Vendor Donald Morris chats about the Chicago Sky championship with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.
Candace Parker (Ned Dishman/NBAE photo)
Kahleah Cooper (Chicago Sky photo)
Donald: I was dang near there for the actual confetti blast. Patrick: You mean to witness live the championship game? Yep. You tried to tell me, but you know what? I’m okay with being at game 3 instead of the deciding game 4, so thank you for the ticket. Plus, we could’ve swept and it would’ve been horrible to have not seen either game!
SPORTSWISE
Man, look, you deserve it. You’ve been doing SportsWise for too many years not to get to see your favorite ballplayer—Candace Parker—compete for an actual championship. And I was very up close and personal, too. Shoot, I was only four rows back. Four! And, like I said in a previous issue, I could hear and see everything: the strategizing, the cussing, all of it! P: Well, good. All right, so speak on the Chicago Sky and this magical moment. I felt they would do well regardless of them barely making the playoffs. I felt a championship was still possible. When the Sky won that first
game 91-77 against the Mercury in Phoenix, I felt it was only a matter of time. Despite the following game when the Sky lost in overtime 9186, I still felt good. I mean, this Mercury team is made up of some major ballers. Diana Taurasi. We all know her name. She was drafted No. 1 overall in 2004; also, Skylar Diggins-Smith put it down. She showed a little less than she’s capable of, but she did well. Averaged about 13 points and 7 rebounds a game. Wow. That is something. So, what about Phoenix’s power in the middle? Oh, don’t worry, Brittney Griner was definitely gonna get some airtime here. Standing at 6’9” with a weight of 205 pounds, she’s real. She hit us with the dominance throughout the entire series. In the first game alone, she had 28 points on 12-19 shoot-
ing, 7 rebounds and 2 assists; for the series, she averaged 23 points per game. And we won? Yep, we, the Sky, won. And you know why? A talent combination that could not be stopped this year, and will be hard to stop next year. Big ups to Kahleah Copper. I mean, man, she’s the real deal. Big ups, also, to Candace Parker—Candy to those in her circle—but I have to tell you, Kahleah’s going to be a heavy hitter for a very long time. She appears to be soaking up the knowledge that the experienced Ms. Parker has to give. Yeah, I like Kahleah. She’s an in-the-cut baller. And, might I add, Finals MVP. When asked how she went from a little girl with a dream to winning the award, she replied: “…my teammates and my coaches believed in me,
and I just stayed down until it was my turn.” Shoot, we got to see what’s really going on in the Chi! Yeah, and she averaged 18.6 points on 53.5% shooting, with nearly 8 rebounds and 2 assists per game. That’s phenomenal. So, on a separate note, I’ve heard that Candace would retire once this season was over… especially if they won a championship. Had you heard that? And, if so, how would you feel about it? I hadn’t heard that. However, if that were to go down, I’d be heartbroken. But I’d be solid in knowing we have some major pieces in play for the future. Back-to-back championships is not an impossibility. Good deal. Any comments or suggestions? Email pedwards@streetwise.org
