UNCASVILLE, Conn. — In a regular-season finale where Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas set several league records, Chicago’s Courtney Williams finished with a triple-double, scoring six of her 23 points in overtime, to rally the Sky to a 102-91 victory over the Sun on Sunday.
Chicago, which clinched the final playoff spot on Friday with a 92-87 victory over the Minnesota Lynx, will open on the road against the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday night. No. 3 seed Connecticut will host the sixth-seeded Minnesota Lynx in a first-round opener, also on Wednesday night.
Thomas became the first player in league history to record at least 600 points, 400 rebounds, and 300 assists in a single season. Thomas had five points, five rebounds and four assists, playing just 16:24 for the Sun. Thomas set league highs this season with 24 double-doubles and six triple-doubles. She also set a league record with 316 assists in a league-record 40-game season (7.9 average per game), playing all 40 games. Courtney Vandersloot of the New York Liberty played in 39 games and finished with 314 assists for an 8.1 average.
Williams added 16 rebounds and 13 assists to earn her second triple-double of the season and career for Chicago (18-22), which played without star Kahleah Copper. She signed an extension with the team earlier in the day.
Copper, who was set to be a free agent at the end of the season, ranks in the franchise’s top five in a number of categories including scoring (2,676 points) and games played (224).
She currently leads the team in scoring (18.7 points) this season and has helped the Sky reach the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season.
“Chicago has been everything I could’ve asked for and more over the past seven seasons,” Copper said. “This is where I’ve grown as a player, as a person, and where I’m proud to say I’ve become one with this community.
“This city doesn’t cut corners and pours everything it has into each day. That’s a standard I’m proud to upkeep. I’m ready and excited to grow and build on my legacy here and give this city, our fans, my teammates, coaches, and the entire Sky organization everything I have to bring another championship back home.”
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Copper helped the franchise win its first WNBA title in 2021, earning MVP honors for the Finals. She was a standout at Rutgers.
In Sunday’s game, Elizabeth Williams had 21 points and Dana Evans scored 18. Marina Mabrey hit five 3-pointers and scored 16 with seven assists.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 20 points to lead Connecticut (27-13), which played its starters as sparingly as possible with just nine active players. The Sun set a franchise record for wins in a season under first-year coach Stephanie White.
Williams made three baskets around a 3-pointer by Robyn Parks as the Sky scored the first 13 points of overtime to pull out the win.