The Chicago Sky became the eighth and final team to clinch a spot in the 2023 WNBA playoffs by beating the Minnesota Lynx 92-87 Friday at Wintrust Arena.
The Sky advanced to the postseason for the fifth consecutive year, the longest streak in franchise history, made all the more impressive by the fact they experienced a midseason head-coaching change when James Wade left in July for the NBA. Emre Vatansever took over as head coach and general manager on an interim basis.
Aside from Wade’s departure, the team lost Isabelle Harrison and Rebekah Gardner to season-ending injuries early in the summer. Chicago had already been a new-look team as it was following a momentous offseason that saw the departures of Candace Parker (Las Vegas Aces), Courtney Vandersloot (New York Liberty), Azura Stevens (Los Angeles Sparks), Emma Meesseman (forgoing WNBA season) and Allie Quigley (sitting out season).
That core delivered a franchise-first WNBA championship in 2021 (minus Meesseman), before a…
