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Candace Parker and Chicago Sky Defeat Phoenix Mercury to Win Team's First WNBA Championship

WNBA
WNBA

The Chicago Sky has won its first-ever WNBA championship title.

At a sold-out Wintrust Arena on Sunday, the Candace Parker-led No. 6 team defeated the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury in Game 4 of the best of five Finals.

While this is the second title for Parker, the Naperville native who won a championship with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016, the Sky had never captured a championship until now. The franchise came into the league as an expansion team in 2006.

In the final two minutes, the Sky tied up the game at 72 with Stefanie Dolson laying it up to take the lead in a 9-0 run. Dolson once again came up with a clutch play and scored a second possession with an assist from Courtney Vandersloot. Diana Taurasi's two free throws brought the game to a two-point margin but Vandersloot delivered on the other end with a bucket.

Ultimately, Vandersloot's two free throws secured the series win 80-74.

This year's series was a Finals rematch between the Sky and Mercury from 2014, which is the last time Taurasi won a title with the Arizona team.

Since the Sky returned home for Game 3 and Game 4, the team had dominated the Mercury. Along with hometown hero Parker, Vandersloot, Dolson, Finals MVP Kahleah Copper, Diamond DeShields and Allie Quigley all helped the Sky in key moments.

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In Game 3, coach James Wade and the Sky made history with their 86-50 win as their 36-point difference was the largest winning margin in a WNBA Finals. The Mercury had the second-lowest total in a WNBA Finals game.

The west coast team led by Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins-Smith tied the series with a Game 2 win for their final home game. The Sky secured Game 1 as a fatigued Mercury struggled after playing soon after their semifinal victory over the Las Vegas Aces.

Sunday's win was even sweeter for Parker who lifted the championship trophy in her first season in Chicago after 13 seasons with the Sparks.

Prior to the Mercury, the Sky defeated the Dallas Wings in the first round of the playoffs, the Minnesota Lynx in the second round and the No.1 Connecticut Sun in the semifinals series.