Sky-Mercury ready for 2014 WNBA Finals rematch – action news jax

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Diana Taurasi brings the Phoenix Mercury back to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2014.

Then a familiar enemy – Candace Parker and the Chicago Sky.

These two teams met seven years ago for the championship – either team’s last appearance on the game’s bigger stage. Taurasi and the Mercury swept the three-game series. They will debut the best-of-five series in Phoenix on Sunday.

Taurasi scored 14 of 24 points in the fourth quarter to help the Mercury beat second-seeded Las Vegas 87-84 on Friday night in Game 5 of their semi-final series. Chicago knocked out seeded Connecticut in the other four-game semi-final.

This is the first time since the WNBA changed its playoff format in 2016 that neither of the top two teams have reached the finals. Phoenix was the fifth seed and Chicago the sixth.

“It’s difficult,” Taurasi said. “It’s been now, what, seven, eight seasons? And when you get there, you think you’re always going to get there. And it is not. I know the magnitude of that, and these guys have been great all year. This team has just shown resilience all year round. We’ve had injuries, this and that, and we’ve always been able to stay together and love each other. Which is a big deal.

Chicago has faced adversity itself this season, overcoming a 2-7 start as Parker recovers from an ankle injury. Parker decided to return to Chicago after spending the first 13 years of his career in Los Angeles.

Now she has the Sky three wins away from winning their first championship.

“It’s kind of like a loop moment,” Parker said. “Look in the stands and see the people I started playing basketball in front of. It’s super special. It’s a special group. The way you face adversity has built our character and revealed it. . All of us going to the playoffs thought we would be sitting here. “

Chicago advanced to the final by beating Dallas in the first round before eliminating Minnesota. The Sky have one of the best offensives in the league led by point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who clocked the second triple-double in playoff history in the team’s first game of the series against Connecticut.

“Chicago is playing a really good ball, they are peaking at the right time,” said Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello. “They play their best ball at the right time of the season. It’s a big challenge for us, they will be more rested but I hope we can make it a good series and be successful and win the championship.

Here is more information about the WNBA Finals:

APART

Phoenix won Game 5 without starting goalie Kia Nurse, who tore an ACL in the first minute of Game 4 of the playoffs. The Mercury also lacked backing Sophie Cunningham with a strained calf. Brondello said she hopes Cunningham will be back for some of the finals.

“We are facing a lot of adversity right now, but it shows how tough this team is,” said Brondello.

Without Nurse, Shey Peddy stepped in and had another solid game, making the free throws with 4.8 seconds left. She finished with 15 points and six rebounds.

GET A STEP AHEAD

Chicago decided to fly to Las Vegas on Friday before the final was set. With a local tip at noon on Sunday for Game 1, coach James Wade thought it would be beneficial for the team to have already acclimated to the jet lag and not lose a day of preparation on Saturday during a a travel.

ADVICE

If Phoenix wins, the Mercury will have four titles, tied with the Houston Comets, Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm for most in league history. The Mercury won in 2007, 2009 and 2014. … The Mercury swept all three games of the regular season, but Parker missed the first two games while recovering from his ankle injury. … Brondello is married to Chicago assistant coach Olaf Lange. The two lived apart in the WNBA bubble last season to avoid any potential conflict.

LARGE FAN

Former President Barack Obama tweeted his congratulations to Chicago Sky for reaching the final.

“It’s always good to be from Chicago, but this year has been particularly good. Kudos to (at) ChicagoSky for reaching the WNBA Finals, and to legend, (at) Candace_Parker for making us all proud. We will be rooted for you.

It is not yet known whether Obama will try to attend Game 3 on Friday night in Chicago.

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More AP Women’s Basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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