The 2021 WNBA Finals are ready. Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury will collide in the Championship Series, which kicks off Sunday (3 pm ET, ESPN3). Mercury, the fifth seed in the playoffs, will have the home; Sky is the sixth seeded.
This year’s Finals will be a rematch of the 2014 title series. Phoenix swept Chicago that season, and Diana Taurasi won the Finals MVP award while Mercury claimed their third title. Phoenix, who was also a champion in 2007 and 2009, is 3-1 in the Finals for his career; the Mercury lost to Houston in a best-of-three series in 1998.
This will be Chicago’s second appearance in the Finals. Sky sealed their ticket back on Wednesday, becoming the lowest seeded team to reach the Finals under the current playoff format, which has been in place since 2016. No lowest-seeded third-party team has ever reached the Finals before. .
Sky finished 16-16 in the regular season; the Mercury had a 19-13 record. Their combined winning percentage for the regular season is .547 (35-29 WL), which is the lowest combined winning percentage in a WNBA Finals matchup in league history.
Chicago eliminated top seed Connecticut Sun in the semifinals, while Phoenix advanced after winning a decisive Game 5 on the road on Friday against second seed Las Vegas Aces.
The WNBA Finals is a best-of-five series, played in a 2-2-1 format.
WNBA Finals (best of five)
Sunday 10 October
Game 1: Chicago @ Phoenix, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN3)
Wednesday, October 13
Game 2: Chicago @ Phoenix, 9 pm ET (ESPN Deportes)
Friday, October 15
Game 3: Phoenix @ Chicago, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN Deportes)
Sunday, October 17
Game 4 *: Phoenix @ Chicago, 3 pm ET (ESPN Deportes)
Tuesday, October 19
Game 5 *: Chicago @ Phoenix, 9 pm ET (ESPN Deportes)
* If required
Semifinals (best of five)
Tuesday, September 28
Game 1: Chicago Sky 101, Connecticut Sun 95 (2OT)
Game 1: Las Vegas 96, Phoenix Mercury 90
Thursday, September 30
Game 2: Connecticut Sun 79, Chicago Sky 68
Game 2: Phoenix Mercury 117, Las Vegas Aces 91
Sunday, October 3
Game 3: Chicago Sky 86, Connecticut Sun 83
Game 3: Phoenix Mercury 87, Las Vegas Aces 60
Wednesday, October 6
Game 4: Chicago Sky 79, Connecticut Sun 69
Game 4: Las Vegas Aces 93, Phoenix Mercury 76
Friday, October 8
Game 5: Phoenix Mercury 87, Las Vegas Aces 84
Second round (knockout match)
Saturday, September 26
No. 5 Phoenix Mercury 85, No. 4 Seattle Storm 80br
No. 6 Chicago Sky 89, No. 3 Minnesota Lynx 76
First round (knockout match)
Thursday 23 September
No. 6 Chicago Sky 81, No. 7 Dallas Wings 64
No. 5 Phoenix Mercury 83, No. 8 New York Liberty 82
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