PHOENIX — There were nerves for Candace Parker’s first WNBA Finals game with the Chicago Sky. Even in her 14th WNBA season and third Finals series, the 2016 champion felt some jitters as she took the court in Phoenix on Sunday for Game 1 against the Mercury.

The Sky had three full days of rest in between the semifinals and start of the Finals, giving them extra time to prepare and, perhaps, overthink the matchup. The Mercury, coming off of a thrilling semifinals Game 5 win over the Las Vegas Aces on Friday, rode that momentum straight through the opening tipoff Sunday, jumping out to a five-point lead by the end of the first quarter.

Whatever mental paralysis overcame Chicago in that first quarter, Parker made sure it didn’t last. The veteran forward led her team on a 26-6 run in the second quarter that ignited the entire lineup and propelled them to a 91-77 Game 1 victory on the road.

“I think once you realize you’re going to settle into the game eventually, it’s just who can settle in early. And then your mind gets lost in it and you start playing basketball like you played all your life,” Parker said. “There’s no reason to flip out. They’re a great team, they’re here for a reason, and we had to settle into the game and get back to what we do.”

The last time the Sky were in the Finals in 2014, only Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley were on the team. They remember the feeling of losing to Diana Taurasi and the Mercury 3-0 in that series, but so much has changed for this organization in the seven years since then.

“We were babies then, not really experienced in that situation,” Quigley said.

Even Sky head coach James Wade, who was an assistant with the Minnesota Lynx during their 2017 Finals run, said he leans on Parker in situations like the first quarter Sunday, when the players need an example to follow.

“She’s accepted that role, and now everybody has a sense of comfort when it comes to those moments,” Wade said. “We just have to keep on riding it until we get to our ultimate destination.”

As soon as Parker reentered the game with 7:46 left in the second quarter, Chicago’s offense switched into another gear. Every Sky player on the court got involved as they chipped away at Phoenix’s lead and went into halftime up 46-35.

CANDACE PARKER, Y'ALL!@Candace_Parker | #skytown pic.twitter.com/aZgnlCqaNg

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) October 10, 2021

Parker, who contributed seven of her 16 points in the quarter, was one of six Sky players to finish the game in double-digit scoring. After the game, the 35-year-old praised her teammates and especially Stefanie Dolson, who scored 14 points off the bench and was a big reason the Sky were able to hold the Mercury to just 32 points in the paint.

“I think that’s what’s special about our team,” Parker said. “I think everybody during this postseason has had a moment or had a game, where if we didn’t have them at that moment, then we wouldn’t win. I think it’s understanding that and being patient in that and knowing it, and that’s what Stef’s done.”

It’s that depth and resilience that most concerns Mercury coach Sandy Brondello in the series. Even when they key in on one player — as they have with Kahleah Copper, who still had a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds — another player steps up.

Parker feels the same way about Chicago’s veteran group. She’s picked up leadership qualities from many WNBA greats along the way, such as Lisa Leslie during their two seasons together with the Sparks, but she’s also learned something from each of her Sky teammates.

As Parker explains it, the Sky’s willingness to trust in each other, even on a team with multiple superstars, has helped take them from a 2-7 regular-season start to the doorstep of a WNBA championship. And against a team with its own superstar core of Taurasi, Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins-Smith, that bond is their most dangerous weapon.

“I don’t think I understood when I was younger that you have to be the calm for the storm and you have to be the storm when everyone’s calm,” Parker said. “But we have leadership internally across the board. It’s not just me. I think it’s been fun for me to learn.”

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.

Caitlin Clark is officially a member of the Indiana Fever, with the Iowa superstar going No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft on Monday night. 

Clark has been the consensus top pick since declaring for the draft on February 29, a few weeks before the onset of Women's March Madness. But for her, the call up was still full of emotions. 

"When you're just sitting at a table waiting for your name to be called, that really allows the emotions to feed you," Clark said. "You're with your family — obviously, playing a basketball game, I'm not out there with my family — so sharing that moment with them and enjoying it, and people that have really had my back and believed in me more than anyone, is super special."

Clark wasn't the only one pausing to take in the moment. As fans and commentators noted during the broadcast, it took a little more time than usual for Indiana to announce their pick — Fever GM Lin Dunn later told the media that she spent 15 to 20 seconds ensuring Clark's card adhered perfectly to league regulations before handing it over. She didn't want anything to get in between her team and a player she calls a "perfect fit."

"She's from the Big Ten, the Midwest — is there any place better for her than Indianapolis, Indiana?" Dunn said. "I think this is the beginning of us getting back on track to win another championship."

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Clark echoed the sentiment.

