2019 Chicago Sky season | |
---|---|
Coach | James Wade |
Arena | Wintrust Arena |
Attendance | 6,749 per game |
Results | |
Record | 20–14 (.588) |
Place | 3rd (Eastern) |
Playoff finish | 5th Seed; Lost in 2nd Round to Las Vegas |
Team Leaders | |
Points | Diamond DeShields – 16.2 ppg |
Rebounds | Jantel Lavender – 6.9 rpg |
Assists | Courtney Vandersloot – 9.1 apg |
Media | |
Television | WMEU-CD (The U Too) ESPN ESPN2 NBA TV |
The 2019 Chicago Sky season was the franchise's 14th season in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The regular season tipped off on May 25 and concluded on September 8.[1] On August 22, the team clinched a playoff berth for the first time in three seasons.[2]
During the offseason, Amber Stocks was dismissed by the team as general manager and head coach.[3] In November, James Wade was announced as the team's new head coach. Wade was previously an assistant with UMMC Ekaterinburg and the Minnesota Lynx.[4][5]
Three Sky players, all guards, were named as reserves to the 2019 WNBA All-Star Game: veterans Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot, and second-year player Diamond DeShields.[6][7] The Sky finished the season second in points per game, but second-to-last in points allowed.[8] DeShields was the team's leading scorer with 16.2 points per game, and Vandersloot broke her own all-time record with 9.1 assists per game.[9] Vandersloot and DeShields were named to the first and second All-WNBA Teams respectively.[10]
In the first round of the 2019 WNBA Playoffs, fifth-seeded Sky hosted the eighth-seeded Phoenix Mercury, whom they defeated 105–76 in a single-elimination game.[11] They lost their second-round single-elimination game on the road to the Las Vegas Aces by a score of 93–92 in the final seconds.[12]