2021 WNBA Finals
Chicago Sky def. Phoenix Mercury, 3-1
2021 WNBA Finals result: Chicago Sky def. Phoenix Mercury, 3-1.
Sourcing caveat: One AI-summarized fetch of the Finals article initially reported the series score as "4-1," which is impossible in a best-of-five series (only 3 wins are needed to clinch). A dedicated recap of the series and game-by-game reporting confirm the correct score is 3-1.
Result
| Team | Result | |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | Chicago Sky | 3-1 |
| Runner-up | Phoenix Mercury |
Finals MVP: Kahleah Copper
Chicago's first WNBA title, and the city's first professional basketball championship since the 1998 Bulls. The sixth-seeded Sky were the lowest seed ever to win a title under the league's modern playoff format.
Games
| Game | Date | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | October 10, 2021 | Chicago Sky 91–77 Phoenix Mercury | Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona |
| Game 2 | October 13, 2021 | Phoenix Mercury 91–86 Chicago Sky | Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona |
| Game 3 | October 15, 2021 | Chicago Sky 86–50 Phoenix Mercury | Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois |
| Game 4 | October 17, 2021 | Chicago Sky 80–74 Phoenix Mercury | Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois |
Finals context
Chicago's first WNBA championship, an improbable run for a sixth-seeded team that had finished the regular season a modest 16-16, came in a rematch of the 2014 Finals against a fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury team that itself had needed to survive a difficult path back to the championship round. Chicago dominated Game 1 in Phoenix, 91-77, winning the second quarter 26-10 to build an 11-point halftime lead it never relinquished; Kahleah Copper posted a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double, Courtney Vandersloot added 12 points and 11 assists, and four other Sky players scored in double figures. Phoenix answered in Game 2, forcing overtime and winning 91-86 as Brittney Griner scored 29 and Diana Taurasi added 20, evening the series behind a 12-7 Phoenix edge in the extra period. Chicago responded with the series' most lopsided result in Game 3 back home, routing Phoenix 122-86 as a 22-point halftime lead — tying the largest in WNBA Finals history — turned into a 36-point rout, with Copper (22 points) and Vandersloot (10 assists) leading the way while Griner's 16 points were the only Phoenix scoring in double figures. Chicago closed out the championship in Game 4, overcoming a seven-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to win 80-74; the Sky outscored Phoenix 20-5 in the final period, with Allie Quigley's 26 points and Vandersloot's 15 assists (a double-double alongside 10 points) orchestrating the comeback. Copper was named Finals MVP after her sustained scoring and physical two-way play across the series, capping a breakout postseason that established her as one of the league's rising stars. Candace Parker, in her first season with Chicago after years starring for Los Angeles, also contributed double-doubles across multiple games, giving the Sky a formidable veteran presence alongside its emerging core. The title carried real historical weight: it was Chicago's first professional basketball championship since the Bulls' 1998 title, and the Sky's run as a sixth seed — the format having re-seeded the playoffs since 2016 — made them the first team below the top two seeds to win a title under the WNBA's modern bracket structure, and the third team ever to reach the Finals with a regular-season record no better than .500. The city celebrated with a parade honoring the Sky's breakthrough. For Phoenix, the loss was a second Finals defeat to Chicago specifically (following 2014, albeit with the roles reversed), part of a stretch in which the Mercury remained perennial contenders without adding to their three earlier titles.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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