Sun finish off Sky with 18-0 run to reach Finals

CHICAGO — No WNBA staff has repeated as champion because the Los Angeles Sparks did it in 2001-02, and the No. 3 seed Connecticut Solar ensured Thursday evening that that streak can be prolonged, knocking off the No. 2 seed and defending champion Chicago Sky with a 72-63 victory in a winner-take-all Recreation 5 at Wintrust Enviornment.

Connecticut will tackle the No. 1 seed Las Vegas Aces in a best-of-five WNBA Finals that start Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.

The Solar, who competed within the semifinals for the fourth consecutive season and lead the WNBA with probably the most playoff victories and not using a title (35), advance to their first WNBA Finals since 2019, once they misplaced to the Washington Mystics in 5 video games.

The Sky managed a lot of the recreation, outscoring the Solar by 18 factors throughout the second and third quarters, holding Connecticut to simply eight factors within the third and main by as many as 11 with 7:20 left within the recreation.

However the Solar roared again, closing the sport on an 18-0 run to shock the Sky and the Wintrust Enviornment crowd. Chicago went scoreless for the ultimate 4:46 of the sport.

The Solar’s 18-0 run is the longest to shut out a WNBA playoff recreation in league historical past, in response to ESPN Stats & Data analysis. The Sky had been held to 5 factors within the ultimate body, the fewest within the fourth quarter of a winner-take-all recreation in WNBA historical past and the second-fewest in any playoff recreation.

Connecticut gained regardless of committing 23 turnovers, probably the most by a staff in a WNBA playoff win.