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How Kahleah Copper became the Chicago Sky’s ‘next superstar’

(Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images)

Kahleah Copper was ready for Candace Parker’s first day with the Chicago Sky. Months after Parker left the Los Angeles Sparks to sign with her hometown team on Feb. 1, making the biggest splash in 2021 WNBA free agency, she arrived at her first training camp.

Parker’s debut practice with the Sky was enough of a milestone, but Copper knew that Parker had also just celebrated her 35th birthday. Awaiting the two-time MVP in Chicago was a veteran team hungry for a championship — and a bundt cake from Copper.

“When I got here, it was right after my birthday and Kah is big on making sure you celebrate your birthday,” Parker says. “I just thought it was really cool. I’ve never gotten a cake for my birthday at training camp.”

The gesture was just the start of a special relationship between the teammates, through which the 14-year veteran has served as a mentor for Copper in her sixth season.

As the Sky prepare to face the Phoenix Mercury in a best-of-five Finals series starting Sunday, driven by Copper’s 18.2 points per game on 53.2 percent shooting and emotional leadership in the playoffs, both players think back to that first day. Parker jokes now that Copper didn’t reach out to her during free agency, but the bond they’ve formed since then has helped Copper become the type of player who can take over games and lead the Sky to their first championship in franchise history.

“From Day 1, she challenged me. She was on me every single day like, ‘No, you’re going to be that person for us, you’re going to be that defender for us, you’re capable,” Copper says of Parker. “I think that her challenging me and just who she is, I’m like, damn, if she thinks I can do it, for sure I can do it.

“She’s really taken me under her wing, teaching me on and off the court … She’s played a major part in also keeping me level-headed.”

Parker knew about Copper’s basketball talent, having played against her for five seasons. That potential became even more apparent when Parker got to Chicago and saw the 6-foot-1 guard in practice every day, becoming her shooting partner during the season.

“She’s energetic and her personality is kind of how she plays. She plays hard, she’s got a quick first step, she can knock down the jump shot, she can shoot the 3, she defends,” Parker says. “We feed off her energy, and I saw that early in training camp. I have always played against her and she was always really hard to guard, but to be able to see it up close and personal in training camp, I was like wow, she can be something really crazy and she’s already a really good player.”

Copper entered the 2021 season with more of a target on her back after a breakout year in the bubble. In her first season as a full-time starter in 2020, Copper more than doubled her minutes (31.3) and points per game (14.8) as Chicago’s second-leading scorer.

This year, the Sky added Parker to an already loaded roster with Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley, Stefanie Dolson and Diamond DeShields, and with players like Azurá Stevens and Ruthy Hebard waiting in the wings. Where Copper could have faded into the background, she surged forward as one of the Sky’s most consistent players through a tumultuous regular season. Leading the team with 14.4 points and 30.8 minutes per game, Copper helped the Sky right the ship after a 2-7 start and was named to her first WNBA All-Star team.

“Last year, teams recognized her as a main player and one of our leading scorers. This year, she takes another step and she’s an All-Star and she didn’t stop there,” Sky head coach James Wade says. “That’s the thing that’s special: She didn’t stop there. She said, ‘I’m not just satisfied with being an All-Star. I would like to take one step further and even lead.’ She’s found the lane in which she can lead us, and that’s emotional energy, that’s defensive energy, and that’s getting buckets.”

“There was never a doubt in my mind that I could do it. I just needed the opportunity,” Copper says. “My mindset is that I am only going up from here. I am just trying to do what I do consistently because I know I bring so many different things to this team.”

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Parker and Copper have formed a tight bond this season. (Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

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During a road trip to Los Angeles this season, a few Sky players extended their stay to spend time together at Parker’s home. It was then that Copper and Parker found themselves talking about another common bond.

Parker played for legendary coach Pat Summitt at Tennessee from 2004-08, four years before Copper entered the Rutgers basketball program under Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer.

“Everybody came over to my house and we were able to just talk and just understand where we came from,” Parker says. “We shared stories about Vivian Stringer and Pat Summitt. To know [Copper] is to love her. Her energy is amazing and it’s hard not to gravitate towards that.”

Parker’s message for Copper throughout the season echoes what Stringer instilled in her during her four years with the Scarlet Knights.

“I just want her to realize how great she is,” Parker says. “You don’t have to be the No. 1 draft pick, you don’t have to be No. 1 all your life to be the next superstar. Honestly, I told her early on in training camp, ‘You could be the next superstar and I see it,’ and to just keep after it.”

“I never get too high on things, never get too low,” Copper says. “I just feel like throughout my process, even coming from college, you get humbled at every stage in your career. Going from high school to college and you were one of the best players, and then you go to college … [Stringer] humbles you as soon as you get there. It ain’t about you.”

Copper leaned into that lesson during her first few years in the WNBA. Drafted seventh overall by Washington in 2016, Copper was a role player during her rookie year, averaging just over 16 minutes per game for the 13-21 Mystics.

Copper’s time in Washington didn’t last long. A few months before the 2017 season, the Mystics traded her to the Sky in a package deal for Elena Delle Donne. Suddenly, the 22-year-old had to adjust to a whole new city, team and system.

