The Chicago Sky walked away with a 101-95 win against the Connecticut Sun after a double-overtime battle at Mohegan Sun Arena. It took almost three hours of intense play for the Sky to emerge victorious and take the first game of the series, setting a thrilling tone for the 2021 WNBA Playoffs.
Chicago Sky sealed a 101-95 win over the Connecticut Sun in a double-overtime thriller at Mohegan Sun Arena. After nearly three hours of basketball, the Chicago Sky emerged as the winners and took a 1-0 series lead. The first game of the 2021 WNBA Playoffs was exciting and lived up to the expectations.
Courtney Vandersloot put on a masterclass at point guard, securing a historic triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 18 assists—the second such feat in WNBA playoff history. In doing so, she set a new league record for the most assists in a playoff game. Alongside her, Candace Parker delivered a dominant all-around game, finishing with 22 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds.
On the other side, Jonquel Orthea Jones fought hard to put up 26 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn't quite enough to secure the win. Brionna Jones also contributed significantly with 22 points and 10 rebounds. While Jonquel Jones managed two blocks, she found it difficult to generate offensive momentum outside of her free-throw attempts.
The day was bittersweet for the Sun; before the tip-off, Jonquel Jones was celebrated as the MVP and Brionna Jones was named Most Improved Player. This defeat was particularly stinging as it snapped a 14-game winning streak, marking the Sun's first loss since July 3, 2021.
The game was a showcase of elite talent, with Vandersloot, Parker, and Jones all playing at a high level. It was a true tug-of-war, featuring 15 ties and 14 lead changes that kept the crowd on edge until the final seconds of the second overtime. Whenever the Sky hit a wall, Vandersloot stepped up, delivering several clutch passes in the closing moments to shift the momentum.
With the score deadlocked at 93, a precise pass from Vandersloot found Parker for a critical score; this particular assist was the record-breaker, surpassing Sue Bird's previous mark of 16. Shortly after, another brilliant feed from Vandersloot to Stefanie Dolson pushed the Sky's lead to four points.
The Sun struggled to find an answer in the final stretch, failing to mount a comeback in the second overtime. They managed only two baskets in that period, with the last coming just 13.7 seconds before the buzzer. Vandersloot sealed her triple-double by grabbing her 10th rebound with only 7.9 seconds remaining.
This matchup was a rarity, marking only the fifth double-overtime game in the history of the WNBA playoffs and the first since 2015. While it will be remembered as an instant classic by most, it's a game Sun fans would probably rather forget.