Chicago Sky ‘laser focused’ ahead of WNBA title defense, first-round vs. New York Liberty

As the No. 2-seeded Chicago Sky embark on their bid to become the first franchise to repeat as WNBA champions in 20 years, All-Star guard Kahleah Copper says being the defending champs provides an advantage when they tip off their first-round, best-of-three series Wednesday vs. the No. 7-seeded New York Liberty.

“We know how hard it is to win in the playoffs,” Copper, the 2021 WNBA Finals MVP, told media on Tuesday. “I think we’re laser focused. It’s a different setup – like, no, it’s not a single-elimination game, but our sense of urgency still has to be there. So, I think we’re trying to lock in on that and really locking in on how we’re starting games.”

The Sky are aiming to become the first repeat WNBA title winners since the 2001-02 Los Angeles Sparks. They were the first WNBA team to secure a 2022 playoff berth, clinching their spot with a 78-74 win over the Seattle Storm on July 20. Their dominant 26-10 season matched the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces for the best in the league, and Chicago’s .722 win percentage marked a new franchise record. What’s more, the Sky had the league’s best record at home (14-4) this season.

But they’re still prepared to contend with a confident Liberty squad, who earned their spot in the WNBA playoffs for the second year in a row after beating Atlanta 87-83 in their season finale.

“I don’t look at us as underdogs,” said Liberty forward Betnijah Laney. “We’ve beaten them before; we’ve competed with them. It’s just the seeding, and they’re just the next opponent that we have.”

“We played them four times this season,” added New York center Stefanie Dolson, who played for Chicago for five years, including in 2021. “… And I think it gives us that advantage, though, to be able to play them so