All Scores

‘It’s just a feeling’: Chicago Sky ride team chemistry to brink of WNBA championship

CHICAGO — When Candace Parker signed with the Chicago Sky before the season, it seemed like a team with so much talent already had found its missing piece. In Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Parker was just that, leaning into her playoff experience to guide the Sky to a comeback win over the Phoenix Mercury on the road.

Back in Chicago on Friday night for Game 3, with the series tied 1-1, Parker again rose to the occasion, scoring 13 points in front of a sold-out arena and many family and friends. But it was the Sky’s role players, the ones who’ve watched and learned from Parker and their veteran leaders all season, who helped close out Chicago’s 86-50 victory, the most lopsided in WNBA Finals history.

The way the Sky demolished the Mercury, with every player getting on the scoresheet to bring this team within one win of the WNBA championship, was fitting for a group that prides itself on its chemistry.

“It just feels like we’ve all known each other and been around each other forever — some of us have been for five, six years, but even Candace and the younger players,” Allie Quigley said earlier this week. “It’s just a feeling. It’s hard to describe. And we’re just kind of latching onto it and trying to make the most of this.”

Parker has talked repeatedly about her teammates’ ability to step up in moments when they’re needed. She and Quigley credited that to the adversity they faced during the regular season, when younger players were thrust into larger roles because of injuries.

Dana Evans has served as the Sky’s backup point guard throughout the playoffs. Before Friday night, she averaged just under seven minutes per game, mostly filling in when Courtney Vandersloot needed a breather.

When coach James Wade turned to his second unit late in the third quarter and into the fourth, with the Sky leading the Mercury by 24 points, Evans stepped up. The rookie has been observing Vandersloot and Parker while waiting in the wings, and late in the game Friday she drained three 3-pointers in 48.4 seconds, outscoring both Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith on the night.

“Candace talks to me a lot and tells me about some experiences she had as a rookie where it wasn’t always great, which sometimes is hard to listen to with Candace because you’re like, ‘You were a Rookie of the Year and MVP.’ So it’s like, what did you go through?” Evans said with a laugh during a practice in Phoenix.

“She has a really high IQ, so I try to listen to her when she’s talking about scouts and looking at other people’s strengths and taking them away.”

Even Ruthy Hebard, who played a crucial role for the Sky in June when they followed a 2-7 start with a seven-game winning streak, made the most of her first minutes in the Finals, going 2-for-2 from the field.

“Me and Dana talk about it sometimes, like we’re really teammates with Candace Parker and Sloot and Kah[leah] Copper,” Hebard said. “They’re amazing players and they’re gonna go down in history, and we get to be a part of that. It’s really special.”

Wade spoke about the importance of resting his starters after the game, especially players like Copper who out-ran the Mercury most of the night for a game-high 22 points. The Sky have less than 48 hours to recover and prepare for Sunday’s Game 4, when they can clinch the series and win the first title in franchise history on their home court.

“This is a dream come true if you can get the starters rest, and knowing they’ll have their legs, no excuses to not have their legs on Sunday,” Wade said. “We were pretty happy about that.”

No Chicago bench player needed their performance Friday more than Diamond DeShields did. The fourth-year Sky guard and former All-Star has been through steep ups and downs this season, and acknowledged after the game that she’s had to lean on her teammates through the adversity.

With 11 points, five rebounds and five steals in front of a fan base that’s rallied around her, DeShields was asked afterwards to put this moment into context. She briefly reflected on her own journey with the Sky organization before turning her attention outward.

“I remember when James got here and just talking to him about what we wanted to accomplish,” DeShields said. “Having the players that we had, obviously having Candace here now, it would be an incredible accomplishment, not only just because we won but because of who we could do it with. This group is really special.”

Hannah Withiam is the Managing Editor at Just Women’s Sports. She previously served as an editor at The Athletic and a reporter at the New York Post. Follow her on Twitter @HannahWithiam.

Top Tennis Stars Crash Out of Wimbledon in the First Round

US tennis star Coco Gauff reacts to her 2025 Wimbledon first-round loss to Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska.
World No. 2 Coco Gauff fell to Ukraine's unseeded Dayana Yastremska in the first round of 2025 Wimbledon on Tuesday. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

The grass court chaos of Wimbledon didn't disappoint this week, as the unpredictable surface claimed more than one surprise victim in the 2025 Grand Slam's first round.

A full 10 of the London tournament's 32 seeded players fell in the competition's first round, including four of the WTA's Top 10: World No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 6 Qinwen Zheng, and No. 9 Paula Badosa.

"I should just play no tournaments, get no wins, then roll into Wimbledon, and maybe I'll have better results," US star Pegula joked after her two-set Tuesday loss to Italy's No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto, referencing her recent wins.

Gauff's short Wimbledon outing also represented a new challenge for the 21-year-old standout, as the top-ranked US tennis player struggled to bounce back after winning the 2025 French Open last month.

"I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards," Gauff told ESPN. "So I didn’t feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it."

The upsets continued as Wimbledon entered its second round on Wednesday morning, claiming several more seeded players like world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini and No. 15 Diana Shnaider, though both No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded fan favorite Naomi Osaka cruised into the Slam's third round on two-set wins.

