Why Sky Fans Should Be Angry That Liberty Lost to Mercury

As the New York Liberty lost Game 2 to the Phoenix Mercury, a seasoned player on the Phoenix team can now shatter Chicago Sky great Candace Parker's record for most rebounds in a playoff game in Game 3.

For the second year in a row, the Chicago Sky did not make the playoffs. So, it's hard to believe that this is the same team that won a WNBA title four years ago.

Courtney Vandersloot and Candace Parker, who used to play for the Sky, were both on that 2021 championship team. In 2023 and 2024, the experienced guard left Chicago to play for the New York Liberty. Last year, Vandersloot earned her second WNBA title.

Vandersloot elected to return to Chicago instead of signing with the Liberty again. If she had stayed, she would have been playing against the Phoenix Mercury in the playoffs.

As fans of both the Sky and the whole WNBA watch the playoffs, a few of Parker's postseason records are at risk of being broken. One of those threats is Mercury's lineup.

How DeWanna Bonner is breaking Parker's WNBA Playoff records

As of Sunday, September 14, Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner had tied Tamika Catchings for second place on the WNBA Postseason rebounding list with 598. That meant she needed 12 more rebounds to tie Candace Parker's record and 13 more to break it.

After her last playoff game, Bonner is now only four away from tying it and five away from breaking it. This year, she also broke Parker's record for most steals in WNBA playoff history. Parker has 108 and is currently third, behind Bonner, who has 110.

On that day, the Liberty beat Phoenix in a game. That made it possible for the 2024 WNBA champions to win the game. New York missed their chance to end the series on Wednesday night because Bonner and her teammates forced a Game 3.

This gives Bonner another chance to add to his postseason totals, such as rebounds. Along with this postseason record, one of Vandersloot's old colleagues moved up another list of statistical records.

Jonuel Jones of the Liberty blocked two shots by the Mercury in Game 2, which they lost. That put Jones ahead of Sylvia Fowles, a former center for the Chicago Sky, and Breanna Stewart, a WNBA All-Star. They are now tied for seventh place on the all-time career playoff blocks record.

Lisa Leslie, Parker's old partner-in-crime from her time with the Los Angeles Sparks, is still in second place. Leslie has 132 career postseason blocks, while Parker has 117.

Because the Liberty lost Game 2 on the road against the Mercury, a second former Chicago Sky star might be passed over on the all-time WNBA postseason leader board. Sky fans don't want anyone else to shatter a record set by someone from Chicago in the playoffs. New York might now because they lost badly in Phoenix on Wednesday.