. The way you face adversity has built and revealed our character. We all believed that we were sitting here in the playoffs. “
Chicago defeated Dallas in the opening round to advance to the final before knocking off Minnesota. Sky has one of the top attacks in the league led by point guard Courtney Vandersloo, who had the second triple-double in playoff history in Game 1 of the team’s series against Connecticut.
“Chicago is playing a really good ball. They are peaking at the right time,” said Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello. “They are playing the best balls at the right time of the season. It’s a big challenge for us. They will rest more, but hopefully this will be a good series with some success, You can win the championship. “
Here are some other tips for the WNBA Finals:
Sideline
Phoenix won Game 5 without starting Guard Kianas, who tore the ACL in the first minute of the fourth game of the playoffs. Mercury also lacked a tense calf backup Sophie Cunningham. Brondello said he hopes Cunningham will return to some finals.
“Currently we are facing a lot of adversity, which shows how harsh the team is,” Brondello said.
Without a nurse, Shay Peddy intervened in another solid match, with a go-ahead free throw with 4.8 seconds remaining. She finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds.
Get off to a good start
Chicago decided to fly to Las Vegas on Friday before the finals were set. Coach James Wade thought it would be beneficial for the team to be accustomed to the time lag and not lose a day of preparation during their Saturday trip, with a local noon tip for Game 1 on Sunday. ..
Hint in
If Phoenix wins, Mercury will win four titles, connecting the Houston Comets, Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm the most in league history. Mercury won the championship in 2007, 2009 and 2014. … Mercury swept three games during the regular season, but Parker missed the first two games while recovering from an ankle injury. … Brondello is married to Chicago assistant coach Olaf Lange. To avoid potential conflicts, the two lived apart in the WNBA bubble last season.
Big time fan
Former President Barack Obama tweeted congratulations to the Chicago Sky in the final.
“It’s always good to be from Chicago, but it’s especially sweet this year. Congratulations to (at) Chicago Sky for the WNBA Finals and (at) Candace-Parker to be proud of us all. We support you. “
It’s not yet clear if Obama will be joining Game 3 on Friday night in Chicago.
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Other AP Women’s Basketball: https: //apnews.com/hub/womens-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
Sky Mercury Set for Rematch of 2014 WNBA Final | WGN Radio 720
Source link Sky Mercury Set for Rematch of 2014 WNBA Final | WGN Radio 720
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