Sky veteran Dales to retire from WNBA
The Chicago Sky announced today that veteran forward Stacey Dales is retiring from the WNBA.
Dales announced her retirement Saturday in a letter to fans on the Sky website at chicagosky.net.
After two seasons with the Chicago Sky and three seasons playing for the Washington Mystics, Dales is hanging up her basketball uniform to concentrate on her career in sports broadcasting.
"I'm incredibly grateful for my opportunity with the Chicago Sky," said Dales. "Not only was I surrounded by quality peers, but I was associated with the best of management. Margaret Stender, Michael Alter, and the entire Sky staff care about their athletes and they are willing to work for what is right. I'm also thankful to the fans of Chicago - not only did they support our developing franchise, but they have remained loyal throughout. I am confident that the Chicago Sky is moving in a direction that will provide great reward and ultimate success."
Teammates reaction to retirement Here's what several Chicago Sky players, in a statement released by the team, had to say about Stacy Dales and her retirement from the WNBA: Dominique Canty "She will truly be missed by me. I think Stacey is not only a great three-point shooter and a great teammate but she's a great person with a beautiful heart. She's kept me laughing even in the hard times. I just want to wish her much success in the future." Kayte Christensen "Stacey is a great friend and teammate. One of the hardest decisions as a player is deciding when to retire. I know she feels fulfilled as a player and is moving on to great things. I wish her nothing but happiness and continued success." Claire Coggins "Stacey has meant so much to the Sky organization and the WNBA as a whole. She is a tremendous leader with such an amazing ability to make all those around her feel warm. She will be greatly missed. I'm very grateful to have found a teammate and a friend in Stacey. I wish her the very best in all her future endeavors, and I'll remember all she taught me personally, on and off the court." Chas Melvin "Stacey's passion for the game will be missed, but her personality off the court will be missed even more. Whenever the team was down, she always said something to lighten things up. We will miss her on the court and in the locker room. Good luck, Stacey!" Jia Perkins "Stacey's presence will be missed both on and off the court. She brought such positive energy to the court and really knew how to lift her teammates up. She is truly a class act but has a hidden talent too. I think we might end up seeing her on Saturday Night Live." Armintie Price "Stacey is the person who invented the word "really" for the team last year!! I will miss her so much - she was the first player I met on the team and was a true mentor till the end. I find myself blessed and privileged that I had the opportunity to be mentored by such an astonishing player and woman. I am forever grateful for the kindness Stacey showed me during my rookie season. I wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors, and I look forward to seeing her hanging around during the upcoming season!" Brooke Wyckoff "Stacey's talent, intensity, heart, humor and above all her dedication to her team and the game of basketball will be sorely missed by her teammates and fans. I wish her the best of luck for the future!" -- Daily Herald news services
As a member of the team's first-ever starting lineup in 2006, Dales scored the Sky's first franchise field goal. In the 2007 season, she averaged 10.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. She shot .338 from beyond the three-point line and set the franchise record for most three-pointers in a game (7).
Dales finishes her career with an average of 9.2 points per game and a 35 percent three-point shooting average. She started in 131 of the 150 games she played in the WNBA.
"It's tough to see Stacey go," said Sky Head coach and general manager Steven Key. "She was one of the most skilled and passionate women basketball players to come around in recent years. Aside from her talent on the court, she will be missed for her caring and helpful manner. She was extremely helpful in assisting my transition from men's basketball into the WNBA. She is a unique individual who will go out of her way to assist a friend, and the team could always count on her for a good laugh when times were tough."
Dales will continue working for ESPN as a studio analyst for NCAAW basketball and a sideline reporter for the NBA, NCAA basketball, and NCAA football. She began working for ESPN in 2002 and that same year, USA Today's television columnist Rudy Martzke named her "Rookie Analyst of the Year" and "Best New Face" in 2004.
Dales was Washington's first pick (third overall) in the 2002 WNBA Draft out of Oklahoma. She averaged 9.3 points per game in three seasons with the Mystics, and named as a replacement to the 2002 WNBA All-Start Team. She retired at the end of the 2004 season, but decided to come back in 2006 and was a surprise addition to the Sky roster when Washington did not protect her in the 2006 Expansion Draft.
"Stacey has been a central part of the Sky organization for the past two seasons and we all wish her the best," said Chicago Sky President and CEO Margaret Stender. "We were honored to have her end her previous retirement to join our team, and she has been a great contributor and team leader. The Sky family and fans will miss watching her on the court, but we look forward to following her success off the court."
A standout at the University of Oklahoma, Dales led her team to the 2002 NCAA Championship game. She was Oklahoma's first consensus All-American and was named to the Kodak, Associated Press and Women's Basketball Journal first teams. She represented Canada at the 1999 Pan American Games, the 2000 Summer Olympics, the 2001 FIBA Americas World Championship Qualification Tournament and the 2003 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualification Tournament.