For the second time in team history, the Chicago Sky are headed to the WNBA Finals as they defeated the top seed Connecticut Sun 79–69 and punched their ticket to the Championship Series.
Sky last made it to the finals in 2014, and are hoping for a first title in team history as they await the winner of the other semifinal series between Las Vegas and Phoenix.
The defeat by the Suns marks the first time the WNBA changed its playoff format in 2016 that the top seeded team failed to reach the WNBA Finals.
Four of Chicago's five starts reached double digits in the game, with Courtney Vandersluot leading on 19 points. Candace Parker had a stellar game with 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Kahleh Copper won with 18 points and six rebounds.
Chicago failed to score in the final five minutes of the third quarter, but their offense was revived in the fourth quarter as they quickly extended their lead back to double digits.
At the same time, their defense became quite strong, giving the Sun only four points in the first seven minutes of the quarter as they raced to an emphatic victory.
Now, Sky will await the winner of the other semi-final series, with the Phoenix Mercury taking a 2-1 series lead over the Las Vegas Aces.
Incidentally, it was the Phoenix who defeated Chicago in the 2014 WNBA Finals, preventing them from winning the championship in their only trip to the final series of the season.