No. 8 Madison Keys now leads the US contingent, with fellow US contender No. 12 Amanda Anisimova joining the 2025 Australian Open champion in snagging their own two-set, second-round victories on Wednesday.

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon Championships

Second-round play at the 2025 Wimbledon women's singles tournament continues on Thursday, as seven US players — including No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 28 Sofia Kenin — look to advance to the competition's third round.

Live continuous coverage of the London Grand Slam airs on ESPN.

USWNT Faces Rivals Canada in Final Summer Friendly

USWNT players Alyssa Thompson and Sam Meza eye the ball during a June 2025 training camp.
The USWNT will face Canada in their final summer friendly on Wednesday. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT will close out their summer international break against a familiar foe on Wednesday night, facing North American rival No. 8 Canada for the first time this year.

"It's never friendly, you know? It's always like a final," US midfielder Sam Coffey told media earlier this week. "We all know each other super well."

"I'm really excited to be a part of it again for our younger, newer players," she continued. "I think it's going to be a huge learning opportunity on what representing this crest means."

The Northern neighbors are the USWNT's most frequent opponent, with the US entering the pair's 67th meeting with a 53-4-9 all-time record against Canada.

Wednesday's matchup will also mark Canada's first US clash under new head coach Casey Stoney, who joined the team in January following her abrupt June 2024 dismissal by the NWSL's San Diego Wave FC.

As for US boss Emma Hayes, she'll be looking for yet another refreshed set of starters on Wednesday after swapping out all 11 players between the team's two friendlies against Ireland last week.

"It's a testament to players and staff alike that we can rotate to different groups like we did last game, and everybody's understanding [the tactics] to varying degrees," Hayes said on Tuesday.

With months to go before the next USWNT camp in October, Wednesday's showdown serves as the last chance for bubble players to prove their worth, all while the team aims to cap the summer window with a big win over their longtime rivals.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Canada on Wednesday

The USWNT will cap their three-friendly summer break against Canada at 7:30 PM ET in Washington, DC.

Live coverage of the clash will air on TNT.

Indiana Upsets Minnesota, Wins WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Without Clark

The Indiana Fever celebrate and lift the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup trophy.
The Indiana Fever upset the Minnesota Lynx to win the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever lifted their first trophy since 2012 on Tuesday night, winning the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup with a 74-59 upset victory over reigning Cup champs Minnesota — all while injured star guard Caitlin Clark watched from the sidelines.

To snag the win, Indiana leaned on balanced scoring, with forward Natasha Howard's 16-point, 12-rebound double-double leading the Fever's five double-digit shooters.

At the same time, the Fever employed a shutdown defense, limiting the Lynx to their lowest point total of the season.

Beyond the $500,000 payout, Tuesday's win gives the 8-8 Fever a momentum boost as the team continues contending with both high-profile departures and the limited availability of their floor general.

"We have a resilient group, you know?" Indiana head coach Stephanie White said after the game. "They're tough, mentally and physically, they pull for one another. I'm just really proud."

"It felt good to get a win under gut-check circumstances," echoed guard Kelsey Mitchell. "To have so much going on and still stay consistently for each other, it was beautiful. It felt really amazing."

As for the league-leading Lynx, the Commissioner's Cup loss won't impact Minnesota's regular-season WNBA standings — and they’ll hope to build on the learnings from last night's ego blow.

Minnesota also has a bit of history one their side, as the last two Commissioner's Cup runners-up went on to win the WNBA Championship in the same year.

"We have to take this game to heart and learn from the mistakes we made, the way we showed up, the way we prepared, and make sure we don't do it again," said Lynx center Alanna Smith.

How to watch the Indiana Fever, Minnesota Lynx this week

Neither 2025 Commissioner's Cup contender will have much time to reflect on Tuesday's game, as both Indiana and Minnesota will dive back into regular-season WNBA play on Thursday.

The Fever will host the Las Vegas Aces at 7 PM ET, airing on Prime, before the Washington Mystics visit the Lynx at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham Sounds Off on WNBA Expansion

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham speaks to reporters before the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham expressed concern about the new WNBA expansion cities. (David Dow /NBAE via Getty Images)

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham turned heads on Tuesday, criticizing the latest WNBA expansion plans in light of ongoing WNBPA CBA negotiations.

Cunningham drew ire from some fans after expressing skepticism about the WNBA awarding expansion teams to Detroit and Cleveland over other possible cities, while also suggesting that the league might be growing too quickly.

"You want to listen to your players, too. Where do they want to play?" she told reporters ahead of Indiana's Commissioner's Cup win. "I'm not so sure what the thought process is there, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure that you're not expanding our league too fast."

"It's kind of a hard decision-making situation. But man, I don't know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland]."

Elsewhere, Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally also voiced her expansion concerns on Tuesday, calling on the WNBA to keep player support at the forefront when adding expansion teams.

"We really have to put an emphasis on the players that are in our league right now," she told reporters. "Maybe focus on the teams that find excuses continuously to lack investment in their players before we focus on adding more to the grain of people that can't really be sustained."

Start your morning off right with Just Women’s Sports’ free, 5x-a-week newsletter.