The Weekly Roundup: The Second City Reigns Supreme
Memorable moments from a compelling WNBA postseason
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The Chicago Sky entered the playoffs as the No. 6 seed with a mediocre 16-16 record. They were the poster children of inconsistency during the regular season, following a seven-game losing streak with a seven-game winning streak. Candace Parker’s early-season injury played a role in this unpredictability, yet the question still loomed: could the Sky address their regular-season inconsistencies and compile a championship run? Chicago answered that question on Sunday with a resounding “yes”, overcoming a 14-point second-half deficit to defeat Phoenix 80-74 in Game 4 and capturing the franchise’s first title.
The married couple of Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley was sensational. Sloot (10 points, 15 assists, nine rebounds, and just one turnover) missed recording her second triple-double of the playoffs by one rebound, and Quigley dropped 26 points on a blistering 5-for-10 from behind the arc. The Swiss-army knife that is Candace Parker did it all, posting a 16-point, 13-rebound, five-assist, and four-steal stat line that included a game-tying triple late in the fourth quarter.
Congratulations to the Sky on delivering their first WNBA title to the Windy City and hope you enjoy today’s parade! Thanks to you and the Mercury, Sun, Aces, Storm, Lynx, Liberty, and Wings for all the fantastic postseason basketball. Before we turn the page on this WNBA season, let’s first reminisce on a few memorable moments from the playoffs.
Possible retirements, triple-doubles, and a win for the ages
“One more year”
Who didn’t shed a tear or two while taking in this moment? Following a heartbreaking overtime loss against Phoenix in the second round, the Seattle faithful, understanding that she might retire, serenaded Sue Bird with a chant of “one more year.” That longtime friend Diana Taurasi was present and encouraged the chants made the moment that much more special. The level of respect shown by Taurasi and the Storm fans toward Bird was fitting for someone so instrumental in the growth of women’s basketball.
Sloot surprises herself
Chicago knocked off top-seeded Connecticut in a double-overtime instant classic in Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals. The win set the tone for the rest of the series and was thanks in no small part to Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who recorded just the second postseason triple-double in the WNBA’s 25-year history. Sloot’s shocked reaction upon learning about this feat from ESPN’s Holly Rowe was priceless. It was refreshing to see a player so unconcerned and unaware of their individual accolades and laser-focused on her team’s success.
Chicago captures its first title
Sure, it’s not the hottest of takes calling out Chicago’s title win as a memorable moment. And it’s a tad misleading, as this is more about the Sky’s title run and the various subplots than a single moment.
There’s Candace Parker bringing a championship home to where she grew up. Who can forget the video of Parker dribbling out the clock in the series-clinching game and sprinting over to celebrate with her family?
There’s also Finals MVP Kahleah “Freakin” Copper, whose ability to slash to the rim was unparalleled this postseason. The indelible photo of Copper standing over Phoenix’s Sophie Cunningham in Game 2 was emblematic of the fire the Rutgers alum brought to the table.
How about the Vanderquigs? That is point guard Courtney Vandersloot and shooting guard Allie Quigley. Whether it was orchestrating their transition offense or expertly probing the defense for holes in the half court, Vandersloot was phenomenal. She set a playoff record with 102 assists, 31 clear of the next person on the list! Quigley’s sharpshooting was, with all due respect to Mercury fans, the x-factor in the Finals series-clinching game, providing enough of a spark to help Chicago complete the second-half comeback and avoid a Game 5 on the road.
Finally, there’s coach James Wade, who became the third African-American to coach a WNBA team to a championship. Following Sunday’s win, Wade expressed his gratitude to Dan Hughes for giving him his start in coaching. Wade served as an assistant to Hughes during their time together with the San Antonio Stars.
“To have somebody, especially a middle-aged white man who doesn't look nothing like you, doesn't come from your experiences, to say, ‘hey, look, I believe in you.’ I thought I was going to be an intern for him for three years and he hired me as an assistant after the first year, and I have no idea why he did that. He's an amazing man, and I don't think he'll get enough credit. He changed my life. He absolutely changed my life, and I'm forever indebted to him.”
Entering the playoffs with a 16-16 record, very few observers gave Chicago a chance to bring home the franchise’s first WNBA title. After all, no team with a 0.500 record or worse had ever won a single game in the Finals, let alone win the whole enchilada. Yet, through the combination of a high octane offense and veteran leadership, the Chicago Sky put together a championship run for the ages.
The problem with situational rules enforcement
Situational officiating is the idea that the enforcement of rules depends on when a potential violation occurs and who the perpetrator is. This can manifest itself in officials allowing more physicality in the final minutes of a contest under the guise of “letting the players decide the game.” It also arises when superstars receive preferential treatment from officials. Whether perceived or a real phenomenon, this notion has never made much sense to me. A foul is a foul no matter who is involved and at what point in the game it occurs. This is precisely why the WNBA’s reaction to Diana Taurasi’s actions in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals was so problematic.
The WNBA rulebook states, “Any player or coach guilty of intentional physical contact with an official shall automatically be suspended without pay for one game. A fine and/or longer period of suspension will result if circumstances dictate.” While the wording could use some fine-tuning to address more benign player/ref interactions (e.g., a player placing their hand on a referee’s shoulder while discussing a call), it’s clear that Diana Taurasi violated the rule. Rather than suspend Taurasi for Game 3, the league opted to fine the Mercury superstar $2,500.
