Parker leads Sparks past Chicago Sky
It has been a roller-coaster ride of a year for Los Angeles Sparks center Candace Parker.
The former Naperville Central star had to put on a happy face when the U.S. Olympic team was announced in April and her name was not included. It was a shock in basketball circles since Parker was a key player on the 2008 and 2012 Olympic teams.
Then in June, Parker's beloved college coach at Tennessee, the legendary Pat Summitt, succumbed to Alzheimer's disease.
Parker seemed to be playing this WNBA season as if she was making a statement about her Olympic snub, and as if she was in constant tribute to Summitt.
"She's had a (heck) of a year," Los Angeles coach Brian Agler said of Parker. "It's been an emotional year for her. Obviously, it was a shock (regarding the Olympics) and then with Coach Summitt passing. To have two things like that happening during the season is very emotional.
"But she stayed the course … and we all know she's one of the best in the world."
Parker put up her usual well-rounded stats this season: 15.4 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game and 4.9 assists per game. And now she has guided the Sparks to their first WNBA Finals in her nine-year career.
Parker poured in a game-high 29 points on 14-of-15 free-throw shooting to lead the Sparks to a 95-75 victory over the Chicago Sky on Tuesday night at the Allstate Arena in Game 4 of the WNBA semifinals.
"I think the Olympic situation was probably a good motivation (for Parker)," Sky coach Pokey Chatman said. "She's been ready to lift her team to the championship that she's talked about."
The Sparks, who were up by as many as 28 points, won the series 3-1. They will face the Minnesota Lynx, the defending league champion, in a best-of-five Finals series.
"It's sweet for me that we're in the Finals," said Parker, deflecting the Olympic issue. "This is what my goal was back in 2008 when I was drafted. I don't think either one of us (Parker was sitting next to current WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike) have to prove anything else individually.
"But can we win? Can we win a WNBA championship? That's all we want to do this year.
"It's been a long journey, and it's been a tough road, but we're here and everything's been worth it for this moment. I'm just really excited for this opportunity to win a championship for L.A."
Former Sky guard Kristi Toliver finished with 21 points for Los Angeles on 4-of-4 shooting from 3-point range. Ogwumike added 17 points and 9 rebounds.
Los Angeles shot 55 percent from the field and 69 percent from 3-point range (9-of-13), and also rolled up 13 steals and forced 18 Sky turnovers.
The Sky, which got double figures from four players, including a game-high 19 points from veteran guard Cappie Pondexter, got the deficit down to as few as 8 points early in the fourth quarter but could never overcome its slow start. Los Angeles raced to a 23-11 advantage after one quarter.
"I can't tell you, I can't pinpoint it, why we got off to a slow start," Pondexter said. "I don't know if it was nerves or whatever, but it (stinks). It's hard to get off to a slow start against a good team, especially in the semifinals."
The Sky, playing its 10th straight game without leading scorer and 2015 MVP Elena Delle Donne (20.5 ppg, out with thumb injury), also got 15 points and 10 rebounds out of rookie center Imani Boyette, 14 points off the bench from forward Clarissa dos Santos and 12 points from forward Jessica Breland.