During the regular-season, Chicago swept their regular-season series with the Sun 4-0. A continuation of their 3-1 series over Connecticut on the way to the Sky winning the 2021 WNBA title. So the Sun leaving Wintrust Arena with a 68-63 win over the Sun was even more rewarding. The Connecticut Sun hopes that it can be a precursor of things to come.

“This is just about whoever wants it more,” Azurá Stevens said per the Chicago Tribune. “Because they have beef with us from last year. … That’s the type of series this is going to be: Who wants it more, who’s not going to let the ball go.”

Candace Parker finished Game 1 with 19 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, four steals, and six blocks. With that statline, Ace became the first player in WNBA history to post at least 15/15/5 and five blocks. She fell short of the second ever 5×5 game in League history, a feat she achieved as a rookie in 2008.

Looking at the positives, CP3 had an All-Time GREAT performance.

Now we move to Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/D8J0ou8xz4

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) August 29, 2022

Stevens lauded Parker for the historical performance and gave CP3 props as the walking bucket and security blanket that the defending champs can lean on.

“She was able to keep us alive, especially in the second half,” Stevens said. “It was almost like whenever we needed a bucket, she answered.”

CP with the 3#skytown pic.twitter.com/ib9OMf7o0R

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) August 29, 2022

Chicago opened the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run to take a 57-56 lead with 5:13 seconds left on the clock. From then on, the Sky and Sun traded leads, with the critical moment coming after the Sun forced Sky into a shot-clock violation in the final minute of Game 1. The Sun took a 66-63 lead with 17.1 seconds remaining after a clutch bucket from DeWanna Bonner (15 points, nine rebounds, and five assists).

The final dagger of Game 1. @athomas_25 @DEEBONNER24 | #CTSun pic.twitter.com/NdClTBzftw

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) August 29, 2022

Parker had a chance to play hero one more with 7.4 seconds left, but she missed, and the Sky is down 1-0 for the second time in these playoffs.

The Sky didn’t lose on that moment alone, though. The Sun forced Chicago to shoot 35.3 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from beyond the arc. Kahleah Copper and Emma Meesseman were the only Sky players to score in the double-digits. Courtney Vandersloot (five points and two assists) didn’t score until the third frame, while Stevens, Allie Quigley, and Rebekah Gardner combined for 13 points.

The Sky will host Game 2 of the semifinals Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena before traveling to Connecticut for Games 3 and 4.

The post Azura Stevens on Candace Parker’s Historic Performance: ‘Whenever We Needed a Bucket, She Answered’ appeared first on SLAM.

Rhyne went CRAZY this season @howard_rhyne is your 2022 Kia @WNBA ROY pic.twitter.com/ZP9Dcblhti

— WSLAM (@wslam) August 25, 2022

Howard led the Dream (14-22) to a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference standings. The former Kentucky All-American averaged 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game on 36.1 percent shooting from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc. She was the only rookie to be nominated to the 2022 All-Star Game. She also made history after she became the sixth rookie to score 30+ points in her first four games.

Howard earned 53 votes out of a possible 56 votes she could’ve gotten from WNBA media members and broadcasters. Howard also headlines the All-Rookie team that features NaLyssa Smith, Queen Egbo, Shakira Austin, and Rebekah Gardner. Austin received two ROY votes, and Smith received one. Howard is the second Dream player to win the RY after Angel McCoughtry received it in 2009.

Howard entered the WNBA after a legendary career at Kentucky. Her accolades include earning First-Team All-American honors twice and winning the Freshman of the Year award from the WBCA, USBWA, and SEC. Her SEC accolades include earning the back-to-back Player of the Year awards, four All-SEC nominations, including three First-Team nods from 2019-2021, and an All-Defensive team nod in 2020.

The post Rhyne Howard Crowned the 2022 Rookie of the Year appeared first on SLAM.

Wade earned the most ballot votes (11) over Dan Padover and Mike Thibault. Padover won the award in the previous two years. The voting panel comprises one basketball executive from each team, with each rep submitting first, second, and third place votes.

James Wade, the @chicagosky‘s general manager and head coach, is the WNBA’s Basketball Executive of the Year pic.twitter.com/9XpNTWpGLF

— ESPN (@espn) August 22, 2022

Despite finishing the regular-season with a 26-10 record, identical to the Aces, the Sky are competing as the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. They’re in the middle of a tight first-round battle with the Liberty heading into a series-deciding Game 3 in New York on Tuesday.

Wade orchestrated a masterful offseason last fall, re-signing FInals MVP Kahleah Copper, Courtney Vandersloot, and two-time WNBA Sixth Player of the Year Allie Quigley. Wade also signed Emma Meesseman and Rebekah Gardner as free agents too. Wade traded for Julie Allemand, a Belgian national team teammate of Meesseman’s, too. The three acquisitions helped the Sky lead the W in field goal accuracy (48.1 percent) and assists per game (24.3)

Wade has been Chicago’s head coach and GM since November 2019. He won Coach of the Year in 2019, a franchise first. Wade is the first black winner and third coach/gm to receive the honor.

The post James Wade Named WNBA’s Basketball Executive of the Year appeared first on SLAM.