I get it. It’s the height of entertainment when the league’s best players compete on the grandest stage, and the absence of Diana Taurasi from a Finals game would have been suboptimal. The WNBA is fighting tooth and nail to continue its recent growth in viewership and secure better TV deals for the future. But does the league really think that superstars like Candace Parker, Brittney Griner, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kahleah Copper, and Courtney Vandersloot aren’t able to attract a large audience? Chicago blew Phoenix out in Game 3 and went on to win the title, so the league’s decision not to suspend Taurasi in Game 3 didn’t have a material impact on the series. However, it still had the two-pronged effect of undermining the integrity of the W and demonstrating a lack of faith in the product that its other players are capable of producing.
Unprecedented free throw shooting and the mystery of home-court advantage
Earlier this season, I touched on two statistical developments: the WNBA’s unprecedented success at the free-throw line and the lack of home-court advantage this season. I analyzed the W’s free throw performance just before the halfway point of the season and investigated the home-court advantage enigma about two-thirds of the way through the season. So, did these phenomena persist, or was there a reversion to historical norms? Let’s take a quick look!
Free throws
The WNBA had no fans in 2020 and averaged just 2,389 fans per game during the 2021 regular season. In 2019, the league averaged over 6,500 per contest. The difference of course is due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. When I looked at the W’s free throw data back in June, the pessimist in me thought that the league’s unprecedented proficiency at the foul line the past two seasons had something to do with the paucity of raucous fans. As COVID-19 restrictions eased in some arenas and more fans started to return to the stands post-Olympic break, I expected the league’s 80.4% free throw percentage to dip. I was dead wrong. In fact, WNBA players continued their impressive upward long-term trajectory and improved on their record-setting 80.7% free throw percentage last season by finishing 2021 at 80.8%. How did the league fare in the playoffs? Despite featuring much larger crowds (e.g., all four Finals games exceeded 10,000 fans), players shot a combined 81.1% during the postseason.
Can the W continue this positive trend next season and beyond? Given how high they’ve set the bar, my initial inclination is to say no. However, for a while it appeared that long-term improvement at the free-throw line was a futile endeavor, and WNBA players collectively disproved that notion. So, let’s just say I’ve learned not to bet against the W.
Home-court advantage
At roughly the two-thirds mark of the 2021 regular season, WNBA home teams were outscoring their opponents by just 0.036 points per 100 possessions and winning only 51.6% of contests. That’s a far cry from the historic home net margin of 4.04 points per 100 possessions and home winning percentage of 60.1%. Again, with more fans returning to watch games in the latter part of the regular season, I expected there to be some reversion to what we have seen in the past. To some degree that’s what happened. In September, home teams outscored visiting squads by 4.09 points per 100 possessions and won 61.8% of their games, bumping the overall 2021 home net margin and winning percentage up to 0.623 and 53.6%, respectively. Mystery solved, right?
Not exactly. First, while attendance figures steadily grew throughout the season, they didn’t exactly skyrocket in September. Second, attendance during the playoffs was significantly higher than the regular season, yet home teams’ net margin and winning percentage were 2.28 and 58.8%, respectively. These are each below the long-term (1997-2019) playoff net margin of 4.36 and winning percentage of 63.8%. Therefore, it’s difficult to determine whether the reduction in attendance fully explains the lack of home-court advantage this season or if there’s anything additional at play. Also, there were 34 regular-season games in September and 17 playoff games. So, we’re dealing with small sample sizes and must exercise caution when drawing conclusions from these data. If WNBA arenas return to normal, pre-COVID operating procedures next season (fingers crossed, knock on wood, etc.), it will be intriguing to see if the decrease in home-court advantage persists.
Her Hoop Stats content in case you missed it
On Courtside, Gabe Ibrahim and Christy Winters-Scott broke down Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, offered their thoughts on the W25 and the GOAT vote, and discussed the launch of the new professional women’s league operated by Athletes Unlimited.
Considered by some a title contender early this season, several injuries (notably Elena Delle Donne and Alysha Clark) knocked the Washington Mystics out of the playoff picture. Gabe Ibrahim and Richard Cohen analyzed what the future holds for Washington.
In the latest installment of WNBA Dissected, Richard Cohen broke down all the excitement in the first two games of the Finals.
From Hawk-Eye to Kinexion, James Hyman described the technological innovations implemented during the Commissioner’s Cup championship and how these tools can be used in the future by WNBA teams and by fans of the league.
Other recommended content
The refusal of Phoenix players to speak to the media following their Finals loss to Chicago on Sunday reignited a debate surrounding players’ media obligations. ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel weighed in on Twitter.
On Laughter Permitted with Julie Foudy, Julie spoke with Sue Bird about her 80/20 approach for living as well as her experience at the Tokyo Olympics.
Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post chronicled Kahleah Copper’s WNBA journey and what has made her a matchup nightmare for Phoenix in the Finals.
Increasing WNBA franchise values is league commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s top priority. Tisha Thompson and Mechelle Voepel of ESPN detailed how Engelbert plans to achieve that objective.
Sports betting is an important part of the WNBA’s growth strategy, yet even for events like the WNBA Finals, there’s a lack of betting options. Chantel Jennings of The Athletic explored this dearth of gambling opportunities.
Nearly half of girls in the United States quit playing sports during puberty. Karen Mizoguchi of People detailed how Elena Delle Donne is trying to address that level of attrition.
WNBA expansion? It’s something fans have long been clamoring for, and Nate Rau of Axios outlined the steps taken by the city of Nashville to bring WNBA basketball to Music City.
WNBA trivia question of the week
Before this season, what was the last team to defeat a team with a better regular-season record in the WNBA Finals (ignore seeding tiebreakers for the purpose of this question)?
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