October 18, (THEWILL) – After Chicago Sky triumphed with a Game 4 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, former President Barack Obama congratulated his hometown women’s team on winning their first championship in franchise history.
Obama cheered on the Sky throughout their playoff run, which saw them finish as the number six seed with a.500 regular-season record. Their historic achievement consists in being the first team to win the WNBA championship without being seeded number one or two.
“Congrats to our new WNBA champs, @ChicagoSky! I couldn’t be prouder of this team — they worked hard for this moment, and have made our city proud,” the former US President tweeted from his official Twitter handle.
Candace Parker returned to her hometown team this offseason after 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks. Her first season with the Sky ended with a championship, capping off a fairy-tale season.
THEWILL recalls that on Sunday at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, sixth-seeded Sky overcame the fifth seed Phoenix Mercury, 80-74, after erasing a double-digit deficit and rallying in the final minutes. They went 16-16 in the regular season to become the first team non first or second seed to win the WNBA championship.
It meant Parker won her second WNBA championship after shocking the league by signing with her hometown Sky in free agency last spring. Parker urged her team to remain calm in the deciding game, and she sparked scoring streaks in the third and fourth quarters that prevented the series from returning to Phoenix.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
