None of Chicago’s sports teams won on Sunday.
The Cubs and White Sox lost early, leaving the Sky to try to put the city in the win column in Game 1 of their semifinal series against the Connecticut Sun, but the defending WNBA champs just couldn’t pull ahead and stay there. There were 15 lead changes and nine ties, but the Sky never seemed to find their rhythm.
After the game, Sun coach Curt Miller said his team’s goal was “to make the game messy” for the Sky, and they succeeded in the 68-63 win. The Sky’s shooters got limited looks and offensive rebounding was a major issue. The team was caught looking often, not following shots and not boxing out as second-chance shots passed them by.
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While the Sun were able to bang on them over and over in the paint, the Sky died just as they lived — by the 3-pointer.
Forced inside and taking shots that weren’t falling, the Sky’s responses were always just a little too late. One extra dribble, one extra pass, one extra look. The Sun didn’t need to beat them down; instead they imposed their game plan on a team that was frustrated not only by the physicality of the game, but also with the officials.
It was clear the Sky felt they weren’t getting the calls they should, and coach James Wade mentioned it more than once in his postgame news conference while trying not to criticize the officiating directly.
The Sky found themselves under pressure from a much more physical team. For the first time this season, the Sun were able to make the Sky play their game. They bullied everyone — except Candace Parker.
Parker had a game for the ages. This was vintage CP3. The 36-year-old played like it was 2008 again. With 19 points, 18 rebounds, six blocked shots, five assists and four steals, Parker made a statement.
It was kind of expected though.
Jay-Z, Parker’s favorite rapper, dropped a verse on the song “God Did” on DJ Khaled’s new album, and within a day, she knew every word, rapping it enthusiastically on her Instagram stories.
During pregame warm-ups, as soon as Parker stepped out of the tunnel, the Sky’s DJ played a series of throwback Jay-Z songs. She was focused, rapping every lyric as she went through her routine. It’s clear she finds inspiration in the Brooklyn rapper’s verses. When faced with adversity, she goes to his music.
Parker, a bright spot in a game in which her opponents came out poised and prepared to body their way to a win, continued to uplift her teammates in a tough situation. She appeared to be coaching them up on the sideline and during timeouts. She put them on her back and all but willed them to the end.
After averaging 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the regular season, Parker took it to another level in Game 1 and found a place in the record book once again. She is the first player in WNBA history with 15-plus points, 15-plus rebounds, five-plus assists and five-plus blocks in a playoff game, and she’s one double-double from tying Tamika Catchings’ league record of 27 postseason double-doubles.
Though the Sky didn’t get run off the court, the chaos caused by the revenge-seeking Sun was just too much.
We’ve seen this from this team before — they lose Game 1 and then come back and dominate. Can they do it again?
Wade, Azurá Stevens and Allie Quigley all seemed confident in their ability to adjust and come back Wednesday in Game 2.
How will the Sky respond? Maybe someone should call Jay-Z.