Few expected the Sky to make it this far (16-16 on the season), and the same can be said of the Mercury (19-13). Which underdog will prevail? Game 2 is set for tonight.
The greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.) will answer in game two of the W.N.B.A. Finals. Whether Diana Taurasi’s play along with Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins-Smith will lead the Phoenix Mercury to a victory against Kahleah Copper, Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, and a determined Chicago Sky team is worth the watch.
The Sky and the Mercury unseated the teams who earned a bye-week leading to the playoffs, so the Mercury know the detriment of falling behind two games to none. And both teams are resilient in the face of adversity. The Mercury will undoubtedly have that scratch and claw mentality on display Wednesday, October 13 @ 9 PM EST in The Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, to even the series.
Diggins-Smith, Griner, and Taurasi are well aware that allowing Chicago to take a game in Phoenix will place them in too deep a hole for them to climb out and will most likely result in the Mercury being swept from the best of five series. Losing the series three games to two is one thing. Losing four games to zero would not be the icing on the cake after a gold medal and, greatest of all time, an award-winning year.
Sky guard Kahleah Copper’s 21 points and ten rebounds led Chicago and the high scorer for the game one finals. Allie Quigley knocked down 18 points on 6 of 17 shooting and three free throws. Candace Parker was 7 for ten field goals and 16 points. Center Stefanie Dolson contributed 14 points in seventeen minutes off the bench.
Without sharpshooters, Kia Nurse–lost to a season-ending knee injury–and Sophie Cunningham, who was out with an injured calf, the Mercury fell 91-77.
Tune in on October 13 @ 9 PM EST on ESPN to find out if Cunningham and the rest of the Mercury can help the G.O.A.T. add another championship ring to her collection.
