Candace Parker delivers another classic to lead Chicago Sky to series-evening win over Connecticut Sun

01.09.2022 - 14:17 espn.com

CHICAGO — Behind a vintage performance from 14-year vet and two-time WNBA champion Candace Parker, the 2-seed and defending WNBA champion Chicago Sky evened their best-of-five semifinal series against the 3-seed Connecticut Sun at 1-1 with an 85-77 win Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena.

In her second of consecutive dominant playoff outings, Parker finished with a team-high 22 points, four rebounds, four assists and three blocks — marking her 25th career 20-point playoff game.

It ties her with Tamika Catchings for third in WNBA history behind Maya Moore (28) and Diana Taurasi (43). Across the Sky's first-round series win over the New York Liberty and the first two games of the semifinals versus the Sun, Parker — a two-time WNBA MVP — is averaging 16.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, making her just the second player in league history to average 15/10/5 over a five-game span in the WNBA postseason, according to Elias.

But when the 36-year-old Parker was asked whether she agrees with some onlookers who believe this is the prime of her career, she disagreed. «I don't think so,» Parker said postgame. «I think younger CP in the playoffs was more dominant.

Sporting basketball shooting win Serena Williams Diana Taurasi Candace Parker New York Chicago state Connecticut

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The 2022 WNBA season ended with a franchise winning its first title. The Las Vegas Aces, who originated as the Utah Starzz when the WNBA debuted in 1997, won the championship Sunday, beating the Connecticut Sun 3-1 in the WNBA Finals, and the Aces show no signs of slowing down for 2023.

Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek Lead US Open Changing Of Guard

Newly-crowned champions Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek led a changing of the guard at the US Open as the transition from the "Big Three" era and Serena Williams gathered pace. The exiled Novak Djokovic, prevented from competing in New York due to US government vaccination mandates for visitors from overseas, may yet return to add to his collection of 21 Grand Slam titles next year.

Swiatek says 'sky's the limit' after US Open triumph

Iga Swiatek believes "the sky is the limit" after she crowned her rise to the pinnacle of women's tennis with a third Grand Slam title at the US Open on Saturday.

Iga Swiatek says 'sky's the limit' after US Open triumph

The 21-year-old Polish world number one claimed her second Grand Slam title of 2022 at Flushing Meadows, defeating Tunisia's Ons Jabeur 6-2, 7-6 (7/5). It was the latest staging post on a dazzling season which has provided ample evidence Swiatek is the front-runner to dominate the sport as it heads into the post-Serena Williams era. A second Grand Slam title on Saturday and a victory at the French Open in June are part of seven tournaments she has won this year, which included a 37-match winning streak as she swept to the top of the rankings.

"Sky's The Limit," Says Iga Swiatek After Winning US Open

Iga Swiatek believes "the sky is the limit" after she crowned her rise to the pinnacle of women's tennis with a third Grand Slam title at the US Open on Saturday. The 21-year-old Polish world number one claimed her second Grand Slam title of 2022 at Flushing Meadows, defeating Tunisia's Ons Jabeur 6-2, 7-6 (7/5). It was the latest staging post on a dazzling season which has provided ample evidence Swiatek is the front-runner to dominate the sport as it heads into the post-Serena Williams era.

Candace Parker thriving, making history as Chicago Sky push to return to WNBA Finals

CHICAGO — Candace Parker couldn't help but sneak a peek at the tennis match on the TV on her way back to the court at Wintrust Arena. It was halftime of Game 2 of the 2022 WNBA playoff semifinal series between the Chicago Sky and the Connecticut Sun, Parker's Sky were up by 15 points and, much to her delight, Serena Williams had won the first set of her second-round US Open match against the No. 2 player in the world. Parker wouldn't know until after her own game was over — an 85-77 win in which the two-time WNBA MVP and champion dropped a team-high 22 points — that Williams eventually pulled out the upset victory in three sets, dazzling sports fans as she kept alive what was likely her final tournament run.