Chicago basketball is currently at an all-time high which is something that we haven't been able to say for a while. Last night the Chicago Sky won the WNBA Championship for the first time in franchise history. They didn't just squeak by to win this championship they dominated the competition. Winning the series 3-1 the Sky showed everyone they weren't messing around this year. After coming into the playoffs with an average record of 16-16 the Sky never looked back. With an overall playoff record of 8-2, the Sky showed just how powerful of a team they could be.
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What a phenomenal showing for the Chicago Sky and the city of Chicago overall. A city that has been starved for championship-level basketball for quite some time was redeemed by the Sky. This team has a lot of pieces that made this championship possible but the #1 piece was the hometown hero forward Candace Parker.
Chicago came out to celebrate
There's no denying how the WNBA has become more popular over the years and this WNBA final proves just that. With Candace Parker coming home to attempt to bring a championship to Chicago the excitement was present for the hometown fans. The Chicago Sky had an incredible turnout during the playoffs and this championship will continue to build on this team's fanbase. Parker touched on how it felt like the entire city was present at the game.
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There's no denying how much this championship means to Candace Parker and all of her teammates. On top of that this championship sets a tone for Chicago basketball overall. The Sky has been in the league since 2006 and made it to the finals once. They were swept in that finals and outside of that one season had never made it past the conference semifinals. This year they showed just how dominant this team can be. With this huge win for the Sky, the pressure is mounting for the Bulls to continue this great run.
Are the Bulls next?
The Bulls tip-off the regular season in just two days and now need to follow up the Chicago Sky. The tone has officially been set in Chicago. While some may scoff at that notion Chicago is a city that expects success. When you have one basketball team coming off a championship it's hard to not have the same expectations for your other team. Considering the offseason the Bulls had it's clear that other people also think the same.
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Bulls players were a heavy presence during the Sky's championship run and you can 100% believe they all want to have the same feeling the Sky just had. They will remember the excitement and the energy at those games and will want that for themselves. The Bulls have a vastly improved team and the playoffs are an expectation at this point. Just like the Sky, the Bulls could definitely make a playoff run but they will need to take some notes from the Sky when it comes to throwing out the regular season record and focusing on the playoffs. The Bull's goal should be to lock down a top 4 seed to avoid the play-in games but let me tell you Chicago has high expectations for this team.
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The city would absolutely lose its mind if the Bulls could make a run in the playoffs this season. Two championships for Chicago basketball would be huge. Before we get ahead of ourselves we need to give proper respect to the Sky.
The Sky is the limit
By the end of this 2021 WNBA season, the Sky had one goal, win a championship. They made good on that goal. Regardless of what their regular-season record said or what the doubters said they made it happen. Let me tell you there were quite a few doubters as the Sky began their playoff run.
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That doubt fueled this team and hopefully, the Bulls can do the same. There are a lot of analysts out there who believe this Bulls team is only slightly better than last season and won't amount to much. If the Bulls can follow in the footsteps of the Sky they should be just fine. This Chicago Sky team proved they didn't have any quit in them. The Bulls roster seems to have a very similar mentality as the Sky and that is a good thing for Bulls fans. This team has a lot of fight in them just like the Sky and they are about to prove that as the regular season begins for them in 2 days. Congratulations to the Chicago Sky on their first Championship in franchise history. Hopefully, this is the beginning of many more championships in Chicago for both the Sky and the Bulls.