“I’ve learned at every stage of my career to be humble and just put in the work,” says Copper, now 27. “And then coming into the league and having to start over again. I appreciate my process, and that keeps me humble.”

Copper’s journey took another unusual turn after the 2020 season. Instead of going overseas in the offseason, as many WNBA players do to supplement their salaries and stay in basketball shape, Copper took an assistant coaching position with the Purdue Northwest women’s team. Spending the season on the sideline and the other side of the huddle with the Division II program gave her a new lens into the game.

“I was able to stay mentally there and just learn,” Copper says. “Being a coach and just seeing things from that perspective and appreciating the things that my coaches do for me and appreciating their time, but also seeing the game, I was able to stay sharp because I was coaching.”

The film studies, scouting reports and lessons she instilled in her team gave Copper a greater appreciation for her own coaches. It also prepared her to step into a leadership role with the Sky this season.

“It helped me as a leader, as a communicator, and even how I approach it as a professional,” Copper says. “I was telling my kids, ‘It’s so funny, I’m telling you to not let this person go left, and I’m actually having flashbacks of my coaches telling me don’t let this person go left.’

“I think I approach it so differently now. I take so much pride in the scouting report and how much time that the coaches put into it and game-planning.”

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(Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Before Parker got to Chicago, Copper observed and learned from another all-time great. Vandersloot, Chicago’s longest-tenured player, was a big part of the Sky’s last run to the WNBA Finals in 2014, when Diana Taurasi and the Mercury — their same opponents in this year’s Finals — swept them in three games.

Vandersloot has been just as crucial to this playoff run for the Sky, dishing out 8.7 assists per game and recording the second triple-double in WNBA playoff history in Chicago’s semifinal Game 1 win over Connecticut. Copper, who calls the 32-year-old Vandersloot “the most competitive person on our team,” feeds off of the point guard’s mix of selflessness and swagger.

“I appreciate Sloot so much, whether she’s cursing me out about moving the ball or running the floor or telling me to step up,” Copper says. “If you feel like Sloot believes in you, it also takes your game to another level.”

Wade credits Vandersloot and Parker for supporting Copper in her development this year. As Copper has come into her own as a scorer, defender and teammate, the Sky have risen with her — and tried to give her the spotlight they know she deserves.

“She just puts her head down and just goes to work,” Parker says. “I think if you continue to do that, eventually people notice. She doesn’t need to hear it. This isn’t something she struggles with. … It’s the positive energy that really made me understand how great she can be. I’m glad people are recognizing it and I hope that they continue to.”

Wade knows he has a special two-way player in Copper, who can not only affect the game in so many different ways but also lift her teammates up with her energy.

“Off the floor, she’s this different person where she’s straightforward, closed and quiet and nice and sweet and she does everything for people,” Wade said. “But when she plays, it’s like she’s so open, you see everything. You can see where she came from, you can see passion, pride. You can see all these things just in the way she plays and it’s amazing to watch. I feed off of it.

“The sky’s the limit for her. We would love for when it’s all said and done, when you think of Chicago Sky basketball, you think of Kahleah Copper.”

As Copper gets ready to play in her first WNBA Finals series, she reflects on the seasons when she didn’t get as much playing time, when the Sky ran most of their offense through their three All-Stars.

Even then, she says she focused on celebrating everybody else’s accomplishments. Now she’s one of those All-Stars, but her approach hasn’t changed.

“We talk about preparation meeting opportunity — that’s what it was for me,” Copper says. “I was always consistently believing in myself and always confident. When preparation met opportunity, I was locked in. From that moment on, I never turned back. I have always celebrated other people’s success, and when it was my turn, I was already ready.”

Rachel Galligan is a basketball analyst at Just Women’s Sports. A former professional basketball player and collegiate coach, she also contributes to Winsidr. Follow Rachel on Twitter @RachGall.

US Tennis Stars Advance as Wimbledon Field Narrows

Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates her first-round win over Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships
World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini fell in the second round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday. (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

US tennis star Emma Navarro eyes a return during a 2025 Wimbledon match.
US star Emma Navarro will face 2024 champ Barbora Krejčíková in Wimbledon's Round of 32. (Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images)

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

Finland Opens Women’s Euro 2025 with Upset Upset Win Over Iceland

Finland's Katariina Kosola and Emma Koivisto celebrate a goal during their opening 2025 Euro match.
Finland earned a surprise 1-0 win over Iceland in their 2025 Euro opener on Wednesday. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

Spain jersey hang in lockers ahead of the team's 2025 Euro opening match against Portugal.
Reigning World Cup champions Spain will open their 2025 Euro account against Portugal. (Aitor Alcalde - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

USWNT Caps Summer Friendlies with 3-0 Canada Shutout

Yazmeen Ryan, Michelle Cooper, Claire Hutton, Mandy McGlynn, and Izzy Rodriguez and the rest of the USWNT huddle after their July 2025 friendly win over Canada.
The USWNT finished the summer international window with 11 goals, conceding none, across three matches. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

Seattle Storm Looks to Climb the WNBA Standings in Weekend Gauntlet

Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike high-fives teammates as she's introduced before a 2025 WNBA game.
The No. 5 Seattle Storm will face No. 4 Atlanta and No. 3 New York this weekend. (Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images)

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

  • No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.
  • No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.

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