Sky look to lock up the No. 1 seed in the WNBA Playoffs

CHICAGO – Tuesday was a night to look back on the past while also looking ahead to the future. One of those worked out well for the Sky while the other didn’t.

Before the game with the Storm at Wintrust Arena, the franchise honored Sue Bird, the 13-time WNBA All-Star and four-time league champion, who is retiring at the end of this season. They played a video tribute while also presenting the guard with a pair of custom Nike Air Force 1 shoes.

While the contest was about paying tribute to Bird’s contributions to women’s basketball, it was also about solidifying the Sky’s place in the standings ahead of the WNBA Playoffs. That didn’t end up working out the way the team had hoped.

Seattle’s 110-100 drops the Sky to 25-9 on the season as they look ahead to their final two games of the regular season. They still maintain a one-game lead over the Aces for first in the WNBA, and they’ll get the chance to face them to lock up that spot on Thursday.

The Sky visit Las Vegas for a 9 PM central time tipoff and the objective is clear for James Wade’s team: Win and clinch home court advantage throughout the WNBA Playoffs. A victory opens a two-game advantage for the Sky with just one more game to play.

If they lose, they’ll have to beat the Mercury in Sunday’s regular season finale to get the spot.

Playing at home would be ideal for the Sky since they’ve gone 14-4 at Wintrust Arena this season and sported a perfect record at home in the 2021 WNBA Playoffs.

No matter where they end up, the team is in the playoffs trying to do something that hasn’t been done in the league in 20 years: Win back-to-back WNBA championships. The Los Angeles Sparks were the last to do so in 2001 and 2002.