"That's definitely our goal, is to get back to championship habits," Clark said. "For myself, I can't imagine a more perfect fit, a better place for me to start my professional career, an organization that really just believes in women's basketball and wants to do everything the right way. So I couldn't be more excited to get there."

She’s also particularly excited about linking up with former collegiate rival Aliyah Boston.

"Going to an organization that has, in my eyes, one of the best post players in the entire world, my point guard eyes just light up at that," Clark said of the former South Carolina star. "She's going to make my life easy."

Clark's four-year contract with the Indiana Fever has been reported at $338,000. Kicking off at the league's guaranteed first-year base salary of $76,535, it jumps to $97,582 by 2027.

In the hour following Indiana's official pick, sporting goods brand Fanatics sold out of the superstar player's No. 22 Fever jersey in nearly every available size. Each jersey retails for $99.99.

Caitlin Clark made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend, which quickly went viral.

The Iowa star showed up on the show’s Weekend Update segment to playfully call out Michael Che’s history of making jabs at women’s sports.

It started when Che joked that Iowa should replace Clark’s retired No. 22 “with an apron.” 

When Clark entered, Che said that he was a fan. But Clark wasn’t convinced – especially not when co-host Colin Jost brought the receipts of Che’s jabs.

“Really, Michael? Because I heard that little apron joke you did,” she said, before making him read some jokes of her own in retaliation. Clark finished her segment by shouting out the WNBA greats that came before her. She then got in one final dig – bringing Che a signed apron as a souvenir. 

She’s got jokes 😎@CaitlinClark22 on @nbcsnl #Hawkeyes

pic.twitter.com/54khqQw2MR

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 14, 2024

When Che promised to give it to his girlfriend, Clark delivered her last playful dig of the night.

“You don’t have a girlfriend, Michael,” she said.

Afterward, SNL castmember Bowen Yang told People that the 22-year-old and teammates Gabbie Marshall, Kate Martin and Jada Gyamfi – who joined her at Studio 8H – “were so cool.”

“She's so charming and witty,” Yang said. “They were just the most stunning, noble people.

“Athletes just have this air about them. They know they're amazing. I mean, these are people who have numeric attachments and values to their performance. That's something that comedians never have.”

The Portland Thorns continue to struggle to start the NWSL season, falling 2-0 to the North Carolina Courage over the weekend to remain winless through their first four games. 

It’s uncharted territory for Portland, who has never started the NWSL regular season without a win in four games before.

Following the loss, defender Becky Sauerbrunn voiced her frustrations with the start. 

“It’s hard to find a lot of encouraging things, but what I find encouraging is that people are frustrated,” she said. “People are pissed off that we’re not doing well. We care, and I think that’s really important.” 

She also added that while the team will reflect individually, “there’s going to be no finger pointing.”

“We’re going to look at ourselves and figure out what we should have done, or I should have done better,” she said. “There is a list of things that I could have done better, and I’m going to make sure I know every single thing and watch this game back.”

The Thorns currently sit at the bottom of the league table with just one point, having allowed 10 goals – tied for the worst in the league. They’ve yet to lead in a match. And as questions grow, attention turns to head coach Mike Norris. 

Norris is in his second year as head coach of the club after leading the team to a second-place finish in the regular season last year. When asked about the possibility of pressure growing after the unprecedented start, Norris said that the pressure has been there “from day one.”

“I cannot be driven by my day-to-day and the longer vision of the pressure of the job,” he said. “We’ve got a belief in how we want to play, how we operate. We’ve got to stick with the process of that. While we do it, we have to review and see what is working, what’s not working.

“I’ll be showing up for the team and being there for what they need from me as we approach getting back together as a group next week.”

Maria Sanchez, who signed one of the biggest deals in NWSL history just four months ago, has reportedly requested a trade from the Houston Dash. 

ESPN was the first to report the news, which was confirmed by multiple sources.

In a statement to ESPN, the team said: “​​Maria Sanchez is under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023." 

In December, Sanchez signed a new three-year contract with the Dash worth $1.5 million including bonuses and an option year. At the time, it was the largest contract in NWSL history – something that was eclipsed by multiple contracts in the following months. 

The winger was a restricted free agent in the offseason, meaning that Houston could match any offer from another team and retain her rights. Should the team trade Sanchez, her contract would remain as it has been signed with the league. That limits the number of teams that could take on her contract. 

In three starts with the Dash this season, Sanchez has zero goals and an assist. The Dash are 1-2-1 through four games and have allowed a league-worst 10 goals.

The team hired a new coach, Fran Alonso, in December. Earlier this year, former goalkeeper coach Matt Lampson was fired for violating the league’s Coach Code of Conduct and Anti-Fraternization policy. 

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window close at midnight ET on Friday.